The Symbolic Frame

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The Symbolic Frame
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Core Assumptions

• Most of organizational life is ambiguous and
  uncertain
• Events have multiple meanings because people
  interpret experience differently.
• Important is not what happened but its meaning.
• People create symbols and use metaphor to resolve
  confusion, increase predictability, provide
  direction and anchor hope and faith.
• Myths, rituals, ceremonies and stories help
  people find meaning, purpose and passion

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Symbolic Frame

• Organizational Symbols
• An organizations character is shown and
  communicated most clearly through its symbols.
• Central function of symbols (Express meaning and
  feelings)create order, clarity, predictability,
  handling paradox, protect from uncertainty
• Myths and stories
• They provide clarity and direction in the
  presence of confusion and mystery.
• Rituals and ceremonies
• They provide ways to take action in the face of
  confusion, unpredictability and threat.

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Symbolic Frame

• Metaphor
• Theatre, temple
• Central concepts
• Culture, meaning, metaphor, ritual, ceremony,
  stories
• Image of leadership
• Inspiration
• Basic leadership challenge
• Create faith, beauty and meaning

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Symbolic Frame

• Organizations as Cultures
• A distinctive pattern of beliefs, values,
  practices, and artifacts, developed overtime,
  which defines for organization members who they
  are and how they do things
• Symbols embody and express an organizations
  culture
• Artifacts
• Espoused beliefs and values
• Tacit assumptions about how to do things and how
  things get done

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Visible organizational structures and processes
(sometimes hard to decipher)
Artifacts
Strategies, goals, philosophies mostly (espoused
theories and justifications)
Espoused Values
Unconscious, taken-for-granted beliefs,
perceptions,thoughts, and feelings
(theories-in-use ultimate source of values and
behavior )
Underlying Tacit Assumptions
Levels of Culture
Schein, 1985
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UMKC Stated Core Values

• http//www.umkc.edu/aboutumkc/values.asp