What type of frame is most commonly used by leaders in your educational system?

Like most large organizations, mine is complex and complicated. It is at times framed in one way and then another. It can be difficult to identify just one operational frame and even more surprisingly, I have watched the frame change as I've moved within the organization. Making me wonder if the frame changes or is it just my perception and understanding that changes.

As a faculty member my organization was framed as structural. The hierarchy was formal and well defined with specific divisions of labor and responsibilities. The first level was teaching faculty, then program coordinators, department chairs, deans and vice president. Instructional Services is a large division. The structural framework worked well as a means of clear order for resolving issues and accomplishing objectives. There was a clear set of objectives for each faculty member and a chain of command for handling problems and conflict. Faculty work pretty independently of each other as well as the organization. Change happened within the classroom. Any groups that did exist were based on the commonality of subject matter. Actually, I had little interest in the frame of the organization beyond my teaching.

As I have moved into other areas of the college, I am able to identify different frames. What I now see, as an administrator, is that my organization operates internally in a political frame and externally as symbolic frame. The symbolic frame is a constant - regardless of my position in the college.

The political frame is apparent in the decision making body of my organization. There are six administrators, representing six different divisions, they meet weekly to make decisions regarding the strategic direction of the college. Most discussions are driven by the divergent
interests of each division. This has a lot to do with a tight budget and the scarcity of resources. Each is fighting for his/her share of the pie. And trying not to lose anything either. There is some acknowledgement of the interdependence of all of the divisions, but that is, in general, not the overwhelming guide. Meeting days are filled with phones calls and closed door meetings as each attempts to build coalitions related to agenda items.

The common frame that I have observed, regardless of my position in the organization, is symbolic. We have a very positive presence in the community. We continue to serve as a symbol of hope and reassurance for many.