OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Structural Frame Worksheet V.2

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

A senior manager at Malouf Companies has been frustrated with the lack of growth and
opportunities within the company, also citing unclear strategy and expectations in his current
role. This manager has put a lot of work, effort and sacrifice into building Malouf, and has
played a significant role in who they are today. Recognizing that he has deficiencies in several
areas, this senior manager proactively reached out to his new VP to try and get some guidance
and career/growth planning. He first sent an email to the VP with specific details that he would
like to learn and be involved with. It took the VP four months to respond to the email, and
another two months to set up a meeting and talk. In the meeting a few items were discussed but
the VP did not come prepared. In the end the take aways for the Senior Manager was that he
would need to “figure it out” on his own to get involved with everything he wanted to grow and
learn.

The Senior manager was frustrated with the overall situation due to the VP not responding in
a timely manner, and that the outcome did not result in a growth or action plan, or any other type
of strategic approach to be given a chance to build his capabilities or learning opportunities.

I have an internal role at Malouf companies. My job is Director of distribution and

operations. I specifically oversee the Distribution network for Malouf companies.

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

These issues for the Senior Manager did not start suddenly. The organization at Malouf has
always struggled to align the vision and strategy of the company with its employees. The
company has a flat organizational structure, it has many challenges in defining roles and
expectations. The example of the New York City Police and Fire Fighting teams on 9/11 not
having a link between radio systems which caused delays is relatable to how the that type of
structure works at Malouf (Bolman & Deal 2021). Vision and strategy are unclear and undefined,
which makes it particularly challenging for employees to set and achieve goals. Managers and
teams are not aligned and working towards the same goals, often leaving the work incomplete or
only partly finished before going after the next best thing.

Lack of clarity within the organization over time can cause many issues within an
organization. “If employees are unclear about what they are supposed to do, they often tailor

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their roles to fit personal preferences instead of shaping them to meet system-wide goals. This
frequently leads to trouble” (Bolman & Deal 2021, pp 77).

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

I would first communicate how the organizational structure, and how this Senior
Manager plays a vital role within our organization. I would then take the time to define his
role and responsibilities so that he is clear about how his work and contributions fit in and
affect the overall organization and communicate clearly how the organization sees his role
and responsibilities. Similarly, to the example of the crew analogy. “All members of crew are
expected to row smoothly and quickly. But individual expectations vary depending on the
seat they occupy.” “In crew you move ahead by looking in the opposite direction. I learned
that it is ok to look back as you keep moving forward.” (Bolman & Deal 2021, pp 47) This
would allow us to find some common ground and start a foundation to build off and get
organized. We could then begin to build a plan for growth and opportunity, align
expectations and put together a growth plan.

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

Structure and alignment play a significant part in an organization. “Structural design depends
on an organizations circumstance, including its goals, strategy, technology and environment”
(Bolman & Deal 2021, pp 45). What I would do differently is go back to the drawing board, at
the time the company was starting up and define a clear strategy, on that creates connections
between the organization and the individuals and teams within the organization, so that as over
time as the strategy shifts or takes different shapes, it would allow for employees to stay
connected and aligned. Allowing for everything to pivot together is my thought here.

This approach would help answer some of the pertinent variables such as what is our
mission? How should we make decisions? How will we determine success? How will we deal
with failure? (Bolman & Deal 2021, pp 101). It would provide direction to team members even
though within their teams their individual contributions might be different when put together, the
output is smooth efficient work that helps move the organization forward. This gives clear
direction and opportunities for growth as opportunities arise over time to develop skills and
capabilities for individuals and for teams.

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 Reference or References

Bolman & Deal (2021). Reframing Organizations Artistry, Choice, Leadership (Perusal 7th
Edition)