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.

My role is a full-time active duty human resource sergeant that relies on software and
systems to facilitate accurate data to provide snapshots of our units readiness, and provide
positive solutions for service members. The situation is that the Army has changed our human
resource systems that have been used for decades to a new dashboard style system. For years we
have been able to dissect an issue and apply a solution to the problem because of our experience
and expertise. However, that is not the case with the new system, people are still learning how to
navigate around the system to provide those solutions, a lot of its potential is still unknown.

I will analyze how this situation changed our human resource capabilities to include:
accountabiltiy, personnel actions, awards, promotions and customer service. I will determine if
this situation relates to the symbolic frame and processes in which we used daily to facilitate the
readiness of our service members. I will reflect on certain issues within our old systems and how
they were addressed with our new system, conduct a deeper look into how these issues affected
the force and how it has impacted the culture of the organization.

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

The symbols of the organization that influenced the new program that impacted the readiness
and lethality of the Army are determined by individuals beliefs, faith and central concerns
(Bolman & Deal, 2021). We can determine that it was a central concern that because the Army
was using an older system that dates back to the year 2003, but had older systems that
intertwined with it, it needed an update. We can understand why there was a need for an updated
system to help modernize and update the way we view documents and process paperwork.

Culturally within the Army we are in an ever changing environment and need to be able to
adjust to austere environments at a moments notice. The ability to have a fully functioning
system is vital to the success of the organizations mission. By understanding the symbolic

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references that the Army represents, we would not want to dampen that relationship with our
stakeholders and our communities. If people have faith that the Army is fully capable in winning
our nations wars, we cannot have systems that weaken our claim to be ready at any moment.

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

By harnassing our organizations symbols of belief, faith and central concern we can
understand how to better facilitate our cultural needs and what we as an organization can
implement to better prepare our service members. As I have previously mentioned for an
alternate course of action, providing an opportunity for leaders to learn and develop themselves
on these systems before they were implemented would have been the best course of action.
Keeping the older systems in place and incorporating them into our new system would have been
ideal, as we could have used them as reference to facilitate shared understanding.

It's important that moving forward we find a way to establish multiple courses of actions and
understand the impact that changes have on the organization. A new system being integrated into
such a massive organization is not an easy task, however the implementation being forced upon
the entire organization is never an answer either. There needed to be set stages and milestones of
phase out periods and such to influence the shared commitment to the new system.

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

When understanding the symbolic frame it helped understand the cultural and holistic
approach that organizations use specifically the Army. There are many traditions, stories, and
heroes that are intertwined with the military. Traditionally, a system being implemented would
be approved and enacted by congress. However, they don’t fully understand the impacts that
some of these systems have on the whole organization itself. They see the need for change and
improvement without the thought of prople repercussion and consequence.

From what I’ve learned so far, there are a variety of different ways that this could have been
done. However, considering the magnitude that this system needed to be ready to undertake, they
could not have pleased the entire organization. People will ultimately have different viewpoints
and perspectives on ways to improve the organization. Its important that moving forward we
conceptualize what we need to change, what can stay the same and what we can do differently to
improve the quality of life of the organization.

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 References

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

Field manual. Army Publishing Directorate. (n.d.).

https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUB_ID=1023495

New U.S. Army Human Resources System is the change the army and its soldiers need. Army
University Press. (n.d.).
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/
September-October-2022/Eggers/