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  Guide opening:

David Lean's classic 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai is rife with ambiguities. Two army colonels - one a captive British engineer, the other a rigid Japanese prison camp commandant - match wills while attempting to carry out their orders, obey the rules of their respective military cultures, preserve their self-respect and, not least, build a bridge. While Saito and Nicholson battle, a British-American commando team treks through the jungle to destroy the bridge before Japanese troop trains can cross it. Amidst the chaos of war, managerial lessons dealing with mission, motivation, teamwork and chain of command abound.

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  Excerpt from the plot summary:

Saito chews out his chief engineer. The bridge is falling farther and farther behind schedule. The British overhear it all, awaiting their work orders. Saito himself addresses them. "English prisoners," he said, "why does the bridge not progress? You know why! Because your officers are lazy. They think themselves too good to share your burdens. This is not just. Therefore, you are not happy in your work. Therefore, the bridge does not progress. But there is another reason. I do not hide the truth. With deep shame and regret I admit to you the failure of a member of the Japanese staff - I refer to Lt. Miura. He is a bad engineer. He is unworthy of command." Saito strips the engineer of authority and takes personal command of the project. He then gives the men a day of rest arguing that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." As a further sign of goodwill he announces that he is has presents for them. The men open the wrapped packages only to discover that Saito is giving them Red Cross boxes he has been withholding from them. He again exhorts them to be happy in their work.

After their day of rest, the bridge project resumes. Another section collapses in the river.

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  Summary of the commentary:

The Bridge On the River Kwai is a superb vehicle for discussing corporate mission and the disconnects which occur in trying to achieve it. The perceived, as opposed, to actual missions of Nicholson, Saito and commando team are fully analyzed. Nicholson loses sight of his role in the larger war effort; Saito never loses sight of his mission, but risks failure by letting his concern over lesser issues get in the way; the commando team is united in its mission and unfettered by the conflicts that face the two colonels. The commentary closely examines Saito's obsession with Bushido, the Samurai code, and discusses the misapplication of Bushido concepts in business settings. It also explores the important Japanese concept of "face" and the close reasoning that Saito employs to save face while still saving his career by getting the bridge built. Kwai offers strong lessons built around Japanese management principles in the pre-World War II and post-World War II periods.

These changes are presented by comparing scenes in Kwai and Gung Ho. The commentary discusses leadership in the context of questions concerning skill-related excellence and general excellence in battle and in business.

The commentary is supplemented by BREAKOUT BOXES dealing with these topics:

	Business and Bushido: The Soldier's Code
	Key Results Areas: Saito vs. Nicholson
	Doing Things Right vs. Doing the Right Things: Technical vs. General Excellence
	Saving Face: Saito's Rules
	Steps to Task Organization: Nicholson's Way

THE GUIDE also includes an essay that looks at business as depicted in the movies. For an introductory section on how to use the Management Goes to the Movies™ program, click through to Using The MGTTM Training Program.

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