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.

My current role at Doehrman Company is as an automotive equipment installer. I joined

the company in June of 2022, transitioning from Western Pump where I worked in the
parts department. I love cars and working at Doehrman allows me to immerse myself in
the automotive industry because we specialize in all automotive service equipment.
Western Pump acquired Doehrman Company in early 2021 when the owner was looking
to expand the company. Both companies have been around for over 4 decades, but the
owner of Western Pump uses more advanced technology for all their paperwork, in a
program called Jonas. Doehrman Company was still using pen & paper and handshake
agreements, which is unprofessional and inefficient in the eyes of Western Pump.
Western Pump has been training their newly acquired employees of Doehrman on the
Jonas software but they still continue to receive criticism and feedback almost three years
later.

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

The politics in this situation at my workplace significantly affected the integration of

Western Pump and Doehrman Company. First off, there was resistance from Doehrman's
longstanding employees to adopt the new technology introduced by Western Pump. This
resistance stemmed from various factors like fear of change, especially from the old-
timer’s still working there. Reluctance to abandon familiar methods and concerns about
job security has brought out a lot of emotion from the employees and management as
well. Secondly, there was a power struggle within Doehrman Company, as some
employees felt threatened by the changes and resisted them to maintain their influence
and control within the organization. Additionally, internal tensions came up between the
employees who embraced the new technology and those who opposed it, leading to
division in the workforce and strained relationships. These political dynamics created
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 barriers for everyone within the organization and the owners and upper management are
struggling to please everybody.

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

Given the resistance and internal tensions I have observed during the integration of
Western Pump and Doehrman Company, I'd suggest leveraging organizational politics in
a different way. Instead of solely focusing on top-down implementation like we have
been seeing, I'd advocate for a more inclusive approach. This approach involves actively
engaging key stakeholders from both companies in decision-making processes and
addressing everybody’s concerns transparently. Also, I'd emphasize the importance of
building alliances and coalitions among employees who are open to change, empowering
them to influence their peers positively. By accepting a sense of ownership and
involvement, we can mitigate resistance and create a more collaborative environment
toward successful integration. It's like playing chess, understanding the moves and
motivations of all players to strategize effectively for the best outcome.

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

Reflecting on the political frame in project management, I would approach situations

with a heightened awareness of organizational dynamics and power structures that I have
learned from the text. I would prioritize building strong relationships with key
stakeholders and influencers across the organization in order to get through the complex
political landscapes in the workplace effectively. Also I would want to be more proactive
in identifying potential sources of resistance within employees and address them early on
through strategic communication and engagement strategies. Instead of shying away from
political aspects, I would embrace them as inherent to organizational life and make an
effort to leverage them to drive positive change and achieve organizational objectives.
Lastly, I would ensure transparency and fairness in decision-making processes to build
trust and credibility among all of the team members. Overall, I would adopt a more
strategic approach to managing organizational politics, and recognize its significance in
project success.

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 Reference

Chapter 9 Perusall Reading Part 4: The Political Frame