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.

I have been a Starbucks partner for almost 6 years now. Starbucks has provided me with the
opportunity to hold positions of barista, barista trainer, and shift supervisor. Starbucks has
always challenged me to strive towards continuously becoming more accepting, welcoming, and
progressive. One way that Starbucks did this, was by shutting down all United States stores for
an in-store nationwide training regarding the importance of addressing bias, promoting inclusion,
and preventing discrimination. This training was set in place as a response to an unfortunate
event that took place within a Starbucks corporate store. This event was an act of racial bias and
discrimination, and ultimitlay, went against all of Starbuck’s missions and values. This training
was developed in order to educate Starbucks employees on racial injustices and bias and to
ensure that something like that never happens again.

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

Within organizations, the symbolic frame is a way that the people find a way to make sense of
the world around them. There are many different opinions, views, and ways of life so each
symbol may be a little different due to different lives and perspectives. Ways people can make
sense of the world around them is findng a place that makes them feel safe and welcome.
Starbucks works very hard to provide a “Third Place” environment for it’s guests and employees.
The purpose of this third place envionrment is to give people a place that they feel safe in
addition to their home and work place. The third place environment at Starbucks is very
symbolic and influencial to the entire culture of Starbucks. This racial discriminatory act that
intiviated the training went against the culture and envionrment that Starbucks works so hard to
uphold. The symbolic culture at Starbucks has directly influenced this situation and how it was
handled, eventually leading to the day of education and training.

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

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For this specific scenario, an alternative symbolic course of action that I would recommend
would be to provide the training online in order for the general population to learn from it as
well. “In the face of uncertainty and ambiguity, symbols arise to help people resolve confusion,
find direction, and anchor hope and faith”, (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Some people need direction,
education, and a helping hand in situations like these. I think that this training would have been a
good lesson and reminder to the general population and to whoever would like to take the
training. Starbucks has very string values that should be shared, so I believe that sharing this
training and making it pubic would be very beneficial so even more people could have the
opportunity to be educated about ths subject.

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

From the symbolic frame, I have developed a lot of information and knowledge that I believe I
can take with me forever into both my personal and professional lives. I would not have handled
this scenario differently coming from the symbolic frame and perspective. Starbucks has had
many symbolic traditions and values in place throughout many years. Considering what I have
learned about the symbolic frame, it focuses on values and people, both of which I believe
Starbucks values and prioritizes. Overall, I think that the Starbucks officials handled this
situation very well and reaches great symbolic expectations.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership

(6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass