Explain how you may use the frames or integrate the 4 frames for effective practice as managers or leaders. For this particular question, you dissect it as: 1) You need to identify briefly what these events and processes are all about? In the context of organization or in the context of our study programme – we know we are dealing with organization change and management of change. 2) You can make reference to alternative frames available to managers – under this, you can show that managers can capture organizational uncertainties or changes. Often, it has been said that managers do not have a clue on what’s going on. In this case, framing or re-framing is expected to help. Bolman and Deal (2008) explained that the frame is a mental map which one can read and navigate, meaning you can interpret the events and processes and steer the organization in some direction. They also liken frame to “window” which enables managers to see (or you have a window view). However, managers only see something, but not everything outside the viewing scope of the window. We have also learned that frame serves as a tool or an aid which makes easy our work. 3) You are required to explain what make managers better understand what is going on in their organizations? You can explain by relating to the example you are familiar with. You have learned that framing is like scripting and acting in new ways. It means that the managers can rely on a certain guide using the frame (like actors/actresses being guided by the script or story board in the play). 4) If you apply Bolman and Deal’s (2008) four frames, the Structural Frame is about how to organize and structure groups and teams to achieve results; the Human Resource Frame is about how to tailor organizations to satisfy human needs, improve human resource management, and build positive interpersonal and group dynamics; the Political Frame is about how to cope with power and conflict, build coalitions, and develop political skills, and also deal with internal and external politics; and, the Symbolic Frame is about how to shape a culture that gives purpose and meaning to work, put up organizational drama for internal and external audiences, and build team spirit through ritual, ceremony, and story. 5) Apart from using Bolman and Deal (2008)’s re-framing as a managerial tool for understanding organizational complexity, or you can also explore Harvey and Brown (1996, p.45), see reading 4 provided to you in the reference material. These authors discuss design of planned change programmes which deal with specific problems in a way similar to how Bolman and Deal apply re-framing (see subsection on “Organizational Effectiveness”). 6) At least for you as managers who have gone through this Management of Change course, you have learned the tool which can guide you in your response to management challenge. As we have discussed in class, do not limit yourself to only one way to respond to a situation. If you now turn to the fourth set of PowerPoint slides, the first slide under Chapter 16 says so much that each frame can offer different options and that any frame could be used well or badly in the situation. 7) The important thing is that managers who have mastered the skills of reframing are in fact applying knowledge and intuition to make sense of the process of change. They understand that to achieve the goals of the organisation, there should be investment in skill training. Managers are expected to learn to provide support and develop techniques for harvesting ideas. It is necessary for managers to deal with the employees’ fears and anxieties which are the elements associated with change. 8) Just to elaborate more, we have agreed that if we were to view complexity using a narrow scope, or limit ourselves to one or two perspectives, we cannot generate effective options, especially if we are handling tough situations. You may relate to your working experience where the manager had, for example, decided to retrench the workers without seeking more views from the employees what they could suggest when faced with financial difficulties in the company. In another situation where the workers were allowed to participate in giving suggestions on how to weather the financial crisis, it was found that some workers volunteered to take no-pay leave and others indicated preference for part-time work over the critical period until the orders began to pick up. This example shows that consultation and respect for workers or empowerment of workers can lead to a win-win situation. I hope you will be able to see that different scenario lead to completely different interpretations of the situation. 9) The last item for you to consider is, to present a summary or a conclusion. In other words, after you have presented your discussion on the subject, you need to round up all the points or arguments made and draw a conclusion.