York College prof uses 'The Office' for teaching

Read York Dispatch reporter Andy Shaw's story on how Rory Kraft, an assistant professor of philosophy, uses the hit television show "The Office" to teach students in his business ethics class. 

Kraft also wrote a chapter on the lessons we can learn from "The Office" for a book that was published in April 2008.  Below is a press release written in Sept. 2008 about his work: 

An assistant professor of philosophy at York College of Pennsylvania is eagerly awaiting the season premiere of NBC’s comedy series “The Office” on Sept. 25. Rory Kraft believes the show has more to offer audiences than just laughs, and he has written an article in a book that uses the show to teach some useful lessons.

The book, titled “The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unexamined Life,” is a collection of essays that “raises issues and lets us enjoy ourselves at the same time,” writes editor Jerry Wisnewski, an assistant professor of philosophy at Hartwick College  in New York.

In his article, “Stakeholders vs. Stockholders in ‘The Office,’” Kraft uses the cast of characters from the show to illustrate the conflicts that often arise between stakeholders, like employee Michael Scott and his staff, and stockholders like Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. He cites examples like the company health plan being restructured without consideration of employee needs (“Health Care” episode); and the company’s Pittsfield, Mass., office being closed over rumors of a union being formed (“Boys and Girls”episode). In each of these situations, Kraft asserts, a decision is being made apparently only because of profit and without consideration of who would be impacted by that decision.

“We can see real lessons about how acting ethically in the business place creates a better business environment,” Kraft writes in his article. “Stakeholder theory emphasizes that in order for a company to succeed, it needs to think about the impact of business decisions and practices on those who are stakeholders in that business, be they customer, supplier, employers or the larger community.”

Kraft’s article discusses the way -- probably unintentionally -- the show is displaying how good ethical business practices lead to better fiscal business practices. “Despite, or perhaps because of, the tensions in Dunder-Mifflin regarding the relative importance of stakeholders and stockholders,” he writes, “we can see through ‘The Office’ a real hope for better, and more ethical business practices.“

Kraft believes the show “is also a nice example of how philosophical reflection on the world around us does not have to be overly abstract or unusual.”