Symbolic Definition Essay

From a symbolic standpoint, educators are held to a moral standard that exceeds mere compliance of the law (Fulmer, 2010). According to the symbolic frame, symbols carry relevant and impactful messages, and in the case of public schools, symbols that represent an organization’s core values are typically visible, including vision statements, graphics representing teamwork, and words of the month that symbolize good citizenship. “The symbolic frame focuses on how humans make sense of the chaotic, ambiguous world in which they live” (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p.244). History and culture are important to an organization, with traditions and values serving as the foundation for the organization’s unique vision. According to Bolman and Deal (2013), an organization’s culture serves as the superglue that bonds an organization and unites its people. When incidents occur that defy what an organization “stands for” or believes in, the community is impacted on a larger scale because of the immediacy of notification through the use of social media and the internet. In Murmer v. Chesterfield County (2008), for example, a high school art

Bolman and Deal (2013) contended that “Because organizations are complex, surprising, deceptive, and ambiguous, they are formidably difficult to comprehend and manage” (p.39). Social media and internet use align perfectly with the messy, complex, and ambiguous setting of education. Framing situations and tasks within the four frames of leadership can help leaders find clarity and direction as they approach challenging circumstances. Immediate access to information and the ability to share and communicate at any time of day have changed how educational organizations