Based on Bolman and Deal’s four organizational frames that are referenced in Sweitzer and King’s “Navigating the Internship Site”, I think that Play-Well TEKnologies falls mostly under the Human Resources and Symbolic Frames. Working with children and their parents is inherently more people oriented, so it makes sense they have a Human Resources frame. In addition, the leadership at all levels tends to take input from people from all levels in the organization. They believe that a collaborative environment leads to growth and happier employees. I would consider the Human Resources frame to be Play-Well’s most influential frame, however, I sometimes see elements of the Symbolic frame at play. This is mostly due to how they encourage employees to communicate through story-telling. They also put some emphasis on symbology such as the Play-Well TEKnologies logo. The logo is very important because it shows the mission of the company is to teach children STEM concepts through play.

Play-Well TEKnologies is an interesting organization because it is not confined to just one state or city. We are actually in over 20 states and we started in California. This presents a unique opportunity for Play-Well to be involved in many communities. Adam Davis raises many questions about why people do community service in his article “What We Don’t Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Service”. He mentions that many people fall prey to the idea that they are serving because they want to help, but, whether they realize it or not, they might do it to confirm their superiority over those in tougher situations. While I cannot vouch for every single time Play-Well participates in the community, there are instances where they attempt to bridge the gap of inequality. An example is a community day, in a different city, that they hosted alongside another organization that invited refugee families to build their homes out of Lego. The surrounding community was invited to look at these creations and meet the refugees. This is obviously a sensitive topic in our country. I think Play-Well, along with the other organization, did a good job of bridging the gap between the two groups. The use of play, through the Lego, helped the two communities realize they had much in common and take a step closer to being one community.

I think that Play-Well tries to do everything it can to make its classes and camps accessible to as many children as possible. They try to help those in financial need and provide accommodations for children of all backgrounds. In addition, they provide a variety of options for students to experience their classes. These range from camps to workshops to enrichment classes. Play-Well also tries hard to take care of its employees. They pay a living wage to all their employees, even the part-timers. Personally, I have a supervisor and regional manager that I know I can go to at any time with concerns. I never have to worry about politics or risking my job; I can be candid and express my concerns. I can honestly say that as far as culture goes, Play-Well is one of the best companies I have ever worked for. That’s why it’s the longest job I have ever kept.

This is Play-Well TEKnologies' logo. I think it is very important because it shows the importance of what we teach, but also how important play is in the equation too.

Organizational Analysis of Play-Well TEKnologies by Kaylynn on Scribd

This is my completed Organization Analysis Chart of Play-Well TEKnologies. It is a very thorough look at every aspect of their organizational culture.