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.

The organization is a small boutique business started by a single entrepreneur in 1984. 

The organization comprises four employees who service the film industry by providing
locations and equipment rentals to hundreds of clients annually. The leader preaches
family and loyalty.  With the tenure of employees lasting decades, one would assume
everyone believed this ideology. However, in actuality, the leader is an authoritarian who
rules with an iron fist and demonstrates questionable structural, human resource, political
and symbolic frames.  

I was the organization's newest member, hired to support the one salesperson to increase
business.  The owner believed the business was stagnant due to the salesman's lack of
technical skills and drive. Some of that was true, but the biggest issue was how the
symbolism of family and loyalty was a facade for control and power, which destroyed the
culture and soul of the organization and its people.   

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

Every employee of the organization was hired by recommendation, and favor asked of
relatives.  These individuals were desperate for employment at the time of hire.  Because
of this association, the symbolism of family was engrained early on. The owner regularly
talked about being a family with an added layer of power because he provided an
employment safety net. As time passed, power was used to define the roles of adherence
to whatever the owner needed at that moment to further his self-interests.  These
decisions would often kill contracts that would affect the wages of these employees. 
These actions demonstrated he didn’t consider the needs of his employees as a family
would. 

“Symbols carry powerful intellectual and emotional messages; they speak to the heart and
the soul. They are embedded in myths which are truer than true” (Bolman & Deal, 2021,
p. 247).  The symbolism of family can be dressed as loyalty, happiness, gatherings,
strength, and security.  But in this organization, family meant authoritarian, obedience,

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 silence, rules, fear, and instability.  These dressing created an organization of skilled and
talented individuals that were not allowed to be creative or vocalize concerns or ideas that
would strengthen the business.  Family meant you followed the rules because you were
told to do so. 

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

This small organization could be tight-knit and robust, like a family with just four
employees.  Unlike a large corporation, an office meeting would involve the entire
organization. As a result, everyone's needs and concerns could be heard and discussed.
Instead, we had a leader that would walk in and give orders that everyone must follow,
even though the team knew they would destroy a relationship with a client or result in
less revenue collected. The changing of the symbolic structure to be inclusive and
creative, versus the current frame to never vocalize disagreement or debate better
options.    

Another change would be to mimic Costco’s “salmon story” (Bolman & Deal, 2021, p.
263) of success through improved processes and products passed down to the customer to
create loyalty and profits.  Our salmon story was sticking it to the client and the owner
padding his pockets.  To change our story, I would have created better terms and
conditions to create loyal clients who would choose us over our competitors.  This
change would increase revenue, which would increase each employee's wages as they
were commission-based.  The employees would be happier because their livelihood
would improve, and they would work harder and be loyal. 

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

The symbolic frame focuses on how myth and symbols help humans make sense of the
chaotic, ambiguous world in which they live. Meaning, belief, and faith are its central
concerns. Meaning is not given to us; we create it. (Bolman & Deal, 2021, p. 248). 
While going through this situation, I recognized the symbols of the frame, saw through
all the dressings, and understood the underlying message.  Since I was the new team
member and hadn’t bought into the story, I knew I had to create a new belief.  That belief
was that we could change the conditions in which we worked.  Strategically framing our
message and requests to the owner, he would recreate our ideas in his language, where he
maintained power.  Our voices and creativity reappeared.  The clients were happier and
started to come back.  The owner was more satisfied because he was putting more money
in his pocket.  Restructuring the symbolic frame created a culture of success. 

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 References

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