Prompt #1:  What did you learn about organizations, and/or the behavior of individuals

within an organization?  How do the ideas presented in Part Five (the Symbolic Frame) of the
B&D textbook enrich your understanding of the ways in which organizations and the people
working in them function?
While reading about the symbolic frame, I learned that organizational symbols have a strong
effect on organizational culture. Organizational symbols include myths, visions, values, heroes
and heroines, stories, fairy tales, rituals, ceremonies, metaphor, humor, and play. Learning
about the types of symbols that exist within organizations helped to enrich my understanding
by giving an explanation on why people behave a certain way in an organization.
Organizational symbols set the tone for the organizational culture, therefore influencing the
way people within the organization behave.
Prompt #2:  How can you apply the concepts that you have learned about in the readings to
your personal or organizational life?  Be specific.
The symbol that stuck out to me the most was stories. I have worked for Starbucks for 6 years
and I feel like I have an endless number of stories to tell relating to every aspect of the job. As a
shift manager, these stories come in handy. Specifically, stories about mistakes I have made
and lessons I have learned. I share these stories with anyone I work with who seems like they
need some comfort, reassurance, or direction.
Prompt #3:  Take a look at the Module 5 Video Clips content area.  It’s your turn to talk about
your life and any meaningful personal connections you care to make about the symbolic
frame.  Comment on your life, the videos, and whatever connections strike your fancy!
The video “The art of the metaphor” helped me to think objectively about the idea of
metaphors and the metaphors I use in my daily life. I used to work for a manager who would
say “Time to mop the walls and wash the ceiling” as a metaphor for saying that we had a lot of
work or cleaning to do. This also relates back to the humor factor of the symbolic frame. My
manager who used that metaphor did a great job of implementing her humor into her
management style. In stressful situations where we had a lot of work to do she would goofily
say “Oh my god mop the walls! We gotta wash the ceiling right now!” as a way to lighten the
mood.
Prompt #4:  Throughout your progression in the Organizational Leadership program, you have
had a number of courses that include content complementary to the Symbolic frame.  Please
highlight what you would consider to be two of the most important things (ideas, concepts,
theories, models, processes, skills, etc.) that you have learned in previous coursework that
you can relate to the Symbolic frame.  Briefly discuss each key learning, the course where you
learned it, and its connection with the Symbolic Frame. 
OGL 260 Resource allocation in organizations discussed the importance of symbolic capital.
Symbolic capital can be described as the intangible value that is attributed to objects or ideas.
It is something that communicates a meaning that depends on interpretation and socio-cultural
context. Symbolic capital relates to the symbolic frame because it discusses the value of
symbols for an organization and the people who are a part of it.
BIS 357 Assessment in organizations discusses the importance of organizational assessment. A
proper organizational assessment analyzes every single aspect of an organization, including the
symbols that exist. In order for there to be a healthy relationship between an organization and
the people working for the organization, they must have similar values and a clear vision.
Organizational assessment can help determine what sort of impact organizational symbols have
on the people working for the organization.
Prompt #5:  How do matters that pertain to the Symbolic Frame work in an organization with
which you are affiliated?  What sorts of symbols, myths, stories, heroes or rituals, etc. exist
and what is their impact?  What is the organizational culture (even if you are talking about a
family or team)?
As I mentioned in prompt #2, I have worked for Starbucks for 6 years and I have an endless
number of stories that relate to every aspect of the job. Being able to share a story with a
coworker can provide comfort, reassurance, or direction. One time a girl I work with got upset
when she spilled a drink. She was trying to put the lid on and the cup slipped and made a mess
all over the counter. She was upset because she spilled the drink and she felt really bad that
someone else (me) cleaned her mess up for her. I told her not to worry about it and said that
this is what a team does. I shared a story with her about the time I was stocking fridges at the
end of my shift when 2 gallons of milk slipped out of my hand and exploded on the floor. I
shared that story as a way to reassure her that accidental spills and messes happen all the time.
I think this says a lot about the organizational culture at our store. We are a team but also a
dysfunctional family. Supporting each other through sharing stories is something that has a
positive influence on our organizational culture.