Running head: FOUR FRAME ANALYSIS 1

Reframing My Views on Education: A Four Frames Analysis

Submitted by: Crystal Chapa

EA 740 Schools as a Formal Organization Oakland University April 2012

FOUR FRAME ANALYSIS Abstract Realizing and understanding organizations, using the four-frame model, offers individuals the opportunity to be successful members and effective leaders within an organization. Taking time to view organizations as factories, families, jungles, and theaters provides an interesting point of enlightenment regarding the success or failure of such organizations. In this reflective work of prose, insights and awareness guides a description of the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames and the application of this understanding in the education field.

Key words: reframing, structural frame, human resource frame, political frame, symbolic frame

FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 3 Reframing My Views on Education: A Four Frames Analysis Grand Blanc Community Schools Established in the early 1800s, the Grand Blanc Community School district is located in a suburban community in southern Genesee County approximately six miles south of Flint, Michigan. Within the city limits, are the Grand Blanc High School Campuses, the Perry Center, Central Office, and two elementary schools. In 2010, according to data collected during that years Census, there are 8,276 residents living in the City of Grand Blanc. The median value of homes is $170,300, home ownership rate is 61%, and the median household income is $56,391. Nine percent of the population is living at or below the poverty level. The Grand Blanc Community includes a majority residing in Grand Blanc Township, which has a population of 37,508. There are 14,758 occupied housing units within Grand Blanc Township boundaries. The Grand Blanc Community School district serves the entire City of Grand Blanc, the majority of Grand Blanc Township, a portion of Mundy Township, and small portions of Flint Township and the City of Burton. There are thirteen school buildings in the Grand Blanc district that house just under nine thousand students. Grand Blanc Schools original building, The Perry Center, currently houses eleven programs including: Childrens Garden (Latchkey and Pre-school), Community Education, Family Service Center, Go and Tell (Pre-School Speech and Language Program), Parents as Teachers, Head Start, Michigan School Readiness Program, Project Choice, Second Chance, Perry Kindergarten (Full-Day, Half-Day, and Young Fives), and Genesee Countys top performing public school, Grand Blanc City School (a first grade through fifth grade, multi-age, extended year school

setting). There are eight other elementary school buildings and two middle schools, which feed into one high school. For the 2010-2011 school year, 8,984 students were enrolled in the Grand Blanc FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 4 Community Schools kindergarten through twelfth grade programs. The demographic make-up of the district is as follows: 76.8% White, 12.3% African American, 6.5% multi-racial, 0.3% American Indian, 1.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.7% Asian American, and 0.1% Pacific Islander. During the 20112012 school year, 26% of the students that attend Grand Blanc Community Schools qualified for the free and reduced lunch program. At Grand Blanc West Middle School, our demographic make-up is as follows: 74% White, 15% African American, 6% multi-racial, 0.4% American Indian, 2% Hispanic or Latino, 1% Asian American, and 0.1% Pacific Islander. The school is operated by one principal and one assistant principal, a four person counseling staff, and 50 fulltime teachers, with a teacher ratio at 19 to one. Grand Blanc West Middle School is consistently in the top 70 th to 80th percentile for school performance of all Michigan schools.

The Structural Frame The structural frame of organizations is a way to optimize organizations by placing people in the roles and relationships where there is a good fit; using the internal and external parameters of the organization to determine the ideal structure. Structural design involves the differentiation and/or specialization of work and integrating workers effectively. These organizational decisions can be made through vertical (higher level managers control lower levels of workers through authority, rules, control systems, etc.) and horizontal (meetings, task forces, matrix structures, etc.) coordination. Restructuring, or reorganizing, may be necessary in order to combat tensions and

dilemmas within an organization. The focus of restructuring involves aligning inner operations with outside concerns in order to improve an organization. Change requires structural adaptation and will FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 5

be successful in the long-run if the new design is aligned with the internal and external factors of the organization. Organizing groups and teams to maximize output with less input involves providing the opportunity to increase creativity, ownership and understanding, although sometimes the design hinders effectiveness. Authority, accountability and clarity are necessary components of a group, allowing the group to be efficient. The structural frame encompasses a spectrum of flexibility and control with the tasks, workers, and groups within; which if overlooked can create an inefficient organization. Therefore careful consideration of the structural frame can allow organizations to make informed decisions and positive gains. Question #1: When the aim is to achieve established goals and objectives, too often the organizational structure in districts/schools creates problems and impedes progress and/or change. What flaws do you see in the organizational structure of your district/school? One of the major flaws I see in the organizational structure in my school and district is the ineffective use of our master teachers. I can speak to this flaw very candidly because my students and I are being affected by this problem in our schools organization. At the middle schools, the master teachers are said to have earned their right to teach one prep the entire day, leaving the new and inexperienced teachers to teach two, three, even four preps throughout the day. These new teachers must find a way to master the content of each subject taught, formulate classroom management skills, and learn the ways of the building and district; all while being taken out of the classroom regularly for trainings, meetings, and other professional development requirements. In my first two years at the middle school, I currently teach two subjects for two different grades.

Although I have been in the teaching profession for six years, I do not have experience with the topics I teach, nor am I fully comfortable with the middle school format yet. It makes sense to me, FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 6

and it has been reaffirmed by my principal, that new teachers should get the easier teaching positions until they gain the experience and confidence to become a master teacher. Along with that, students would benefit more from more established, master teachers being given multiple preps to teach each day. Question #2: What is your vision of an organizational structure that allows people to grow and develop? I think Sally Helgesens Web of Inclusion would allow people to grow and develop in my profession. This structure breaks away from the, clear-cut, top-down pyramid approach and provides a less hierarchical model. This structure places authority figures at the center of the organization rather than the top. I think this would allow staff members to feel they have a role in the organizations success; building their confidence to take risks and forge a trail into creative, inventive, and forward thinking territory.

The Human Resource Frame The human resource frame of an organization focuses on the relationship between people and organizations. The relationship is a two-way street with organizations needing the people for their talents, ideas, energy and effort, and people needing the organization for a paycheck, advancement, opportunities, and career. There are differing opinions and theories, however many researchers still support the idea of investing time and money into finding a motivated workforce; a powerful source

of strategic advantage. The human resource frame also focuses on improving the management of people within organizations. When employees feel satisfaction in their work they present an

efficient and effective work ethic. Of the companies where these employees work, getting it right FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 7

includes having a philosophy based on their workforce which probably includes building and implementing an Human Resource strategy, hiring and keeping the right people, investing and empowering employees, and promoting diversity. Success does not come to organizations that implement only one or two of the strategies mentioned above, success comes with a comprehensive approach which values the employees and provides them with incentives to help the organization shine. Relationships within an organization are as important as, or more important than, the

structure itself. The effectiveness of a manager, or the organization, is often hindered by the lack of consideration for peoples feelings, relationships, and their own impact. If managers can understand that groups function on two levels: task and process, there should be success. Among these process issues that need to be managed are informal roles and group norms, informal networks, interpersonal conflicts, and leadership and decision making. Question #1: There may be times when the schools leaders must put forth Herculean efforts to bring about the fit between human needs and organizational requirements. What are some of the conditions or elements that call for Herculean efforts on the part of your district/school leaders? The new performance evaluation, a government initiative to encourage better performance from educators, has caused a great deal of anxiety and strife throughout our district. Teachers are understandably concerned about the nature of the evaluation, the tool being used, and its implications on their livelihood. This concern is further agitated because administrators are unable

to answer all the questions teachers have; they themselves have not received enough information from the state government. As the teachers union gets involved, emotions begin to run high and there is a cloudy understanding of each sides opinion.

FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 8

I think it is imperative that school leaders find a way to gather as much information as possible about the new performance evaluation. Then share this information with the staff, along with reassurance that collectively, staff and administration will come to an agreement on what this evaluation will look like in Grand Blanc, and that administrators are there to work with staff members to ensure clarity and confidence in the process. As I gathered in my principal interview, the anxiety of some teachers runs high regarding this new initiative and it is important not to undermine their concerns. Our leaders must take the temperature of the staff and be perceptive to their doubts and insecurities; in order to successfully manage this situation. Question #2: The concept of human need is controversialat least in academic circles. When educators make statements like, The kids are just lazy, These kids dont respect themselves or others, and The parents dont care. What can be generalized about the understanding of human needs? There is always something that motivates each of us. Abraham Maslow developed a theory about human needs that is reflected in his Hierarchy of Needs, a pyramid type structure that places the most desired of needs at the bottom and states that these needs are prepotent. Thus, in order for a student to desire success at school, they must have their basic needs met first. These basic needs include things like physical well-being, safety, and love. A person who makes comments like, The kids are not lazy or These kids dont respect themselves or others, are not looking through the

human resource frame. They are seeing the students behavior as a purposeful insult on authority or social norms, when really they need to look closer at what circumstances are causing the behavior. If they were knowledgeable of Maslows Hierarchy or Needs, they may begin to analyze the factors of the childs life to see if their needs are not being met.

FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 9 The Political Frame The political frame focuses on power, conflict, and ethics within organizations. The way in which organizations deal with power, conflict, and ethics are based on several assumptions relating to politics, along with their implications. First, not able to run in isolation, organizations are made up of a complex web of stakeholders with varying expertise, agendas, and power. At every level, alliances form because members share commonalities and think there is power in numbers. Secondly, members of these coalitions also have enduring differences, those of which can put various stakeholders at odds with one another. Third, decisions made regarding how to allocate scare resources are of the utmost importance. Also, the result of enduring differences and scare resources generates conflict which can become part of the day-to-day operations of an organization. Conflict emerges as politics become more intense. Power becomes a key resources and influences behavior, decisions, and outcomes. Structural

theorists emphasize authority, while human resources theorists emphasize empowerment over power. (Also, there are many other sources of power.) Finally, stakeholders, throughout the levels of an organization, bargain and negotiate to get what they want. From this, goals, structure, and policies emerge. An organization managers political skills, influences whether the politics of an organization have positive or negative effects. Effective political skills may include: how to create an appealing

agenda (a balancing act of keeping long-term interests of key parties in mind and recognizing internal and external forces) , map the political terrain (scouting out the information, people, possibilities, and potential problems before you begin), create a network of support (creating a solid balance of purpose and relationshipswith those whom are for and against your agenda), and negotiate with both allies and adversaries (focus on the issue, not the person; learn to give and take; FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 10

and follow through) . While employing these skills, determining whether to take a collective/open approach in making decisions or to utilize a tougher, more adversarial strategy must not be made lightly; they have the potential to affect relationships with others and possibly corrupt ones own values and ethical principles. Viewing an organization as a political arena (having internal conflict and struggles) is a way to reframe many processes in an organization. Organizational design and achievement of goals, are not always the most rational to some, but are buried deep within the political frame. Political change can come from two major sources, one being the bottom-up approach, which is a more grassroots effort a group takes to demand a voice and make change happen. Failure in this approach often leads people to believe that a top-down approach, where authorities evoke their influence on the subordinateswhich has its fair share of failure. Seeing an organization as a political agent allows one to see organizations as part of a complex ecosysteminterdependent networks of autonomous organizations engaged in related activities and occupying particular niches (p. 230), which can make change difficult. All of this leads to urgent questions about who has the relative power and who is going to make decisions that are fair to all.

Question #1: The School leader is one source of power in the organization.

In your

school/district what other sources of power currently exist and operate to influence what happens or does not happen in the organization? Importantly, what are the outcomes? I believe much of the power in our organization is in the hands of the parents and larger community, the teachers and teachers union, and the state government. The parents and community have been, in part, responsible for voting for increases in funds to help the schools, helping to get State Representative Paul Scott out of office in Lansing, and demanding the district continue to strive for FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 11

success. The administrators within the Grand Blanc Community School District encourage the teachers and teacher union to have some power in regards to bargaining for things like contractual issues. They express it is important to get input from the staff regarding concerns of the district. As a result, we have a current contract that, as teachers in Michigan, we should feel fortunate to have. Also, the administration at both district and building levels, do a nice job of providing leadership opportunities for teachers and staff. Much of our teacher training and in-service is facilitated by Grand Blanc teacher leaders who have been trained or have skills and experience in a specific topic. This helps with implementation of ideas and new operations, allows for the training to be more teacher-friendly, and provides a chance for future administrators to develop their talents. The final major source of power comes from Lansing. Our state government, by nature has the power to sanction requirements and impose systems on a school district. I believe our state government is working toward the right goals, but with the continuous change and uncertainty of the budget allowances, new regulations, and teacher evaluation protocols, governmental changes continue to be viewed negatively. There is likely going to be less buy-in of these uncertain, imposed requirements; creating more of a challenge in our states education arena.

Question #2: From your perspective, what political skills are essential for navigating the jungle that exists in schools as formal organizations? One of the most important skills would be to know where the power is coming from. Understanding who has the power, what the resources are and who has the resources, and who makes major decisions (which could be different from who has all the power) will benefit a person navigating the jungle within our schools. One must realize who part of their ecosystem and what the role of the school is in this network. FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 12 The Symbolic Frame The symbolic frame represents the forms symbols take in organizations and why the culture organizations create is so important. Many aspects, including myths, visions, stories, heroes and heroines, rituals and ceremonies are all used to help humans make sense of the chaotic, ambiguous world we live in. Symbols seem to permeate every fiber of society and organizations and sustain faith and hope as they shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions (p. 252). The symbolic frame blends several diverse sources into five suppositions; the first of which states, what is important is not what happens but what it means. Another describes activity and meaning being loosely coupled; events and actions have multiple interpretations as people experience life differently. The third describes, when faced with uncertainty and ambiguity, people create symbols to resolve confusion, find direction, and anchor hope and faith. Next, events and processes are often more important for what is expressed than for what is produced. Their emblematic form weaves a tapestry of secular myths, heroes and heroines, rituals, ceremonies, and stories to help people find purpose and passion. Finally, culture forms the superglue that bonds an organization, unites people, and helps an enterprise accomplish desired ends.

There are many examples throughout society of how culture shapes an organizations unique identity. Businesses and organizations, strive to build a unique brand or culture through the use of various symbolic forms. The symbolic frame contrasts the traditional, rational views of

organizations; on the notion that symbolic forms and activities are the building blocks of culture, accumulated over time to shape an organizations unique identity (p. 278). The application of symbolic concepts to team dynamics involves having initiation rituals for becoming part of the group, utilizing diversity among this group to ones advantage, and finding a dynamic leader who impacts the success of individuals and the group itself. Also maintaining a FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 13

specialized language used as a way to build bonds and create culture and having traditions to unite and allow the legacy to live on, are important concepts. Humor and play can be essential sources of relaxation, invention, stimulation, and team spirit; along with ritual and ceremony to raise spirits and reinforce the shared mission. Lastly, having a tribal priest to hear confessions, give blessing, and maintain traditions makes it easier to ensure members are feeling the spirit or soul of the mission and are seeking out ways to put a little of themselves into the product. The success of a group and the use of the symbolic concepts explained above, are not often successful unless you have the right people and structure that will allow the group to have faith and find purposethus building a culture and creating success. Question #1: An organization is often times revealed through its symbols. Symbols can

spark either positive or negative actions in the organization. What are the recognized (legitimate) symbols in your district/school? How do they spark actionsand what are those actions?

I would have to say that a major symbol in our school district is the students themselves. Grand Blanc is a school district that finds a way to put students first. They have done this with the allocation of funds, the staff they have hired, the training and support that is received, and the nonstop push to allow students to achieve and feel they belong in Grand Blanc Community Schools. Another symbol would be our test scores; we are consistently rated among the top school districts in Genesee County and in the State of Michigan. Our focus has been and continues to be on providing a solid foundation for students to learn and perform on a variety of tests and other achievement evaluations.

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Question #2: Just as important as symbols in the organization are stories about Heroes and Heroines. Does your district/school have a story about the organizations Heroes and

Heroines? Why is it important to tell a story about that person? There are plenty of stories about teachers and administrators who are products of the district and who returned to Grand Blanc to teach or lead. However in the past six years of being a teacher in the district, I cannot think of a specific Hero or Heroine of the organization. We have several buildings named after important individuals from Grand Blancs past, and I am sure their impact on the district was significant; however I do not know their particular stories.

The Deeper Question A multi-frame view provides a more comprehensive map of a complex and varied terrain. The deeper question however, is to what degree has reframing informed your own professional growth and leadership development?

Having a more solid foundation in regards to the multiple frames of organizations has allowed me to become a more informed, understanding, and reflective individual. As a professional I believe these qualities are important to embody and to seek out ways for continuous improvement. Understanding the structural frame allows me to be more observant of the role I play and relationships I have within my organization and the role and relationships of others. I now see that the reason certain buildings are structured differently than others is because of the individual internal and external parameters of that unique school or group. Information on the human resource frame has helped me to realize that my organization needs me just as much as I need it. I see myself with more of a purpose within the organization, which drives me to do my best and give my best to the district each day. I am not as FOUR FRAMES ANALYSIS 15

comfortable with the political frame; however, learning about it has demystified some of the decision-making that occurs within my building and district. It has also allowed me to reflect on my own use of skills such as dealing with conflict within the organization or stakeholders differing goals. Finally, the symbolic frame is what I tend to be most comfortable with and I now know why. It is the focus on having a culture or sense of unity, on faith and hope that binds us together, and on the hidden meanings of rituals and ceremonies that makes this frame exciting for me. In closing, I believe I will be a more effective teacher, parent, and future administrator because of my work with the four frames of organizations. It has allowed me to grow as a professional, especially in reflecting on my own decisions and the decisions of others, my relationship with others and the role I play in my organization.