Build on the work with the attached business model canvas by discussing the patterns, the design, and the overall business strategy that it illustrates.

The Four-Frame Model By

Bolman & Deal

Reframing Organizations

Lee G. Bolman & Terrence E. Deal

Frames

Lenses –focus, filter some things and allow others to

pass through, help us order experience.

Frames Tools –strengths and limitations. Wrong tool gets in the way; right

tool makes the job easier.

Possess a tool —but know how

to use it well.

Structural Frame • From sociology and management science. • Emphasizes goals, specialized roles, and formal relationships. • Structures (Organization charts) fit organization’s environment and technology. • Responsibilities, rules, policies, procedures.

Structural Frame

Problems arise when

the structure does not fit the

situation.

Human Resource Frame • From psychology. • Organization as an extended family. • Individuals with needs, feelings, prejudices, skills, and limitations. • Capacity to learn—and capacity to defend old attitudes and belief.

Human Resource

Frame

Challenge is to tailor organizations to people—find a

way for individuals to get the job done while feeling good about

what they are doing.

Political Frame • Rooted in political science. • Organizations as arenas, contests, or jungles. • Different interests competing for power and resources. • Rampant conflict— differences in needs, perspectives, and lifestyles. • Bargaining, negotiation, coercion, compromise, coalitions.

Political Resource Frame

Problems arise when power is concentrated in the wrong places

or is too broadly dispersed. Solutions: political skill.

Symbolic Frame • Draws from social and cultural anthropology. • Organizations as tribes, theaters, or carnivals. • Culture—rituals, ceremonies, stories, heroes, and myths. • Organization is theater— actors play role while audiences form impressions.

Symbolic Frame Problems arise when actors play their parts

badly, when symbols lose their meaning, when ceremonies and rituals lose their

potency.

Rebuild the expressive or spiritual side of organization through the use of symbol, myth, and magic.

Overview of the Four-Frame Model

 

Frame

Structural Human Resource

Political Symbolic

Metaphor for Organization

Factory or Machine

Family Jungle Carnival, temple, theater

Central Concepts

Rules, roles, goals, policies, technology, environment

Needs, skills, relationships

Power, conflict, competition, organizational politics

Culture, meaning, metaphor, ritual, ceremony, stories, heroes

Image of Leadership

Social architecture

Empowerment Advocacy Inspiration

Basic Leadership Challenge

Attune structure to task, technology, environment

Align organizational and human needs

Develop agenda and power base

Create faith, beauty, meaning

Organization al Ethic

Excellence Caring Justice Faith

Leadership Contribution

Authorship Love Power Significance

Source: Bolman & Deal (1997), p. 15 & p. 344

Choosing a Frame

Question Frame if answer is Yes Frame if answer is No

Are individual commitment and motivation essential to success?

Human Resource, Symbolic Structural, Political

Is the technical quality of the decision important?

Structural Human Resource, Political, Symbolic

Are there high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty?

Political, Symbolic Structural, Human Resource

Are conflict and scarce resources significant?

Political, Symbolic Structural, Human Resource

Are you working from the bottom up?

Political Structural, Human Resource, Symbolic

Source: Bolman & Deal (1997), p. 271

Reframing Leadership and Management

 

Frame Structural Human

Resources Political Symbolic

Effective Leader

Analyst, architect

Catalyst, servant

Advocate, negotiator

Prophet, poet

Effective Leadership Process

Analysis, design

Support, empowerment

Advocacy, coalition building

Inspiration, framing experience

Ineffective Leader

Petty tyrant Weakling, pushover

Con artist, thug

Fanatic, fool

Ineffective Leadership Process

Management by detail and fiat

Abdication Manipulation, fraud

Mirage, smoke & mirrors

Source: Bolman & Deal (1997), p. 303

Reframing Change

 

Frame Structural Human

Resources Political Symbolic

Barriers to Change

Loss of clarity and stability, confusion, chaos

Anxiety, uncertainty, feelings of incompetence, neediness

Disempowerment, conflict between winners and losers

Loss of meaning and purpose, clinging to the past

Essential Strategies

Communicating, realigning and renegotiating formal patterns and policies

Training to develop new skills, participation and involvement, psychological support

Creating arenas where issues can be renegotiated and new coalitions formed

Creating transition rituals: mourning the past, celebrating the future

Source: Bolman & Deal (1997), p. 321

How do you see the four frames in your organization and/or work environment?