OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Symbolic Frame Worksheet

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

My situation from Module 1 was running a shift, as a shift supervisor, at my organization,

Starbucks. This role is responsible for partners (employees) and delegating tasks so that
partners can create and maintain the Starbucks experience. As a supervisor, I am
responsible for modeling and acting in align with Starbucks` core mission and values.
“We like to say that we are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people,
business serving coffee.
2) Describe how the symbols of the organization influenced the situation.

Symbols are reminders of what the organization stands for. They reveal and communicate
the organization’s culture. The text states that “an organization's culture is revealed and
communicated through its symbols” (Bolman, 2021). Starbuck's core values are about
creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome (Starbucks
Coffee Company, 2021). Symbols played a major role in Starbucks’ response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The symbolic frame interprets and illuminates the basic issues of
meaning and belief that make symbols so potent.

Starbucks stores have always been a symbol of connection, supported by their Third
Place Policy, which aims to create a “safe and welcoming environment” (Third Place
Policy). In creating this policy, and in line with the company’s mission and values, the
name, logo, and physical site of Starbucks acts as a symbol for their “culture of warmth
and belonging” (Mission Statement). The company has also been a symbol of a company
that focuses on humanity, as is reflected in their values statement that they operate
“through the lens of humanity” (Mission Statement). These symbols, reflected in
Starbucks’ vision and values, made many partners feel safe at work and trusted the
company to keep them safe, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 Starbucks took actions that were aligned with the symbols reflected in their vision and
values. Offering partners paid time off, temporarily offering an additional $3/hr for
partners working, expanding the complementary food and beverage benefit even if they
were not working, as well as closing their lobbies to prevent further exposure to the virus.

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

Looking through the symbolic frame, I would have recommended Starbucks reflect more
heavily on the message their actions were sending to their partners, who were deeply
affected by such decisions, rather than focusing on customers. By opening the lobbies, it
showed that things were going back to normal. For partners, it meant that upper
management cared more about the success of the organization rather than the safety of
partners working in the frontline of the pandemic. I would have recommended more
reflection or mindfulness as to how these actions would be received by partners and the
message they would send.

I would have recommended listening partners’ concerns. Starbucks made it clear

throughout the crisis that they heard partner concerns, but rarely did they actually seem to
take action. A lot of the responses would say that they heard the concerns of partners but
were opening the lobbies anyway to increase business. Hearing concerns means nothing
if not followed by meaningful actions. Not responding to partner concerns with actions
symbolized to partners that their company did not care about them or what they thought
about the decisions that they would have to implement and practice.

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

Given what I have learned about this frame, I would have kept the lobbies closed longer.
Since the re-opening of the lobby, at my store we have had to close it again. Every time
we would re-open the lobby if Covid numbers would increase in the Dallas metroplex our
regional manager would have us close again. Currently the lobby remains open.
Starbucks was sending a message to its partners that did not align with their values or
culture.
Before the pandemic Starbucks culture was a sort of family. It symbolized hope,
belonging, warmth, and connection. Many partners felt valued by the organization and
though they are technically employees. Partners felt seen as human beings, reflected in
the company’s mission statement that the company is “performance driven, through the
lens of humanity” (Mission Statement). Many of the actions taken in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, however, focused too much on being a performance driven
company. Partners were no longer being seen through the lens of humanity.

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 References

Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership
(7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass

Mission Statement. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19,2022, from https://www.starbucks.com/about-

us/company-information/mission-statement

Third Place Policy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2022, from

https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/learn-more/policies/third-place