OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I: PCA-Structural

Frame Worksheet
Worksheet Objectives:

1. Describe the structural frame

2. Apply the structural 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.

I chose to analyze a construction company I used to work for called Timber
Builders. This company was located in Denver, Colorado and specialized
in residential construction and restoration. The company is quite small, with
no more than 20 employees. They have seen great success over the
years, but have recently dropped the ball many times. Timber Builders’
main concern was getting the job done as fast as possible without ANY
thought of quality

I was a laborer with no construction experience whatsoever. My nickname

was “muscles because I am an avid lifter. One day I was on a job site and
none of the carpenters showed up. Due to this, my boss was in a bind. He
ended up making me perform the duties of a carpenter and this was
extremely detrimental because I caused major damage. I was made fun of
and belittled, however this was not my fault.

​ 2) Describe how the structure of the organization influenced the situation.

Obviously, the structure of every organization is critical for the success of not
only the employees, but the stakeholders. We live in a time where stakeholders
run the businesses. Like it or not, this is how it works nowadays. In my situation,
Timber Builders was controlled by investors and externals that had little to no
contact with the company. This completely destroyed everything from a
leadership perspective.

Because the stakeholders ran the show, there was little to no clarity. The
symbolic frame strives to ensure clarity and because the stakeholders were only
 interested in profit, it put the company in a bad spot. Though my boss was also
driven by profit, I could see that it made him uncomfortable to force workers to do
jobs that they didn’t know how to do.

​ 3) Recommend how you would use structure for an alternative course of

action regarding your case.
I would structure the company to focus on human resources and trust. The
structural framework emphasizes how a company can start from the bottom and
end up at top. “Adler and Boris argue that the type of structure is as important as
the amount or the rigidity. There are good rules and bad ones. A formal structure
enhances morale if it helps us get our work done. Bolman & Deal (2021) Human
resources is such a critical area that many companies neglect. In the structural
frame idea, goals are the number one catalyst to success. If there are no goals,
where is the structure? After reading our text, it is imperative that we understand
that structure will not be attained without goals.
​ 4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have
learned about this frame.
​ In my specific case, Timber Builders should have focused on the structure and
human resources. Many times, this company would not focus on goals but only
focused on profiting as fast as possible. The structural frame is the fundamental
way of rules and procedures. If I were running the company, I would immediately
set standards, goals, deadlines and consequences.

References

Bolman, L.G., & Deal, T. E. (2021, August 27). Reframing organizations: artistry, choice,
and leadership (7th ed.). Jose-Bass