OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Symbolic Frame Worksheet

Rachael Stiver

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

The situation is a conversation between myself and one of my baristas, Anna. I am a shift

supervisor and her acting manager most of the time we work together. Anna struggled with her

attitude, work ethic, and not living Starbucks’ mission and values. I pulled her aside for a

conversation after we closed to address her behavior and how we could improve her experience

by addressing her bad behavior. The conversation went okay and ended because Anna was upset.

After spending time thinking about the conversation, Anna realized how her behavior was

affecting the team and that I wanted to help her. The conversation centered around

communication, and we addressed how we could better communicate with each other and our

team.

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

Starbucks is full of symbols. When partners begin their journey with the company, they

take training that touches on some of the most recognizable symbols. As partners move up higher

into the company or work to build skills, they can learn even more about the symbols by taking

courses like the coffee master program that teaches an in-depth history of Starbucks and its

coffee. The founder of Starbucks, Howard Schulz, is a very symbolic man and has always relied

on the symbolic frame throughout his time as CEO. This trend towards symbols continues to

materialize with other CEOS such as Kevin Johnson and Laxman Narashiman. The famous logo
of the siren is a symbol itself. It is inspired by Moby Dick and is a big part of the history of

Starbucks.

Traditions and ceremonies are prevalent in the company at all levels. Every partner at

Starbucks begins their journey with a first sip that introduces them to coffee tasting and the

company culture. The first sip is integral to becoming a Starbucks partner and immersing

yourself in the organization's mission and values. The use of the first sip at the beginning of

everyone's partner journey brings every partner together and creates a sense of understanding of

the organization. By sharing the origin story of Starbucks, the company weaves together its

narrative with that of each employee and creates a level of accountability and commitment to the

company. The symbolic frame within Starbucks influenced my situation heavily. My experiences

shaped my approach to the situation with the organization, and I was able to use Anna and I’s

shared experiences to approach our situation.

3) Recommend how you would use organizational symbols for an alternative

course of action regarding your case.

A different approach to the situation would have included a more in-depth approach to

the issues at hand. Within our store, there needs to be more symbolic communication, and many

of our newer employees missed out on first-sip experiences and the conversations that share our

company's symbols. My store needs to reinvent our approach to sharing symbols and see where

our faults lie. Starbucks, as an organization, is working to reinvent and reinspire the company as

it transitions to new leadership under Laxman, and our store needs to follow suit. Burn-out and

dissatisfaction have led to a decrease in ceremonies and celebrations, and many partners no

longer understand the importance of the symbolic frame in the company.

 Starbucks needs to go back to celebrating and performing more ceremonies within stores.

While it is nice to read about the ceremonies and celebrations happening throughout the top

levels of the company, it is just as important to celebrate the store-level employees that are the

backbone of the organization's mission and values. The use of rituals has disappeared. “The

power of ritual becomes palpable if one experiences the emptiness of losing it. Campbell (1988)

underscores this loss: “When you lose rituals, you lose a sense of civilization; and that's why

society is so out of kilter.” (Bolman & Deal, p.265). This is why Starbucks is headed into a phase

of reinvention and an emphasis on returning to the use of rituals and ceremonies. The return to

rituals like first sips, coffee tastings, and coffee master programs is a great first step to

reinventing the culture and fulfilling Howard Schultz's shoes.

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

Reflection is the most important ritual in my decision-making and how I have become a

better leader and can handle situations. “Symbols are basic elements of culture that pop up to fit

unique circumstances. Symbols and symbolic actions are part of everyday life and are

particularly perceptible at weekly, monthly, or seasonal high points. Symbols stimulate energy in

moments of triumph and offer solace in times of tribulation” (Bolman & Deal, p. 253). Learning

about symbols has helped me to identify the symbols at Starbucks. I did not realize how heavily

symbolic the company is and how Howard Schultz's propensity for the symbolic frame has

influenced the company.

After reading the three chapters on the symbolic frame, I would change my approach to

the situation to include more symbols. If my store had stayed more up-to-date on rituals and the

use of ceremonies, I could have utilized those symbols as a common ground between Anna and
me. I should have brought up the first sip and the shared experience we had with the first sip and

our shared understanding of the company culture. I also should have communicated with my

boss about how straying from our symbolic frame has affected our partners' behavior. I will work

on reimplementing the rituals that I got to experience when I started at Starbucks and introducing

new ceremonies to celebrate my partners. I can not erase the experience of partners who have

missed out on important rituals, but I can help to create those experiences for current and new

partners.
 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership

(7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass