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This film deals with corporate America and the ethical behavior in the workplace. Bud Fox, as a young account executive, has the desire to become the highest salesperson in his company, and also the desire to become very rich. His focus is centered on getting a big account, mainly Gordon Gecko’s. Gordon Gecko appears as a leader because of his charisma and his power to reward and by being an expert in his field as an investor. Gecko uses his power as a leader for personal gain. He uses his leadership negatively. He uses persuasion with reward making Bud a “very rich” manјto get him to get inside riding information.
This knowledge is against the law. By forcing Bud to make a quick decision to be on “his team”, Bud spies on Laurence William. That information secures Anaconda Steel. This is similar to Informing’ persuasion over the creamers in Courage Under Fire. Their actions were guilty of courts-martial. He used fear of death while Gordon uses fear of loss of his account with Bud. Gordon is similar to Jack in Lord of the Flies in persuading followers to pick sides. Gordon persuades stockholders of the paper company to vote for selling instead of liquidating some of their assets.
He bragged about his abilities to make the stockholders money like Jack bragged about being a hunter. Gordon is an autocratic leader. His high-rolling life style and need to become richer is a driving force. He admits to being greedy to Bud. He wants everyone that is a part of “his team” to follow his directives. In order to remain a team member, all members will do as he says. He gave no thought to his actions and their effect upon others. Gordon easily influences Bud Fox. Gordon is everything that Bud wants to be.
When Gordon wants information that no one else knows, Bud is confronted with making the decision to provide the inside information. Since Gordon is aggressive unlike Bud’s father or Lou Anaheim, Gordon is the influence. This is very similar to Courage Under Fire. Gordon influences him as Informing influenced the crew. Bud uses Laurence William, an investor and Cordon’s rival, to get back at Gordon for using him to take over Baluster Airlines. This is similar to Apollo 13 when Gene Karate used Ken Imitating, an expert and also an astronaut, to find a way to get the crew back to earth.
Like Gene Karate and the team members worked together to return the spacecraft, Bud uses union representatives and Laurence to develop a plan of action for forcing Gordon to sell his stock in Baluster Airline. Everything that Gordon had taught Bud in acquiring Anaconda Steel, Bud uses to acquire Baluster stock. Laurence, the expert and with the power to but the stock, acquires the stock. Bud, like Todd in Dead Poet’s Society, arises as a leader instead of a follower when he realizes that he has been used, failed his father, and Baluster Airlines.
He gets followers, the union preventatives and Laurence, to do the right thing because they were hard working people like his father and whom he respected. While Todd stood on his desk in salute to Mr.. Keating, Bud stood up to Gordon by helping Laurence buy up the stock to save the company. Laurence William, a rival to Gordon, doesn’t emerge as a leader, but he is similar to Mr.. Keating in Dead Poet’s Society. Mr.. Keating wanted the boys to be all they could be and achieve. Laurence wanted Anaconda Steel to make the company successful.
Like Ralph met with Jack in Lord of the Flies, Laurence tests with Gordon to gain back the steel companies stock. Rivalry existed between these two men as it did between Ralph and Jack. Laurence has similarities with Captain Walden in Courage Under Fire. She wants to do the right thing towards her crew. Laurence wants to save the steel company, and make it profitable. Like Captains Wallet’s inability to control Informing, he couldn’t control Cordon’s need to be the best. It cost him a lot of money to acquire Anaconda Steel. Lou Anaheim and Bud’s father had little influence over Bud.
Both were laze- fairer leaders. They had a high value belief and believed in the system of fair play. Neither of these men used their power to exert a leadership role that might have influenced Bud to do the right thing. Neither Lou nor Bud’s father was seen as successful. The important decision in the film is Bud’s. He decides to get Baluster Airlines away from Gordon. That decision causes him to work with Laurence, and the airline’s union representatives. He admits the reasons for Cordon’s takeover of the stock and what will be needed to get it back to save the company.
As Gordon ad mentored him in acquiring Anaconda, he uses the same in acquiring Baluster Airline’s stock for Laurence. He makes the decision to work with law enforcement to get Gordon to confess to him his wrongdoing while wearing a wire. Bud does follow Lou Mashie’s advice to get him. Before his arrest, Lou told him that looking into the abyss builds character. He should remember to not become a victim of the abyss. Unlike Inferior’s wrongdoing and Nil’s inability to face his father, he faced his wrongdoing and saved himself while facing criminal prosecution.