OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Politcal Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the political frame
2. Apply the political 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.

As stated in the previous module, the situation I will be analyzing is the overhaul and
reconstruction of the mechanized lines in the outbound department. As an area supervisor for
the Home Depot, we went through changing standard practices, a complete warehouse
renovation and the expectations of providing feedback along the way. Throughout this entire
process we had to make sure to provide adequate training to all associates and find a way to
continue to push freight through the building despite the construction.

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

Politics played a pivotal role in this entire process. From the development of the intial
plan to the training each of the associates received after the construction process was
complete. Each step was dictated by a higher political power that went far above my pay
grade. The project was in initially started by executives within the company aiming to
save money on shipping costs and push cartons through the warehouse more efficiently.

Each step of the construction process was overseen by political parties to ensure it was
being completed on time and correctly. While these lines were being constructed the
outbound trailers were moved to different areas of the building so work was able to
proceed. We had to oversee the movement of these doors and making sure each of the
associates were on the same page regarding the movement.

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

In this specific instance I would use the political influence to shut down the warehouse to
complete the project in a much faster time frame. Without the daily operations the
construction crew would be able to do each mech line at once, without the shifting of
outbound doors. The construction process would have been cut drastically and there

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 wouls be no chance of possible injuries. I realize this would cost the company by shutting
down the operation for a set amount of time, but the savings that would go with a shirter
construction timeframe may even that out in the end.

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

After learning about the political frame I would not change any of my physical actions or
interactions with associates. Supervisors were tasked with making sure associates stayed
safe by avoiding costruction areas and were able to navigate the new areas their doors
were located. Keeping the operation moving at the most optimal speed was the number
one priority, along with any sense of normalcy that could be salvaged.

One aspect I would change would be to ask those above me for more information
regarding the upcoming training process beforehand. Even supervisors were left
somewhat in the dark when it came to the completion of the project and when it would be
put into action. Knowing more information would have given the supervisors the
opportunity to become better prepared for the drastic changes that began to take place.

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