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 situation that I am currently examining is the cancellation of flights back in

December of 2022 with Southwest Airlines. I was traveling home to see my family for

Christmas for 4 days until I realized that 4 days was turing into 10 days. As I went to go

check my flight status to ensure that there were not any delays, I found myself looking at

a canceled flight. Not understanding what was going on or being able to get on the next

flight out, I was beginning to panic due to needed to be at work the next day. All the

customer service lines were down as well as the app beginning to fail. I decided to pack

my bags and head on over the the airport to try and speak to an agent. When I finally was

ablet to speak to someone, she had informed me that due to winter storms I would not be

able to leave till the next flight out on Firday. Being 15 hours away, I had no other option

then to head back home with my family and wait till Friday. Although I got an extended

vacation with my family, I knew that there were many families stuck in different cities

with lost baggage and no place to stay other than a hotel. My focus is to understand as a

customer, what happened and how Southwest’s organzition structure created this

problem as the role of the customer.

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

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 “Symbols carry powerful intellectual and emotional massages” (Bolman & Deal,

2021). According to chapter 6, “Southwest Airlines has never codified its values

formally, but its symbol of freedom billboards and banners once expressed the

company’s defining purpose of extending freedom to fly to everyone, not just the elite,

and doing it with an abiding sense of fun” (Bolman & Deal, 2021). SWA is one of

America’s top airlines. The heart shaped symbol is a clear representation of love and care

of their customers with three diagonal stripes in the heart standing for dawn, during

sunset, and at night. Throughout the situation it was clear that SWA was living through

their symbol. All staff members were leading through love and care to try and get

everyone back home. Although it took SWA days to get back on track, it was clear that

they were working through “dawn, during sunset, and at night” to ensure flight crews got

back up and running for their customers.

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

Stories are a big part of an organization’s symbols. During and after this

happened, customers were speaking on their experience through story telling. “Stories are

deeply rooted in the human experience, and it is through storytelling that we can see into

each other and the organization” (Bolman & Deal, 2021). I would recommend taking

customer’s stories and creating an action plan to ensure there is a plan. I would do this by

ensuring that the meaning of the symbol is living through a reinvention plan.

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

I believe that Southwest Airlines did a great job at leading through their symbol

during this difficult time. Since SWA hasn’t codified its values, I would recommend

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 utilizing their vision of their customers to help understand how past experiences can

shape the future experiences. “Vision turns an organization’s core ideology, or sense of

purpose, into an image of the future” (Bolman & Deal, 2021). I know that SWA prides

themselves on the point-to-point system meaning that there are more direct flights

making it easier to get from point A to point B quicker. I would ensure that the point-to-

point pros outweighs the cons when looking at caring for their customers.

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 Reference

Bolman, Lee G., and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 2021.