OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Choosing an Organization Worksheet

1) Describe your organization.

After a personal injury that left Scott Sebastian struggling to walk normally, he sought help

from orthopedic doctors. Upon being told surgery was his only choice, he attempted to find

alternative options. After seeking treatment from a chiropractor who specialized in applied

kinesiology, he was able to walk, run, and do all the physical activities he enjoyed again. With a

new sense of self, he found purpose in helping others improve the quality of their lives as his

chiropractor did for him. Following his graduation from Cleveland Chiropractic College, Dr.

Sebastian D.C., and his wife, Donna Sebastian, opened Leucadia Chiropractic Wellness Clinic

located in Encinitas, California in 1990. Leucadia Chiropractic Wellness Clinic offers a variety

of techniques to improve an individual’s overall wellbeing. Utilizing chiropractic, acupuncture,

and massage therapy techniques, this business has the tools necessary to keep our bodies

functioning daily.

2) Describe your role in the organization (it can be internal or external).

I was hired at Leucadia Chiropractic Wellness Clinic as a chiropractic assistant to Dr.

Sebastian. When new patients arrive, my role was to assess their symptoms, stability, range of

motion, and strength. Taking note of the doctor’s findings I would update their medical charts

and treatment plans. 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

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patients I was responsible for scanning patient documents, answering phones, and marketing our

business at local events.

3) Describe the situation. (see the Canvas instructions for details, especially about how
your situation will be analyzed from five different perspectives over the next five
modules)

Having just moved across the country only weeks earlier, I was excited to become part of the

Leucadia Chiropractic Wellness Clinic. I was hired to work full time at approximately 40 hours a

week with no indication of it being anything less. I was told from the beginning that my training

was going to take roughly a month to complete as there was a lot to learn. In the initial weeks 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 me to memorize a script which welcomed, assessed, and discussed finances

with patients. Each day before I headed home at lunchtime, the office manager, also known as

Donna Sebastian, and I would go over the script I had been practicing. During each meeting she

would adjust the scripts wording, making it more difficult for me to memorize and pass. If I

didn’t have it memorized verbatim, I didn’t pass, requiring more studying. 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 mustered up the

courage to ask if I could study in the office going forward, to which she agrees. As the following

Monday rolled around, the usual training routine took place, and I began studying in the office.

That was until roughly 2 pm when I was told I could go home for the day. I was enraged. Not

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only did this leave 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. At this rate, it would take two months to complete

training. 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.

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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.