OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Structural Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the structural frame
2. Apply the structural frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

The organization that I have chosen to represent is Amazon. The reason for this is
Amazon is a very successful company and I have been using them for years. My role is to
really dig deep and find out why they’re such a great company with this personal case
anaylsis.
Describe how the structure of the organization influenced the situation.
When we talk about the structural frame of an organization, we're talking about the
architect of the organization. This includes many things like goals, technology, structure,
roles, and relationships (Reframing Organizations). These structural frames are designed
to fit an organization's environment and technology (Reframing Organizations).
Amazon’s structural frame is that they have a functional organizational structure. Their
structure focuses on business functions for determining the interactions among the
different parts of the company. In the Amazon corporate structure they focus on three
things. These three things are global functions based groups, global hierarchy, and
geographic divisions.
What influenced the corporate structure is Amazon must maintain an organizational
structure that adequately supports its expanding market reach. They need this strong
corporate structure so they can withstand the effects of their competitors such as
Walmart, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Since they have such fierce competition, it is
essential that their structural characteristics help strengthen the company to ensure
success.
 Recommend how you would use structure for an alternative course of action
regarding your case.
I have seen some disadvantages of Amazon's corporate structure that should be changed.
One disadvantage is that it has limited flexibility and responsiveness. Both of the function
based groups characteristics reduce the capacity of Amazon to quickly respond to new
issues and problems. One recommendation is the company really needs to reduce the
dominance of the structural characteristics. They also need to work on trying to establish
higher flexibility and responsiveness by increasing power or degree of autonomy of the
regional or local offices.
What they’re doing right however is, it’s effective in supporting the international growth
in the e-commerce market. They have a huge advantage by doing this and are
strengthening their company everyday.
Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.
Amazon's corporate structure doesn’t need many modifications besides the ones that I
have provided for you above. The company continues to pass more products and
diversifies its company everyday. The design they have chosen compliments the
technological foundation of the business. By using this structure they have managerial
control. They have extensive control on their global e-commerce operations. This helps
them to keep an established design in the firm.
I know they have their disadvantages however they have many advantages as well they
help keep the corporate structure working. They are successful for a reason.

References:

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice,

and leadership (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass