BOLMAN AND DEAL'S FOUR-FRAME ANALYSIS : CASE STUDY by Dr. P. McCabe, January 2003
Four-Frame Theory
There are volumes written on leadership theory in nearly every discipline. Bolman and Deal sifted through the complex theories and literature and combined with their own analyses, theories and experience devised a four-frame model as a way of understanding organizations and leadership within organizations. Frames are described as being the lens through which anyone sees the world and places that world in order (University of Melbourne). Frames help individuals to filter out the things in the world they do not want to see, thus, frames are inherently inaccurate and skewed in terms of reality (University of Melbourne). But, people need
…show more content…
50).
• The Human Resource Framework places people first, which is very similar to stewardship or servant leadership where participation in decision making and problem solving are primary components of the model. This framework is based on the ideas from organisational social psychologists and begins with the premise that organizations are filled with individuals, each of whom has their own feelings, needs and biases as well as their own skills and potential (Bolman and Deal 1991, p. 15).
• The Political Framework is very important. As Bolman and Deal note, the political leader understands the reality of the politics in the organization and deals with them (1991). The framework is developed primarily by political scientists who believe that an organization is an arena wherein different interest groups compete for a limited amount of power and resources leading to conflict and coalitions being established (Bolman and Deal 1991, p. 15).
• The Symbolic Framework draws on social and cultural anthropology. The organization is thought to be akin to tribes or theater; they are cultures that operate based on ceremonies, rituals, rules, myths, policies, stories, heroes and managerial authority (Bolman and Deal 1991, p. 16). Everyone in the organization is an actor who is basically playing a prescribed role (Bolman and Deal 1991, p. 16).
It is important to note that not every frame works equally well in all situations. It is
The human resource frame believes people are the center of an organization and if an organization is responsive to their needs and personal goals, they will deliver quality work ethics. Structural frame creates a workable structure and clarifying the roles and goals of an organization. The political frame believes that managers need to recognize political realities and know how to handle conflict in and out of an organization.
Bolman and Deal (2013) stated that in the political model individuals competed for power and scarce resources. Bolman and Deal also noted that conflicts were common because needs and perspectives were different between individuals. Degn (2015) noted that managers attempted to sell a message and gain influence from individuals to obtain a certain goal. According to Bolman and Deal (2013), power can be concentrated in the wrong place, so goals were not completed.
3. Political Framework is about how to cope with power and conflict, build coalitions, hone political skills, and deal with internal and external politics.
The political frame addresses organizational and personal politics. It is important to identify who opposes your projects as well as who supports them. This step will help discover the main interest groups that would be most affected by the project outcome. The important issue in IMS project related to the political frame is the power shifts from functional managers to project managers after the initial stage of the project. This unplanned power shift to an inexperienced project manager who does not have much knowledge about the organization to deal with internal and external politics resulted in failure of the IMS project.
There have been many studies and papers written about leadership by looking at all sorts of perspectives. More recently, researchers have started to look at the keys to leadership from a natural sciences standpoint. The world is starting to understand that our views of leadership in organizations have to be consistent with the nature of the world outside. Richard Wielkiewicz and Stephen Stelzner go so far to say that the key to effective leadership is by looking at and having a fair representation of all perspectives, that includes an environmental perspective. They not only give assertions about leadership as a whole, but they also give criteria for looking at leadership from an ecological standpoint as to better understand it.
The third frame we are looking at is the Political Lens which looks at the power within an organization. Organizations for this lens are looked at as arenas so to speak, in that the people working within the company compete for power and scarce resources. The actions of bargaining, coercion, compromise, and negotiations are a part of everyday life within these establishments. If power is too concentrated inside a workplace, it can result in having a problem or problems. However, the same thing goes if power is too delegated in an organization, it can cause problems because it can result in nothing getting done. Making decisions within an organization involves assigning the scarce resources among the individuals who work for the company. Decision
Thus, we can define leadership as a coaching model, or a framework to use as an underlying structure to build teamwork, confidence, improve performance and behavior, and in most any aspect (business, education, sports, etc.) utilize these theories as a way to actualize goals. Because humans are so unique and individualized, there are a number of theories from which to draw from and most agree that the integration of a multidisciplinary approach and field of knowledge is what allows one to become both more tactical and strategic.
its people. Thirdly, the political frame views organizations as political arenas in which resources are
This is why, Organizational renowned scholars have been studying of this very significant topic of leadership for literally hundreds of years. Because. It is very complex, not simple one.
Leadership is the ability of a person to influence people toward the attainment of a particular goal. Leadership is a people activity, not like administrative paper shuffling or problem solving. It is a dynamic force and involves the use of power. Out of the forces of leadership come four powerful characteristics: supportive, directive, participative, and achievement-oriented leadership. Although these types of characteristics are not considered ingrained personality traits, they reflect types of behavior every leader is able to adopt depending on the situation.
The human resource frame is known to operate from drastically different paradigms. Bolman and Deal (2013, p. 113) state that opposing paradigms are identified when an individual asks which statement is true; 1.) “Our most important asset is our people”, or 2.) “Organizations exploit people --chew them up and spit them out” (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 113).
There has been vast amounts of research done on the topic of leadership, and yet despite this it continues to be ‘‘riddled with paradoxes, inconsistencies, and contradictions’’
According to Daft (2008, p.20) leadership typically reflects the larger society, and theories have evolved as norms, attitudes, and understandings in the larger world of change. Throughout the centuries leaders have adapted in response to these changes. Northouse (2007, p3) defines leadership as a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. A person’s ability to
Task no.1.1:-Sum up the Leadership Theories:- Definition of leadership & leader , shows great influence and bonding with its theories. It is an ability of leader how he influence a group towards the achievement of a vision or set of goals. Leadership is also about coping with change. Leaders set a direction for future by making a vision of the future. Then guide people by easy mode of communication with this vision & inspire them to rule out the problems.
The human resource frame tries to understand people and their relationships with those who are managing them. The frame focuses on people’s basic needs and tries to understand what motivates people to perform or act in a certain way. When in working in an organization the concept is that the organization exists to serve the human needs rather than humans serving the organization