OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Symbolic Frame Worksheet

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

I was hired to work full-time at Leucadia Chiropractic Wellness Clinic as a chiropractic

assistant. My position within the clinic was to assist Dr. Scott Sebastian D.C. with patients

Monday through Friday during the hours of operation. When new patients arrive, my role was to

assess their symptoms, stability, range of motion, and strength. Moving forward with their visits

I was responsible for bringing the patient back to their room, assessing their symptoms since the

previous visit, updating their medical chart, and providing them with chiropractic therapies

suggested by Dr. Sebastian. Therapies included exercises, muscle stimulation, cold laser therapy,

and red-light therapy. Between patients I was responsible for scanning patient documents,

answering phones, and marketing our business at local events. 

In the initial weeks of training, I was scheduled roughly 20 hours each week for hands-on

training in the office and asked to go home at lunch to memorize a script before advancing

through the training modules. My training at home required memorization of a script which

welcomed, assessed, and discussed finances with patients. Each day I would reiterate the script

to the office manager, Donna Sebastian. If I could not recite the script verbatim, I would not be

allowed to move forward with training. In having chiropractic assistant experience before, I

began to feel as though their protocols and procedures were unethical.

As my first paycheck finally rolled around, I was beyond disappointed to see half of what I

expected. In discussing my concerns with Donna, I became aware that I was not getting paid for

the time I was studying out of the office. Frustrated at the misunderstanding, I ask if I could

study in the office going forward, to which she agrees. As the following Monday rolled around, I

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went about my usual training routine, followed by in-office studying. At roughly 2 pm I was told

I could go home for the day. I was enraged. This leaves me short three hours a day, 15 hours a

week, and a total of 30 hours per paycheck, it wasn’t enough time to study. This means

consistently smaller paychecks with no shot at making bonuses. I was beyond frustrated and felt

as though the organization was exploiting me (Bolman & Deal, 2017, p. 8). Having dealt with

the wrath of Donna before, I felt that I was left with one of two choices. One, leave the company

and provide two weeks’ notice leaving on good terms. Two, quit and requested back pay for the

three weeks I studied roughly 60 hours off the clock. Considering they would let me go

immediately after giving my two weeks’ notice, and to maintain a healthy and positive mindset, I

decided to quit immediately, requesting back pay for my time spent studying off the clock.

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

I feel as though the symbolic frame played a critical role in the situation. The script in

question welcomes, assesses, and discusses finances with patients. Part of the welcoming speech

introduces Dr. Scott Sebastian and why he became a chiropractor. It was imperative to discuss

his injury years ago which led him to become a chiropractor. The story was embellished in a way

to comfort patients and coercing them to open their wallets for treatment. 

According to Bolman and Deal (2017), “In the face of uncertainty and ambiguity,

symbols arise to help people resolve confusion, find direction, and anchor hope and faith” (p.

243). People seek chiropractic assistance when they are in pain. When people are in pain, they

will do just about anything to relieve it; therefore, the script is a symbol that draws on the agony

of new patients. In coming to this realization, I now understand why there was such a strong

focus on memorizing the script verbatim.

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

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 As Bolman and Deal (2017) stated, “culture forms the superglue that bonds an organization,

unites people, and helps an enterprise to accomplish desired ends” (p. 243). When an

organization lacks culture, it fails to acknowledge and value its employees. This can produce a

negative culture which will result in low productivity, absenteeism, and lack of empath.

Therefore, I would use organizational symbols to build culture at Leucadia Chiropractic

Wellness Clinic. 

While I understand the importance of sharing how the organization developed, the story

doesn’t need to be a speech. According to Bolman and Deal (2017), “Vision turns an

organization’s core ideology, or sense of purpose, into an image of the future” (p. 245). By

creating a vision of culture and developing a sense of purpose for each team member, the

business can reach its desired state. Additionally, I would utilize metaphor, play, and humor to

loosen up the environment while creating communal bonds (Bolman, 2017, p. 243).

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

Symbols serve as a guide for organizations to stay connected with their values while keeping

the organization's moral compass in check. Considering that Leucadia Chiropractic Wellness

Clinic is in fact a chiropractic office, the value should be to promote health and wellbeing.

Seeing as how Donna operates the office as a dictator, I would alter this attitude to put both

patients and employees' needs above my own. As Bolman and Deal (2017) stated,

“Organizations often rely on CEOs or other prominent leaders as exemplars” (p. 246). With that

said, I would create a welcoming environment where employees feel acknowledged, encouraged,

and supported. 

I find sharing the history of the business to be important to our patients; however, I would do

it in a different fashion. For instance, we can share our story online, on our social media, as well

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as on a television monitor in the waiting room. When patients seek treatment to relieve pain, the

last thing that wants is a 15-minute spiel about our development. Chances are, they already did

their due diligence before entering the front door. For those reasons, I would put this time and

energy where it can be better applied.

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 Reference

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

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