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.

My role as a member of the Internet Sales Department at Nash Powersports is to

reach out to potential customers. When I contact customers I try to figure out what kind

of riding experience they are looking for in an effort to help them find the perfect

machine. Ultimately, my goal is to set up an appointment for them to come in and get

more information from our specialists directly. At Nash, we hope to provide a nice and

easy buying experience where people know we are here to take care of them.With the

rapid growth the company has experienced in recent years, changes must be made in

order for the organization to keep up with the dramatic increase of potential customers

more efficiently.

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

The structure of Nash Powersports allows every employee to contribute based on

their department specialization. Within the powersports industry, it makes sense to use a

Divisonalized Structure (Bolman & Deal, 2021, p. 84). This organization has many

different departments that play a pivotal role in daily operations. Nash Powersports has

Internet, Finance, Service, and Parts Departments alongside multiple Sales Managers and

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 General Managers for five different locations in Arizona and Washington. All members

of the organization use the same customer management database to complete and

document work. Every form of communication between employees and customers must

be appropriately logged describing what happened. The current customer management

system Nash Powersports utilizes is experiencing some difficulties managing a large

volume of customer information; unfortunately this has had a negative impact on

everyone at the organization. Many employees have become frustrated with this situation

and are desperately looking for a solution that does not involve paying more money for a

higher quality system. A few years ago, when the company was founded this system was

perfect. Now that the company has grown, the system seems ancient.

There have been a few different issues with the leadership structure that have

made potential changes difficult. For the most part, this structure allows people to thrive

within the organization. Members of Nash Powersports are able to make their own plan

of action to achieve the goals they have set out to achieve as individuals and a company.

However, having everyone act independently can stall necessary changes (Bolman &

Deal, 2021, 77). Some employees are comfortable with the current system that has been

used for many years. Others may not be able to figure out new technology easily,

therefore they are reluctant to learn a more advanced system. Allowing everybody to get

involved in the decision making process is part of what makes working for this

organization great, but it can cause some conlict when tough decisions must be made.

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

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 As things have changed over time, structural changes can benefit Nash

Powersports given the increased demand the company has been experiencing. I believe it

is necessary to upgrade the technology employees utilize to manage the customer

database. Using an out-dated system that experiences issues frequently can prolong tasks

and cause unnecessary confusion that has caused the organization to lose deals (Bolman

& Deal, 2021, 89). Another reccomendation is to have members of the Internet

Department work at each site around the Valley, instead of only at the Phoenix location.

Having someone in the Internet Department at every location allows them to get answers

more efficiently as well as being able to quickly hand off customers to other departments

when necessary. Instead, people in the Internet Department have to give other divisions a

call and hope they are not busy already.While things are clearly going well at Nash

Powersports given the increased amount of interested customers over time, there is room

for improvement that can enable the company to grow at an even more rapid rate.

This organization has grown over time and as different leaders have changed

positions within the company, I believe restructuring could make everyone's job easier.

Given the recent changes, I believe now would be the best time to implement some

additional plans that can improve company processes. Some Sales Managers have moved

to other positions within Nash Powersports, as this natural change of leadership has

occurred it would be easier to implement structural changes (Bolman & Deal, 2021, 89).

Everyone within the organization is currently preparing for one of the busiest times of the

year for the powersports industry. Making changes now allows everyone to take

additional time to work out issues and learn about the new customer management system.

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 If leadership decides to act quickly, the company will be well adjusted and ready when

the influx of customers expected during Spring arrive. Another key thing I would do is

reinforce the clarity of department roles (Bolman & Deal, 2021, 77). There are times

when employees have to complete work meant for another department, which is

generally positive and helpful. It shows that we can effectively work together and get

things done even as things get chaotic. However, I think this can cause confusion over

who is responsible for taking care of specific pieces of the sales process. Everyone would

benefit from a training course that discusses role expectations and responsibilities. This

could enable everyone at Nash Powersports to thoroughly understand how employees can

work together as a cohesive unit.

4) 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 think it is important to retain a

Divisionalized Structure that keeps most of the organizational frame intact. Over time,

some people have been key to the growth of the company and should be relied upon more

to help close out deals. It would benefit the organization to allow these individuals to

have a bigger role given their reliable reputations over many years. I also would

encourage the organization to use a new customer management system that would save

all workers time and effort. Making the communication process more efficient allows

employees the opportunity to focus more on taking care of customers, instead of

worrying about communication issues due to an overwhelmed system. In the sales

industry, it is important for team members to focus on what they are able to control.

Sometimes there are customer circumstances that may lead to a deal falling through.

Employees do not always have an opportunity to take care of potential customers.

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 However, there are potential improvements that can be made that most people within the

organization have acknowledged will help significantly. With all of this in mind, it makes

the most sense to update the customer management system which will allow all

employees at Nash Powersports to send an increased amount of texts and emails to take

care of more customers.

Another change that would have a positive impact is giving people within the

organization more structure. Most people prefer to operate more independently, but the

company could benefit from providing additional guidance to new employees (Bolman &

Deal, 2021, 77). Nash Powersports is a unique company that takes pride in providing an

experience that leaves customers feeling taken care of. As a result of having a unique

approach to the industry, it is important to reiterate company values to people coming in

from dramatically different sales environments. Providing additional guidance will allow

people involved in every department to embody the Nash Powersports culture.

Embodying the culture is what has allowed this organization stand out in the community

and to establish a significant presence within Arizona. Improving the customer

management system will dramatically increase efficiency, if workers are able to

communicate more with potential customers, sales representatives have a better chance to

make a great impression and take care of a customer's powersports needs. By making the

changes I have recommended, I believe that Nash Powersports will be able to continue

growing while having confidence that they are set up to thrive in the Phoenix community.

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