March 26 Study Guide

Book: Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership. 2003. 512 pages. $32.

Thanks to Dr. Jana Bradley, who has provided us with the following study guide. I'll add more of an overview, and perhaps some other sources, later.

Overview of Book: This book groups approaches to management, represented by management theories, in four categories, each of which views management from a different perspective. The basic premise is that complex problems always benefit from analysis from multiple perspectives. Managers tend to analyze problems from the perspectives with which they feel most comfortable, which may not always be the most relevant or useful. Managers benefit from having an “analytical toolkit” of perspectives.

Reading Recommendations: To understand the book’s premise—that complex management problems benefit from analysis from multiple perspectives—it is necessary first to understand the concept of “framing” and then grasp each of the four frames: structural, human resource, political and symbolic. Here are some reading suggestions to give you a sense of the whole book. Read more if you have the time and interest.

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Power of Framing
Chapter 3: Getting Organized (Structural Frame)
Chapter 6: People in Organizations (Human Resource Frame)
Chapter 9: Power, Conflict and Coalition (Political Frame)
Chapter 12: Organizational Culture and Symbols
Chapter 15: Integrating Frames for Effective Practice

Discussion: One of the best ways to work with this book is to take an issue or problem in library management, discuss how each frame conceptualizes the issue and what solutions each frame offers, and then put together a plan or sequence of approaches that you think pulls everything together.

Of course, you could choose a number of different problems. In classes, I have had a great deal of success with using the introduction of new technology into a library as the focal issue.