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 organization that I am researching in this assignment is the United Auto

Workers (UAW). I work for an automotive supplier as a sales analyst. The company I
work for was impacted by the automotive strikes that happened in the Fall of 2023 by the
(UAW). My role would be considered external since I do not work directly with the
UAW, but decisions made by the UAW can directly affect the company that I work for.
Every four years, the automotive union contracts end for General Motors (GM),
Stellantis, and Ford. The contracts have to be agreed upon by all parties involved,
otherwise a strike happens. This leads to businesses temporarily shutting down and a loss
in business for other companies. Since I work in the sales department, we have lost
business due to these strikes and the automotive companies deciding not to move forward
with certain projects.

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

The main concerns regarding the symbolic frame are meaning, belief, and faith
(Bolman & Deal, 2021). In regards to the strikes that happened, the UAW and UAW
members were only focusing on themselves and what benefitted them. They were not
focusing on the other people and companies in the industry that were affected by the
decisions they were making. They believed that they were doing what was right for
themselves. The UAW focuses on their members and their mission is to help those
members. By focusing on their members and believing in the decisions they were making
was what influenced the situation.

There were a lot of back and forth discussions on social media on what was
happening with the strikes. There were a lot of people who were supporting those who
were striking and then there were also a lot that believed the members were asking for too
much. Some of these discussions were very harsh to each side because everyone had

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 strong opinions either way. There were many rude comments made, but it did not seem to
change the situation at all.

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

One thing I would recommend is for everyone to think of the company and the
individuals around them. We need to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and think
about what it would be like if we were on their side of the situation. People should
develop more relationships within their workplace by communicating more and trying to
develop their network outside of the coworkers that are the closest to them. This can help
create a culture and trust among everyone. It may even help to understand all the sides of
the situations for people to make the best decisions.

“A company can grow big without losing the passion and personality that built it,
but only if it is driven not by profit but by values and people” (Bolman & Deal, 2021).
The automotive companies should focus more on their values and their people. Many
people think that the companies are only focused on their profits and their top
management. Since people have this belief, it leads to these strikes because the UAW
members do not trust that their employer is going to give them what they deserve and the
UAW will get involved. If strikes are happening, it shows that there are issues in the
process and it seems like their employees are not a priority. The companies should start
focusing on their employees and this may lead to more loyal employees.

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

The symbolic frame is focused on meaning, belief, and faith. The employees do
not believe the companies are there for them and this led them to strike against the
company. Given what I have learned about this frame, I would encourage employees to
communicate and develop relationships with everyone, including outside of their closest
coworkers. I also believe it is important to express concerns to the company they work
for so the company understands what they need to improve on.

I would also encourage the automotive companies to focus on the people who
work for them and think about the values that they have set for themselves. I am a firm
believer in companies that support and acknowledge their employees will lead to the
business taking care of itself. People need to be motivated and if they do not believe their
company is there for them, then they will not do their job to the best of their ability,
which can lead to flaws in the products that they are creating. Everyone should believe in
each other and if there are issues, then everyone should be able to express their concerns,
especially in a trusted environment.

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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