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.

My department has been absorbed by another department and the new leadership is
implinmenting changes to the didision with little to no notice and ignroing imput from
many of the stake holders.

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

My organization uses symbols to help inspire people to do the right thing. Our logo even
has multiple colors to help people identify the values of the organization. They use such
terms as integrity, diversity, and openness as some of the values. As a whole, my
organization does a lot for its customers.

In this situation, the symbols and the value really don't seem to play a role in the
decision-making of the current management of my department. The way the supervisor
acts seems to contribute to the values of the organization. There is no openness or any
diverse opinions other than one that follows their vision of what the director wants.

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

I think I would add some more symbols of transparency and equality to help other people
know what to expect when it comes to a big organization. I think that would either make
people second guess their intention when making bad or unethical decisions or help
people come forward with issues. I think with better symbols, people would be more
forthcoming.

1
 Like in many organizations, there are many people who do not feel that they can make a
change or that one person really matters when it comes to the whole. It is like when you
try to get people to vote, and they say their vote doesn't matter, but with better symbols,
they may feel like they matter and can make a change.

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

I am not sure if, after reading the chapter, I would do anything much different because
changing the whole culture of an organization is a very hard undertaking. You have to
make new symbols and try to teach new lessons. Then, the senior employee will still
teach the old way to the new employees. That is one thing I have always noticed when
you try to establish a new culture for a workgroup. If you do not get everyone on board,
there will always be employees who will poison the well. There may not be many, but
you will need to get everyone on board.

To be honest, the first two chapters gave a lot of great information about symbols, but the
third was kind of weird. I understood where they were going. It just seemed like it was in
a weird package. I guess I could be interpreted like we are all being watched, so we have
to put on a good show for our audience. I still don't like the interpretation.

Reference or References
(Choose appropriate Title if Applicable and Delete the Rest)
Reframing Organizations