OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Political 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.

I am a rideshare driver driving for Uber. As a driver for Uber, the role is an external one,
as rideshare drivers are regarded as independent contractors. In driving for Uber for over
six years, I attained its highest designation of Uber Pro Diamond. As a diamond Uber
Pro, you become part of mentor program as a mentor. you are paired with new drivers
who are referred to as “learners.” It requires you to be available to them to provide advice
and guidance on maximizing their driving experience, like where and when to drive, tips
and tricks to earn the most, and handling yourself in difficult situations, all based on your
experiences as a highly rated driver. The situation here is how I present such advice and
guidance to the learner that is viewed as morally sound to both the organization and the
learner. For instance, in this situation of advising a ”learner” driver on the tips and tricks
to earn the most, it became an issue of the impact of how I advised the learner to decline
every requested trip that doesn’t help them realize their earning goal for the day. To the
learner, the tip sounded like an effective one, but to the organization, that will seem
counterproductive to it and its mission. In reality, it is a common, effective learning
strategy for rideshare drivers.

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

The political perspective assumes that organizations are arenas of scarce resources,
competing interests, and struggles for advantage. Organizations are not unified entities
but collections of individuals and groups with different and sometimes conflicting goals,
values, and beliefs. Therefore, organizational decisions and actions are influenced by the
distribution of power and the formation of coalitions among various stakeholders
(Bolman & Deal, 2021). Uber's political frame focuses on how the organization deals
with the conflicts and competition among different interests and groups, both internally
and externally (uber, n.d.). Uber's political strategy is based on aggressively pursuing its
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 vision and goals while overcoming resistance and opposition from its competitors,
regulators, and critics (uber, n.d.). Applying the political perspective to the situation I
presented, we can identify several actors and interests involved. The main actors are the
Uber organization, we, Uber drivers (myself as the mentor driver, and the learner driver),
and the Uber customers. The Uber organization is the formal authority that sets the rules
and policies for the drivers and customers, and it has the power to reward or punish us for
our behavior. We, the Uber drivers, are independent contractors who provide the service
of transporting the customers, and we have the power of expertise and information about
the market conditions and customer preferences. The Uber customers are the service
users, and they have the power of choice and feedback over the drivers and the
organization.

The actors' interests are not always aligned, and sometimes, we are in conflict. Uber's
interest is to maximize its profit and market share and maintain its reputation and
legitimacy. Our interests as Uber drivers are to maximize our income and satisfaction and
to have autonomy and flexibility over our work. The Uber customers' interest is to get a
reliable, convenient, and affordable service and to have a pleasant and safe experience.
These interests can create tensions and trade-offs among the actors, leading to different
strategies and behaviors.

Thus, Uber's politics influences the situation I presented in the following ways: Uber
treats its drivers as independent contractors rather than employees to avoid the costs and
responsibilities of providing benefits, protections, and rights to its workforce. This creates
a power imbalance between Uber and its drivers, where Uber has more control and
flexibility over the terms and conditions of the service, while the drivers have less
bargaining power and voice. More so because Uber implements a performance-based
system where drivers are rewarded or penalized based on their ratings, acceptance rates,
and earnings; this creates a competitive and individualistic culture among the drivers,
where they are incentivized to maximize their own interests rather than cooperate or
collaborate with each other or the organization. Lastly, Uber faces a dilemma between
satisfying its drivers and its customers, as well as its own goals and mission. On the one
hand, Uber wants to provide its customers with high-quality, low-cost, and convenient
service and expand its market share and profitability. On the other hand, Uber needs to
retain and motivate its drivers, who are essential for delivering the service and
representing the brand.

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

One way to use organizational politics for an alternative course of action regarding the
situation I presented is to form or join an Uber drivers’ association or union that can
collectively bargain with Uber and advocate for the rights and interests of the drivers.

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 This could involve the following steps:- Identify and mobilize other drivers who share the
same interests, concerns, and goals. This could be done through online platforms, social
media, word-of-mouth, or any other effective means of communication. - Establish a
clear and common vision, mission, and agenda for the drivers’ association or union. This
could include issues such as fair pay, benefits, working conditions, safety, and
recognition.
- Negotiate and lobby with Uber and other stakeholders, such as customers, media, and
the general public, to achieve the drivers’ association or union’s objectives. This could
involve using various tactics, such as strikes, protests, petitions, campaigns, lawsuits, or
partnerships, to pressure and persuade Uber to change its policies and practices.
- Monitor and evaluate the outcomes and impacts of the drivers’ association or union’s
actions and adjust the strategy accordingly. This could involve collecting feedback, data,
and evidence to measure the drivers’ association or union’s performance and
effectiveness.

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

As I continue to educate myself by assimilating the learning outcomes of this class on the
various organizational structures, things I would do differently are: I would not have
given the learner driver the advice of declining every requested trip that doesn't help him
realize his earning goal for the day, as this could harm his rating, acceptance rate, and
relationship with Uber and its customers. Instead, I would advise him to try to balance his
personal interests with Uber and customers' interests and accept reasonable and fair trips.
I would advise him to do more research and analysis on the market conditions, the
demand and supply of rides, the pricing and surge strategies to make informed and
strategic decisions on when and where to drive and how to maximize my earnings and
satisfaction.

I would advise him not only to rely solely on Uber's mentor program to get advice and
guidance as a learner driver, as this could limit his perspective and influence. Instead, I
would advise him to seek out and network with other drivers, both online and offline, to
exchange information, experiences, and tips and to build alliances and coalitions. I would
encourage the learner driver to also understand the benefits and opportunities driving for
Uber creates: as such, he should embrace the vision, mission, and values of Uber by
aligning his goals and actions with them and also demonstrate his commitment and
contribution to Uber and its customers. I would encourage drivers to not just accept
Uber's policies and practices as given and unchangeable, as this could reduce our power
and voice. Instead, I would encourage them to challenge and negotiate with Uber when
they encounter issues or conflicts that affect their rights and interests.

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 References

About us | uber. (n.d.). https://www.uber.com/us/en/about/

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership
(7th ed.)