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.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

I am A Supply Chain Manager at a large dairy in Wisconsin. My situation involved the

Companies handling of our current Covid-19 situation. They took an apathetic approach
to how to handle the situation often choosing to ignore facts and people when they were
exposed. This led to mass panic throughout leadership and the employees. A secretary
and I had to come up with safety measures and SOP’s on how to operate with no input
from ownership, officers, or the board. It gave the feeling that they don’t care about how
they operate or the people that serve their business.

2) Describe how the structure of the organization influenced the situation.

The structure of the organization is simple with a divisional twist. Meaning that although
there is some divisional decision making the vast majority comes from a simple structure
that is top down decision making. This meant that when there was a crisis such as covid
the lack of action was apparent as everyone was looking for direction from the top with
little decision ability.

The Structure therefore effected the situation in that all members of the organization
simply waited around to see what top leadership would decide. This created a panic when
they offered no direction. They also in the coming months continued to offer no direction.
This type of apathy in a simple structure was doomed for failure.

3) Recommend how you would use structure for an alternative course of action
regarding your case.

I think in my case if action was made from a sympathetic and empathetic approach it
would have worked. The simple structure does work if navigated by an effective leader.
Unfortunately, when the adverse happens it effects the company on all levels. It would

1
 have been beneficial to listen to others and put in place solutions or empower your
leaders to make decisions based on their needs.

I would also like to see more use of the divisional structure. In my case each divisional
leader had genuine and empathetic ideas as to how to handle the virus situation,
especially in the early days. If ownership had divided up responsibility to each divisional
leader it would have been much more successful in not only maintaining but possibly
improving morale.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

I think I would have split the divisions into a divisional structure. This would have made
it more beneficial to all involved. I did discover that although from the outside our
company looks divisional it is actually very simple structured. With things being changed
immediately and divisions being told they have little to no power.

I would not have handled it differently on my end the only thing I wish I could have done
was act sooner. In the simple structure I had no power to act until it was an absolute
necessity. This led me to be demoralized and with a helpless feeling. In a divisional
structure I would have been able to implement my plan earlier help saving the culture and
morale of several of my employees.

2
 Reference or References