OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA- Symbolic 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

Medtronic is an organization in the medical device industry. It supplies many different

medical device platforms, from implantable devices to surgical tools. Medtronic started
due to a power outage that affected all of the patients that had pacemakers plugged in and
could not run during the outage. Earl saw an opportunity to battery power the devices so
that they could treat the patients not being connected to a wall plug. I am a technician in
the battery department. My department builds many different models of battery
specifically for Medtronic devices. I have a wide range of responsibilities ranging from
equipment support, to calibrated device management, to doing equipment and or tool
qualifications. My situation revolves around when I was a team lead for one of the
production lines. The supervisor had ultimate say but I was allotted a lot of input into the
decisions. I had a situation that I was told I had to give one operator to another line. We
had a good group of eight people with one that was a lot slower at the processes. I was
told the other line needed a solid person, so I was not allowed to give that one slower
operator to them. So, the first decision was pretty easy that I would give them one of the
newest additions to my line. I then h. to decide between the two. Both were very punctual
and had both learned about the same amount of the processes at the same speed and had
equal quality of their work. My decision ended up coming down to the social makeup of
the group. One of the two connected a lot more with two strong personalities on the line,
and at times those two could make me feel as if they were strong holding me into things.
I decided that since I had the opportunity, I could not let them become a trio. So, I gave
that operator to the other line. It was a tough decision and had so many inputs into why I
made the decision I did, it also could have come with multiple different outcomes.

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 2) Describe how the symbols of the organization influenced the situation.
(Insert 2 Long Paragraph Description Here to Earn Excellent)

I think that the culture of the company played a big role in the decision I made. Thinking
back, I not only chose to move the person I did to split up the trio. I chose to keep the one
employee because I felt she had a better connection with the company’s culture. She, like
me, had a parent that was a long-time employee of the company which in turn made me
believe that she had the same deep connection with the company as I did.

Story telling about the company is what drove me to this conclusion. The readings state that
“Storytelling is a simple, timeless, and memorable way to have fun, train newcomers,
recognize accomplishments, and spread the word” This is exactly what connected this
employee with me and drove my decision to keep her on my assembly line. (Bolman, L. G., &
Deal, T. E.)

3) Recommend how you would use organization symbols for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.
(Insert 2 Long Paragraph Recommendation Here to Earn Excellent)
I feel like I could have considered looking at my decision from the perspective of diversity.
The reading states that “Diversity supports a team’s competitive advantage.” If I would have
considered this, I may have made a different decision. I would have had to consider not only
the employee’s genders but also their race. I am not sure how that would have helped
though as one employee was the only African American on the team, and the other was the
only Female on the team. (Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E.)

In addition, the readings also state that “humor and play reduce tension and encourage
creativity.” I could have also taken this into account that the three guys that I wanted to split
up were a well-oiled machine and they were able to play enough to be a talented team that
were friends and got things done. (Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E.)

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.
(Insert 2 Long Paragraph Reflection Here to Earn Excellent)
As stated above I would have taken more into account on making my decision. I would
have considered the diversity, the humor and play, the story telling, the dedication to the
mission. Even sitting here today thinking through these things I want to think I would not
have changed my decision on who to move to the other assembly line. However, it is hard
to say what the younger me would have done.

I do think that I changed the course of the young man’s life as once he was moved, he

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 found another job and left the company and I wonder if my choice is what drove him to
leave. He was a great employee, and it was a loss to the company. She was super
dedicated to the company so I do not think she would have left. In hindsight my decision
changed the course of two people’s life’s. It makes me think about how many small
decisions we make that change someone’s life forever.

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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 (ASU Bookstore Automatic Purchase-Perusall Version Only)
(7th ed.). San