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 work for the United States Air Force and am stationed in a specialized
construction unit in Germany. I mostly work as a project manager but also often deal with
various initiatives from leadership. This case study is based on an ongoing situation at
work, where my unit (also referred to as a squadron) does not fit in very well under our
Wing (a higher tier organization in the military structure). The Wing is primarily focused
on combat operations, and the Wing commander has directly told our squadron
commander that he does not know how our construction capabilities fit his mission. This
prompted the squadron commander to stand up a working group (that I am a part of) to
research if we should stay under the Wing or try and move the unit somewhere else.

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

One of the symbols that our squadron rallies around is “The Deuce,” the two of
spades, harkening back to when our unit number was once the 7002nd. The Deuce has a
storied history going back the 1950s and represents the titanic accomplishments of
everyone that came before us in the squadron. Every squadron-wide gathering always
ends with a call of “To The Deuce!” This is almost an exact application of Bolman and
Deal’s (2021) concept that prior deeds of those that came before serve as examples to
emulate.

Another aspect at play here is that everyone in this small unit was specifically
hired to be here, an oddity in the Air Force. This team of what amounts to all-stars makes
us culturally dissimilar to a normal unit. As Bolman and Deal (2021) state, culture is the
superglue that bonds organization together. Our special status helps us fit in with the
Wing culture, who are largely also individuals of exceptional skill. Like them, we are
highly specialized, trained, and experienced professionals. Despite the slight mismatch in

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 background skillsets, there is no argument that the people in our squadron deserve their
place in the Wing.

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

One thing that could be used to change our course of action stems from another
one of our symbols: our CR (Contingency Response) patches on our uniforms. They
represent weeks of training and qualifications that we had to pass to earn the patch. Yet,
our capabilities remain largely unused in a Contingency Response capacity. Our situation
is comparable to earning a degree and then not being able to use it or gain any tangible
benefit from it. After a while, one begins to question why they worked for it in the first
place.
Our unit’s past deeds have proven our worth as Contingency Response operators.
As Bolman and Deal (2021) state, “exploits of heroes and heroines are lodged in our
psyches” (p. 260). Back in early 2020, members of the squadron deployed on short notice
in response to a base in Africa being attacked. With full body armor and loaded weapons,
unit members built up a better base perimeter to prevent any similar attacks in the future.
This mission has been talked about regularly ever since as one of our proudest moments
and is precisely what Contingency Response exists for. If we are to continue to see our
CR patches as a mark of pride, we should continue to be utilized in a Contingency
Response capacity.

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

Given what I have learned about symbols and culture, I would elect to remain in
the Wing. Moving the unit elsewhere, undoubtedly to a place with a different mission set,
would undermine all of our past accomplishments. They would no longer feel like they
are ours. If we realigned, a new unit member would hear of our past, but feel no
connection to it because they would not have the opportunity to do similar things. We
would have to create a new culture, one not nearly as storied or revered as the one we
have now.
By remaining in the Wing, we also keep our opportunity to grow our legend. The
only barrier we face is being properly utilized. “Stories keep traditions alive and provide
examples to channel everyday behavior,” (Bolman and Deal, 2021, p. 285). Our unit has
plenty of its own internal stories, but generally lacks ones of a Contingency Response
nature. With that being a primary mission of the Wing, we would benefit greatly from the
opportunity to create more stories. The Deuce has plenty of history; it is only right that
we continue to add to it.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.