The human resources perspective implies perceiving people not as mere tools for achieving goals but as individuals with their own needs, expectations, agendas, complex motivation, and goals. Such a perspective does not allow exploitation of one side by the other, but it implies creating a balance of interests of both parties. Such a balance is difficult to achieve; numerous variables are involved, such as the relevant motivation model, adequate monetary and non-monetary compensations, sufficient investments into human capital, and others. The actions of the main protagonists of Remember the Titans movie – coach Herman Boone and assistant coach Bill Yoast are assessed through that prism, and subsequent recommendations are given.
The protagonists’ actions throughout the film can be divided into distinct phases. In the first phase, when both protagonists were making choices regarding their positions, they demonstrated the ability to put the interests of the groups and communities first. Boone understood the symbolic value of his appointment for the community and the role that he could play in the fight against racism and segregation. He could weigh these impacts and opportunities against his guilt and make the choice that was more beneficial in general. The same can be said about Yoast, who overcame his emotions and made the choice that supported the needs of students in the long run. Overall, from the human resources perspective, both protagonists demonstrated the ability to analyze and take into account the interests of larger groups, therefore creating more complex and balanced systems to satisfy people’s needs. Moreover, these actions proved to be effective as, in both cases, the protagonists achieved their goals – the team was saved from the immediate collapse, and the case became exemplary regarding racial issues.
Secondly, the protagonists were able to clearly convey their goals, values, and beliefs to the team members and each other, thus changing the “corporate culture” of the team. In this case, Boone’s role was the most significant as he could convince and motivate both the Yoast and all of the team members. From the human resources perspective, it is critical for the team members to understand the group’s goals, philosophy, values, and overall culture and share them. In this framework, the initial actions of Boone and Yoast, who worked only with their respective parts of the team, were wrong. In such cases, the recommended course of action for both managers is to clarify positions and agree in advance, presenting the results to the whole group together. This could have been more effective in unifying the players.
Finally, the actions of Yoast during the state semi-finals once again demonstrated his ability to put the team’s interests first, as Boone’s dismissal could have hurt the whole team’s perspective. Overall, the film’s protagonists emphasized the role of good leadership and management in the group’s overall performance and subsequent success. Both protagonists saw the players not as tools but as people and took their interests into account, even making personal sacrifices to secure group benefits. Furthermore, the protagonists were able to rebuild the group’s culture through transparent communication of their vision. In the end, all of these actions proved to be effective as the team achieved its goals and set an important example for others regarding racial issues. As mentioned before, the only recommendation concerns the initial lack of coordination and understanding between managers.