Berlitz: A Language Organization - Essay Example

? The Symbolic Frame Paper Berlitz: A Language Organization Juan Fabian Integrating General Studies Joanne Land-Kazlauskas The symbolic frame perspective as described by Bolman and Deal (2008), involves an overarching list of disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, organizational theory, sociology, and political science, to name a few. Of the broader array of disciplines Bolman and Deal have distilled five suppositions to gird the symbolic frame perspective. This perspective views the organization not as a logical progression, black or white, but rather, a blurry mix of colors on a piece of paper that can be interpreted differently by different individuals. This is one of the reasons organizations rely on organizational symbols to act as guideposts. If one finds themselves in the blurry mix and wonders which direct to go next, they may do well to look for the next organizational symbol or artifact as a clue. Stories of success can also be good clues to where to go next or where not to go for answers. In the case of the global language learning organization, Berlitz, the symbolic frame perspective is particularly blurry and colorful because it is a truly global organization (Berlitz, 2010). One of the five suppositions of the symbolic frame perspective, according to Bolman and Deal (2008) is that what the organization views as most important is not the event, but what the event means. This is what McShane & Von Glinow (2005) mean when they say that organizational culture can be decoded through the organizational symbols and artifacts. The decoding process is taking the symbol or the artifact, event, story and then analyzing it for the meaning to the organization and what it might mean to the employees. Organizations associate artifacts or symbols with organizational culture identity. Shared values are part of the culture along with shared assumptions. Artifacts are “observable symbols and signs of an organization’s culture” (p. 463). One example for Berlitz, the language learning organization, is the use of the logo combined with the emphasis on the teaching method. The educational process is unique within the language learning industry as it involves immersion in the language rather than a focus on the components of the language first. The Berlitz® method of learning is copyrighted and is spoken about with much pride within the organization and within any of the communication materials. It is not as important that the customer is learning the foreign language with a high quality or how good the teacher is that is teaching the language, but rather the student is learning via the Berlitz® method or the teacher is teaching using the Berlitz® method. A supposition of the symbolic frame perspective is that “activity and meaning are loosely coupled; events and actions have multiple interpretations as people experience life differently (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 253).” Berlitz reflects this supposition in the regional and local focus that is allowed in the organization. This is evidenced by the numerous web sites that are allowed regionally and locally. There is no single source of information for all of Berlitz’s locations (Berlitz, 2010). The organizational culture is reflected by region and location and therefore the employee and the student are able to experience the interpretation through an event or action very similar to their own life rather than something akin to life on another planet. If Berlitz forced a single global culture with employees and learners and didn’t allow local and regional artifacts, the employees and learners could struggle to connect with the organization since life is lived so differently in various parts of the world. Awards, certificates, and rituals are carried out according to the region, and locality and what is appropriate (Benesse, 2010). Another supposition of the symbolic frame perspective is that when people are faced with uncertainty they will create symbols to give them hope and something to hold on to for the future (Bolman & Deal, 2008). McShane & Von Glinow (2005) discuss the volatility created by the pace of change that is occurring worldwide. Employees and customers look to the organization for a vision and the tools to deal effectively with what may be occurring. Berlitz again, places a focus on their quality methodology by reminding the customer that their practices are copyrighted such as their listing for the Berlitz Virtual Classroom® (Berlitz, 2010). Berlitz also offers a multitude of training opportunities for their client companies on such topics as business and international workings. When times are changing, by providing options, Berlitz positions themselves as solid for those employees or customers that may be feeling uneasy in this economy. Berlitz employees are described as “flexible, straightforward and completely customer-oriented” (Berlitz, 2010, col. Testimonials). Another supposition of the symbolic frame perspective is that the expression of the event is much more important than the event itself. The event creates heroes, ceremonies, and rituals to help people find purpose and meaning behind what they do (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Regarding Berlitz, a language learning organization, the Berlitz History is an anchor for company culture. It is a mainstay on every web site visited, corporate communications, board reports, etc.. This history denotes a sense of pride and wonderment at how the Berlitz® method was created over 130 years ago by Maximilian D. Berlitz (Berlitz.ro): The organization now known as Berlitz International, Inc. was founded in 1878 by Maximilian D. Berlitz in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. Descended from a long line of teachers and mathematicians, Maximilian Berlitz grew up in the Black Forest region of Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1870 and arrived prepared to teach Greek, Latin, and six other European languages according to the strict traditionalist grammar-translation approach. After building a successful career as a private teacher, Berlitz joined the Warner Polytechnic College as a professor of French and German language instruction. The college, however, was less imposing than its name, and Berlitz found himself at once owner, dean, principal and only faculty member. Needing an assistant to teach French, Berlitz hired a young Frenchman who appeared to be the most promising candidate, possibly because of the impeccable French in his letter of application. The applicant, Nicholas Jolly, arrived in Providence to find his new employer ill and feverish from overwork, a condition that only worsened when Berlitz learned that Jolly spoke no English! Desperate to keep the school running with Jolly at the helm, Berlitz instructed his new assistant to point at objects and act out verbs as best he could. He then took to his bed. Berlitz emerged anxiously six weeks later prepared to face the wrath of his neglected students. Instead, he found them engaging in lively question-and-answer exchanges with their teacher, in elegantly accented French! The seriousness of the formal classroom was gone, and most importantly, the students had progressed further than any ever had under six weeks of his own tutelage. Berlitz quickly concluded that his emergency measure held the seed of an innovative teaching technique. By replacing rote learning with a discovery process that kept students active and interested, it solved many of the problems that had plagued language instruction in the past. Linking this story to the logo generates a feeling of pride whenever a Berlitz employee or a student glimpses it. The story is told over and over again and is not shortened, regardless of the location and it is not set aside because it is no longer relevant. In conclusion, the culture forms the bond that brings the people together to accomplish the desired goals (Bolman & Deal, 2008). In this case, Berlitz touts the method and the history combined with ready, current processes which leads to an impeccable and relevant reputation. The employee and the customer are reminded of these things by the use of the logo and other copyrighted materials. There is much personalization to the region and the country that the center is located, but not loss of the cultural artifacts and symbols which draw the learner/employee to the source of what they are looking for. References Benesse Holdings, Inc. (2010 – 2011). Benesse Corporate Profile. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.benesse-hd.co.jp/en/about/benesse-hd.pdf Berlitz Languages, Inc. (2010). Berlitz Global Gateway. Retrieved March 21, 2011 from http://www.berlitz.com/ Berlitz Romania. (n.d.) Berlitz History. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from http://www.berlitz.ro/index.php?lang=en&op=history Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (4th ed.). CA: Jossey-Bass. McShane, S. L. & Von Glinow, M. A. (2005). Organizational Behavior: Emerging Realities for the Workplace Revolution (3rd ed.). NY: McGraw Hill To be submitted with Symbolic Frame Paper for Berlitz Language Organization Using feedback After reviewing my last submissions, I kept the critiques and comments in mind as I was writing this paper and stayed true to this frame. Writing process and final submission In my first draft, I created an outline including the key points from the assignment, and the sources I would need. Some of things I did to incorporate provided feedback while working on my paper included referencing back to the papers that had been given with feedback prior to final edits and referencing back to the text. The things I did best in this essay included staying true to the symbolic frame and the frame suppositions. No real assumptions this time because so many disciplines were used, just suppositions. The aspect of the paper that was most difficult for me was because this is a global organization; I felt I struggled to define a culture for this company. The culture is indicative of the region or location and Berlitz home office makes a point not to shove the corporate persona down the locales throats. If given more time, I would not do anything differently with this paper. Because I have spent so much time already researching Berlitz, I was pretty comfortable sighting the artifacts, events, and other items that may be used to point an employee in the direction of the cultural signposts. When I review my paper against the course rubric, I would give this paper an overall score of outstanding. I did include a lengthy direct quote, but I felt it was appropriate for the subject of symbolic frame. Berlitz’s history has been interesting to me since I began this project and I wanted to include it in this assignment. This history is repeated over and over again within Berlitz’s web sites and communication materials. I also wanted to show a quote in block format per the APA guidelines since that was something I received feedback on in earlier papers. Other things you may want to keep in mind as you read this essay are that I have never actually been physically in a Berlitz Language Center, but I have worked for a global organization with individuals speaking multiple languages. Read More