OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Politcal Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the political frame
2. Apply the political 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.

The organization hired two deaf individuals who were to be trained and work with

powered equipment. The department they were assigned to was not set up well with accessibility

options to accommodate their needs. Initially, they were meant to be assigned to a department

with more accessibility; however, a human resource mistake sent them into the warehousing

department.

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

The organization stands for inclusivity and inclusion. Those are the values and ethics it

models itself after and projects to the community. When faced with the problem of the team and

equipment not being able to accommodate the needs of the deaf workers effectively, we relied on

information and expertise that wasn't readily available to us. The organization was dependent on

the environment for the needed support. 

Bolman (2017) described that Alliances and networks involve working through complex

networks to gain information and get things done. Our organization was limited in our networks

and problem-solving ability due to not having a lot of information available to us on solutions to

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the issues faced. Further contributing to the problems was the people in the position of power

were removed from the situation, and it took time to run ideas and issues up the chain of

command. Since organizations have internal politics and political agendas, the team members'

handling had to be undertaken carefully. Some legal matters had to be taken into account before

taking action, which slowed decisions. 

3) Recommend how you would use organizational politics for an alternative course of

action regarding your case.

In using the politics of the organization for alternative action, I would have used a stop-

work authority. Yes, the workers have a right to work at the organization just like any other

individual, but we have to ensure the safety of all involved. Coming into a department with no

accessibility measures in place to operate 4000-pound plus machines is a hazard. Politics is

always a factor when making those decisions, but we could have accommodated the team

members in another department more easily and with less risk. 

I would have been fine using a stop-work authority because it aligns with Burns's view on

morality and politics. I would be comfortable discussing and defending my decision, and it was a

manner of protecting the safety of everyone involved. I would also have no issue with the

decision if I were one of the def team members. It was not made feeling the team members were

less capable. The decision would be based on the organization not being equipped with what the

whole team needed to make it a safe transition. 

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

this frame.

What I would have done differently, given what I learned about this frame, was to have a

dialogue to get to a win-win scenario. When asked if there was an opportunity to move the team

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members to a different department, the human resource department responded that the other

departments were filled. If we could make concessions on both sides, maybe we could have got

to the "yes (Bolman, 2017)." Suppose we were able to keep them in a function temporarily that

didn't involve powered equipment until another department could accommodate them.

Information and expertise seemed to be delayed when it came to issues dealing with the deaf

team members. Decisions were frozen for a period due to the fact the person with the legal

expertise was unavailable. Having a pipeline of individuals with the information and knowledge

would have been beneficial in providing an action plan for the team. As an organization that runs

24hrs a day, seven days a week, it would be helpful to have someone available who has the

expertise and information during each shift. 

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 Work Cited

Bolman, D. G. L. T. B. E. (2017). by Lee G. Bolman, Terrence E. Deal Reframing

Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership Paperback 6th edition– July 24, 2017

(6th ed.). Generic.