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1.docxIntroduction
The purpose of my paper is to demonstrate my comprehension of Bolman and Deal’s frames and analyze two movies by their frames.
Structural frame and Human resource frame has long been used as a management tool for organizations. In today's competitive environment, organizations need to focus on both management and leadership by using these frames. After reading Bolman & Deal’s Reframing organizations, I found this book to be very useful and well thought out. I found myself looking at various events in my study environment and organizations in general in terms of frames, and more importantly making better sense by a better understanding of the frames.
The examples are lively and astute, the sample case in structural frame and human resource frame of the book is excellent. Also, a great example of how to think and analyze as the situation with the wider perspective provided by the frames. Depending on the circumstances, one frame may be more appropriate than another. Or, most likely, several frames of combination will be most successful. More interesting, after watching the Working Girl and the Black Hawk Down, I found the frames are quite related to the movies and particularly useful in real life.
Overview of Structural Frame and Human Resource Frame
Structural Frame
There are six assumptions from Reframing organizations (Bolman & Deal, 2013), organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives; Organizations increase efficiency and enhance performance through specialization and appropriate division of labor; Suitable forms of coordination and control ensure that diverse efforts of individuals and units mesh; Organizations work best when rationality prevails over personal agendas and extraneous pressures; Effective structures fit an organization’s current circumstances(including its goals, technology, workforce, and environment); and Troubles arise and performance suffers from structural deficits, remedied through problem solving and restructuring. (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p.45) As the structural perspective argues for putting people in the right roles and relationships, it helps the organizations to minimize distracting personal static and maximize people’s performance on the job (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p.45).
From the Designing a structure that works, I have learned that structure needs to be designed by the leader with an eye toward desired ends. It has to take the nature of the environment, the talents of the workforce, and the available resources (such as time, budget, and other contingencies) as a consideration (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 56). From the exhibit 3.1 Basic structural options (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 57), the author gave us a clearer understanding of the options. The options for integration which separate into vertical and lateral. With authority, rules and policies, planning and control systems, meetings, task forces, coordinating roles, matrix structures, and networks, the vertical coordination depends on top-down command and control. As it depends on employees’ willingness to follow directives from above, it is efficient sometimes. Although lateral coordination is often more effective, it cost a lot than the vertical coordination. Take everything into consideration, the organizations have to use both of them to make a better coordination.
Despite there is no denying that restructuring is a challenging process that consumes time and resources with no guarantee of success, the organizations sometimes have to restructure it. As the author talked about Four Reasons Lead to Restructuring (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 86) which involved The environment shifts; Technology changes; Organizations grow; and Leadership changes, it gave us various pressures that can lead to the conclusion.
After reading these chapters of The structural frame (Bolman & Deal, 2013, pp. 41-112), I discovered this frame has lot strengths like it helps the leader in a better way to motivate, coordinate, and control diverse group of subordinates. Furthermore, the structural frame helps the organizations to set their goals and policies under conditions of uncertainty.
Human Resource
After compared the Apple and the Nucor, the author gave us four assumptions from Reframing Organizations (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 117), which are Organizations exist to serve human needs rather than the converse; People and organizations need each other. Organizations need ideas, energy, and talent; people need careers, salaries, and opportunities; When the fit between individual and system is poor, one or both suffer. Individuals are exploit the organization- or both become victims; A good fit benefits both. Individuals find meaningful and satisfying work, and organizations get the talent and energy they need to succeed.
From Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 122), there are five basic categories, arrayed in a hierarchy from lowest to highest, include Biological and Physiological needs (Air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.); Safety needs (Protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.) Belonging and Love needs (Family, affection, relationship, work group, etc.) Esteem needs (Achievement, status, responsibility, reputation), Self-actualization needs (Personal growth and fulfillment). It helps the manager focuses on what their staff need and satisfied them in a better way. The author also cites an old formula (Maier, 1955), tells us that Performance=Ability×Motivation. According to this formula, we can hold a clear view that if the person has both talent and desire, he or she will performance in a better way.
There are two theories that helps the manager to manage their subordinates (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 123). Theory X is an authoritarian, repressive style in management which indicated that A management philosophy arising from a widespread belief on the part of managers that subordinates are passive and lazy, have little ambition, prefer to be led, and resist change. According to McGregor, “if you treat people as if they’re lazy and need to be directed, they conform to your expectations.” (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 123). Theory Y indicated that employees would prefer to do a good job if given the authority to direct themselves. According to McGregor, “the essential task of management is to arrange organizational condition so that people can achieve their own goals best by directing their efforts toward organizational rewards.” (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p.123) Consequently, external controls are necessary to ensure that they do their jobs. It considered Theory Y as liberating and developmental. How manager control, achievement and continuous improvement is achieved by enabling, empowering and giving responsibility.
After reading these chapters of The human resource frame (Bolman & Deal, 2013, pp. 113- 160), I found that it addresses fundamental human needs and interests, helps individuals and groups develop a shared sense of direction and purpose, endeavors to make group work both satisfying and efficient, keeps people involved and communication open.
Titles and plot lines of movies viewed (cite your sources)
Black Hawk Down
As it shows on the beginning, the film based on an actual event. At the year of 1992, Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the most powerful of the warlords, rules the capital Mogadishu. He sizes international food shipments at the ports and use huger as his weapon. America’s elite soldiers, Delta Force, Army Rangers and the 160th SOAR are sent to Mogadishu to remove Aidid and restore order. On October 3, 1993, the soldiers were ordered by General Garrison to complete the mission: to provide humanitarian assistance to the local people at Mogadishu and to capture two senior generals from Somalia’s military government within 30 minutes. Due to inadequate preparation and intelligence errors, Two Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by Somalia and the pilot was controlled by Somalia. The US military was under a siege. One one hand, they are waiting for rescue forces, on the other hand, they are trying to find a way to rescue their teammates on the Black Hawk. Night comes on, the US military started to fight with more than 5000 Somalia soldiers. At the end of the movies, over 1000 Somalis died and 19 American soldiers lost their lives.
Working Girl
Tess McGill is a secretary and she has asked for a transfer down from Boston to another job because of her boss. When Tess arriving at the new department, she wants to get ahead in the Big Apple but her new boss Katherine was treat her in a bad way, steals her good ideas and passes them off as her own. Later, Katherine broke her leg during a skiing. At that moment, Tess decided to take the opportunity to take charge with Katherine, and used her business plan which stolen by Katherine to marketing with Jack and got a promotion. Although Katherine wants to crack her down, Tess finally harvests her love and career.
Analysis by frame
When General Garrison arrangement the operation plan, he mentioned “Remember the rules of engagement: No one fires unless fired upon”. As they were waiting to fight back, on solider said “We’re not being shot at yet” and did not shooting the Somalia, just followed the general’s rules. It makes me associate with the Rules and Policies. Rules, policies, standards, and standard operating procedures limit individual discretion and help ensure that behavior is predictable and consistent. (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 52) Just like what was saying on the book, the rules make the solider with consistent behavior and helps him fix the problem in a proper way. Once a situation is defined as subject to a particular rule, the course of action is clear, straightforward, and, in an ideal world, almost automatic. This is not only useful for working environment but also useful for environment of battlefield.
Another scene is that the captain of the Army Rangers commands a solider staying and others retreating. Although he was unwilling, he still obeys the arrangement. This scene is related to the Authority part. Furthermore, I was impressed that every solider insisted on “no one gets left behind”. No matter how dangerous the fighting is, they try to rescue every one. According to the book, the author takes the air craft carrier and the commando team as an example that the chain of command is usually clear and universally accepted (p. 52). According to the author, the most basic and ubiquitous way to harmonize the efforts of individuals, units, or divisions is to designate a boss with formal authority. Once the manager has authority, the subordinate will submit to the manager and works better.
I also want to talk about the plan of the movie. Although the original plan was failed, the generals did not give new orders but kept asking the situation. When the citizens of the Mogadishu start to attack the US military, the generals began to look for rescue. As we have learned from the book, when environment has shifted, the organization needs to be restructure. Although restructuring is a sensible but high-risk move, it sometimes let the organizations get successful at the end. Effective restructuring requires managers to provide both a fine- grained, microscopic assessment of typical problems and an overall, topographical sense of structural options. (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 93) In my point of view, the general did not use the structural frame in a proper way. If he knows how to restructure the the military, once the original plan was failed, he should design the new structure in response to changes in goals and environment. When the doctors exerted themselves to save one of the wounded soldiers, I can see the sense of alienation on the general’s face. He hesitated for a little while and began to clean up the blood on the ground. At that moment, I think he realized his mistake and tried to remedy something. Helpless, once the situation changed and the leader did not change his plan to fit the situation, failure is inevitable.
Another clips of the movie also echoes the contents of the restructuring. When the US military fight to the Somalia, a captain asked a soldier why did not bring enough weapons and the soldier answered the captain with “I thought the action will finish within 30 minutes.” Since the organization does not restructure itself, the soldier has no sense of crisis. Once the environment has changed, they can not adapt to the environment immediately. In my opinion, the leaders who make change should focus on restructure elements within the organization as well as strategy, implementation, and adaptation. Changing institutional structures works well when goals are clear, when cause and effect relationships are well understood, and when there is conflict, uncertainty, or ambiguity.
Working girl
While I was watching the Working girl, I found this movie was closely related to the third part of Bolman & Deal’s book Reframing organizations, The human resource frame. The first day that Tess went to her new job, the staff of the office was chatting together and no one focused on their works. While Katherine walked into the office, every one pretended that they are struggling with their work. Compared with the human resource management, employees in turn are more productive, innovative, and willing to go out of their way to get the job done, they are less likely to make costly blunders or to jump ship when someone offers them a better deal. (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 140). On account that Katherine never take her subordinate’s needs as a consideration, on the contrary, she always be strict to them and being selfishness, the performance of her subordinates have no surprise. As it was defined by the author, organizations exist to serve human needs rather than the converse (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 117). If the manager wants the employees have a good performance, he or she needs to take the employees’ feeling as a consideration. Only in this way, Individuals can find meaningful and satisfying work, and organizations can get the talent and energy they need to succeed.
At the end, when Tess came into her own office, she said “I don’t expect you fetch me coffee, unless you are getting some for yourself” to her secretary. I can catch a sight of delightful on the secretary. Compared with what Katherine said to Tess “Why don’t you pour us a couple of coffees and come on inside? I’m light, no sugar”, I can see the different between Tess and Katherine. Tess is more friendly and equal to her secretary, because she knows the difficulties to be a secretary, especially for a tough manager. It reminds me of an old formula (Maier, 1955) which tells us Performance=Ability×Motivation. Although the ability is prerequisite to a secretary, the more important thing is, with the desire, she will performance better.
Specialized knowledge about the Model I (Bolman & Deal, 2013, pp. 165-167) leads me to conclude the causes of Katherine’s failure. Firstly, since Tess resists and becomes defensive, Katherine think it just confirms that Tess caused the problem. She confirms Tess break her relationship with Jack and refused to introspect her behavior. Secondly, because Katherine’s effort is unsuccessful than hoped, she regards this as Tess’s fault. She never makes efforts to do her job, just play tricks on Tess, stolen her idea and used it for a promotion. Last but not least, when Tess resists, Katherine respond her through some combination of intensifying pressure. She tries to isolate Tess from the other colleague and Jack, at the time they met at the elevator, Katherine asked Jack to stand with her. Fortunately, Tess harvests love and career through her effort and Katherine lost everything.
Conclusion
After watching the Black hawk down and the Working girl, I associate some plot lines of the movies with Bolman & Deal’s Reframing Organizations a lot. From the Black hawk down, I can see how the structural frame works at the US military and find out the reason of the general’s failure is without the skills of restructure. The Working girl may attract many people who just do some ordinary job as same as Tess. It is universally that when we come to a new company and sustain some pressures like Tess has, but we sometime don’t have the aspiration to fight for our rights and our dream. Significantly, after reading the Reframing Organizations (Bolman & Deal, 2013), it can give us some ideas that make a different both at work and in our lives.
The structural frame demonstrates why organizations need different structures in order to be effective in unique environments, helps the leader control diverse group of subordinates; the human resource frame address fundamental human needs and interests, helps individuals and groups develop a shared sense of direction and purpose, helps the organizations build a more motivated and committed workforce; the political frame address the reality of mixed motives, conflict, and power struggles present in the workplace ,helps the leader wield power effectively and act with authority; the symbolic frame defines organizational culture, creates and sustains belied and meaning, provides cohesiveness with the culture and helps the organizations inspiring their staff.
It is important to understand the frames as well as using them in a proper way. The frames are not a wish list, a report card or a management tool. It is certainly not a magic bullet or a quick cure for everything that happens to an organization. What the Bolman & Deal’s frames can be used is making sense of organizations and improving our leadership practice. Moreover, in spite of the fact that not everyone can be the leader, we can still use the book like a life guide, to identify challenges and contexts, and to devise appropriate actions in our surroundings.
