{"id":343,"date":"2016-11-24T15:11:32","date_gmt":"2016-11-24T20:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/chapter\/13-4-organizational-politics\/"},"modified":"2022-02-25T19:55:53","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T00:55:53","slug":"13-4-organizational-politics","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/chapter\/13-4-organizational-politics\/","title":{"raw":"10.3 Organizational Politics","rendered":"10.3 Organizational Politics"},"content":{"raw":"<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ol id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Understand what organizational politics are.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Examine political behaviour within organizations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"title editable block\">Organizational Politics<\/h2>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><strong>Organizational politics<\/strong> are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind-the-scenes efforts to sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives (Brandon &amp; Seldman, 2004; Hochwarter, Witt, &amp; Kacmar, 2000). Politics has been around for millennia. Aristotle wrote that politics stems from a diversity of interests, and those competing interests must be resolved in some way. \u201cRational\u201d decision making alone may not work when interests are fundamentally incongruent, so political behaviours and influence tactics arise.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p02\" class=\"para editable block\">Today, work in organizations requires skill in handling conflicting agendas and shifting power bases. Effective politics isn\u2019t about winning at all costs but about maintaining relationships while achieving results. Although often portrayed negatively, organizational politics are not inherently bad. Instead, it\u2019s important to be aware of the potentially destructive aspects of organizational politics in order to minimize their negative effect. Of course, individuals within organizations can waste time overly engaging in political behaviour. Research reported in <em class=\"emphasis\">HR Magazine<\/em> found that managers waste 20% of their time managing politics and 40% of employees engage in organizational politics when it directly affects them (HR Reporter, 2012). However, as John Kotter wrote in <em class=\"emphasis\">Power and Influence<\/em>, \u201cWithout political awareness and skill, we face the inevitable prospect of becoming immersed in bureaucratic infighting, parochial politics and destructive power struggles, which greatly retard organizational initiative, innovation, morale, and performance\u201d (Kotter, 1985).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p03\" class=\"para editable block\">In our discussion about power, we saw that power issues often arise around scarce resources. Organizations typically have limited resources that must be allocated in some way. Individuals and groups within the organization may disagree about how those resources should be allocated, so they may naturally seek to gain those resources for themselves or for their interest groups, which gives rise to organizational politics. Simply put, with organizational politics, individuals ally themselves with like-minded others in an attempt to win the scarce resources. They\u2019ll engage in behaviour typically seen in government organizations, such as bargaining, negotiating, alliance building, and resolving conflicting interests.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p04\" class=\"para editable block\">Politics are a part of organizational life because organizations are made up of different interests that need to be aligned. In fact, 93% of managers surveyed reported that workplace politics exist in their organization, and 70% felt that in order to be successful, a person has to engage in politics (Gandz &amp; Murray, 1980). Bonnie Marcus, an executive coach, coaches other female professionals to recognize the importance of office politics in getting ahead (Marcus, 2017). In the negative light, saying that someone is \u201cpolitical\u201d generally stirs up images of back-room dealing, manipulation, or hidden agendas for personal gain. A person engaging in these types of political behaviours is said to be engaging in self-serving behaviour that is not sanctioned by the organization (Ferris et al., 1996; Valle &amp; Perrewe, 2000; Harris, James, &amp; Boonthanom, 2005; Randall et al., 1999).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p05\" class=\"para editable block\">Examples of these self-serving behaviours include bypassing the chain of command to get approval for a special project, going through improper channels to obtain special favours, or lobbying high-level managers just before they make a promotion decision. These types of actions undermine fairness in the organization because not everyone engages in politicking to meet their own objectives. Those who follow proper procedures often feel jealous and resentful because they perceive unfair distributions of the organization's resources, including rewards and recognition (Parker, Dipboye, &amp; Jackson, 1995).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p06\" class=\"para editable block\">Researchers have found that if employees think their organization is overly driven by politics, the employees are less committed to the organization (Maslyn &amp; Fedor, 1998; Nye &amp; Wit, 1993), have lower job satisfaction (Ferris et al., 1996; Hochwarter et al., Kacmar et al., 1999), perform worse on the job (Anderson, 1994), have higher levels of job anxiety (Ferris et al., 1996; Kacmar &amp; Ferris, 1989), and have a higher incidence of depressed mood (Byrne et al., 2005).<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p07\" class=\"para editable block\">The negative side of organizational politics is more likely to flare up in times of organizational change or when there are difficult decisions to be made and a scarcity of resources that breeds competition among organizational groups. To minimize overly political behaviour, company leaders can provide equal access to information, model collaborative behaviour, and demonstrate that political maneuvering will not be rewarded or tolerated. Furthermore, leaders should encourage managers throughout the organization to provide high levels of feedback to employees about their performance. High levels of feedback reduce the perception of organizational politics and improve employee morale and work performance (Rosen, Levy, &amp; Hall, 2006). Remember that politics can be a healthy way to get things done within organizations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"title editable block\">Antecedents of Political Behaviour<\/h2>\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Individual Antecedents<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">There are a number of potential individual antecedents of political behaviour. We will start off by understanding the role that personality has in shaping whether someone will engage in political behaviour.<\/p>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01_p02\" class=\"para editable block\"><span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Political skill<\/a><\/span> refers to peoples\u2019 interpersonal style, including their ability to relate well to others, self-monitor, alter their reactions depending upon the situation they are in, and inspire confidence and trust (Ferris et al., 2000). Researchers have found that individuals who are high on political skill are more effective at their jobs or at least in influencing their supervisors\u2019 performance ratings of them (Ferris, Fedor, &amp; King, 1994; Kilduff &amp; Day, 1994). Individuals who are high in <em class=\"emphasis\">internal locus of control<\/em> believe that they can make a difference in organizational outcomes. They do not leave things to fate. Therefore, we would expect those high in internal locus of control to engage in more political behaviour. Research shows that these individuals perceive politics around them to a greater degree (Valle &amp; Perrewe, 2000). <em class=\"emphasis\">Investment in the organization<\/em> is also related to political behaviour. If a person is highly invested in an organization either financially or emotionally, they will be more likely to engage in political behaviour because they care deeply about the fate of the organization. Finally, <em class=\"emphasis\">expectations of success<\/em> also matter. When a person expects that they will be successful in changing an outcome, they are more likely to engage in political behaviour. Think about it: If you know there is no chance that you can influence an outcome, why would you spend your valuable time and resources working to effect change? You wouldn\u2019t. Over time you\u2019d learn to live with the outcomes rather than trying to change them (Bandura, 1996).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01_f01\" class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;font-size: .8em\">\r\n<p class=\"title\"><span class=\"title-prefix\">Figure 12.10<\/span><\/p>\r\n<a href=\"\/app\/uploads\/sites\/197\/2016\/11\/cd61cb7b4bb4cf663be96d554a0f44ef.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/principlesofmgmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1573\/2016\/11\/cd61cb7b4bb4cf663be96d554a0f44ef.jpg\" alt=\"Individual and organizational antecedents can both lead to political behavior\" width=\"500\" height=\"770\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p class=\"para\">Individual and organizational antecedents can both lead to political behaviour.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02\" class=\"section\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Organizational Antecedents<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><em class=\"emphasis\">Scarcity of resources<\/em> breeds politics. When resources such as monetary incentives or promotions are limited, people see the organization as more political. Any type of ambiguity can relate to greater organizational politics. For example, <em class=\"emphasis\">role ambiguity<\/em> allows individuals to negotiate and redefine their roles. This freedom can become a political process. Research shows that when people do not feel clear about their job responsibilities, they perceive the organization as more political (Muhammad, 2007). Ambiguity also exists around <em class=\"emphasis\">performance evaluations<\/em> and <em class=\"emphasis\">promotions<\/em>. These human resource practices can lead to greater political behaviour, such as impression management, throughout the organization. As you might imagine, <em class=\"emphasis\">democratic decision making<\/em> leads to more political behaviour. Since many people have a say in the process of making decisions, there are more people available to be influenced.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h4 class=\"title\">OB Toolbox: Overcoming Ineffective Politics<\/h4>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_p02\" class=\"para\">Author and consultant Patrick Lencioni recommends the following four steps for overcoming ineffective politics due to turf wars. When members of the organization are more concerned about their own area of operations than doing what\u2019s best for the entire organization, in the long run, you may have a problem with <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">turf wars<\/a><\/span>. Taking these four steps can help overcome this situation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ol id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create a thematic goal<\/em>. The goal should be something that everyone in the organization can believe in, such as, for a hospital, giving the best care to all patients. This goal should be a single goal, qualitative, time-bound, and shared.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create a set of defining objectives<\/em>. This step should include objectives that everyone agrees will help bring the thematic goal to fruition.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create a set of ongoing standard operating objectives<\/em>. This process should be done within each area so that the best operating standards are developed. These objectives should also be shared across the organization so everyone is aware of them.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create metrics to measure them<\/em>. Measuring whether the standard operating objectives get done is a vital step in the process. Rather than someone else pointing out what isn\u2019t working, all the people within the department will have the information necessary to come to this conclusion and correct the problem, because ultimately, everyone in the organization cares about achieving the thematic goal.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"copyright\">\r\n<p class=\"para\"><sub>Source: Adapted from information in Lencioni, P. M. (2006). <em class=\"emphasis\">Silos, politics and turf wars: A leadership fable about destroying the barriers that turn colleagues into competitors<\/em>. New York: Jossey-Bass.<\/sub><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_n02\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Key Takeaway<\/h3>\r\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_p03\" class=\"para\">Organizational politics is a natural part of organizational life. Organizations that are driven by unhealthy levels of political behavior suffer from lowered employee organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and performance as well as higher levels of job anxiety and depression. Individual antecedents of political behaviour include political skill, internal locus of control, high investment in the organization, and expectations of success. Organizational antecedents include scarcity of resources, role ambiguity, frequent performance evaluations and promotions, and democratic decision making.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_n03\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercises<\/h3>\r\n<ol id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\r\n \t<li>Do you think politics are a positive or negative thing for organizations? Why?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Describe an example of a negative outcome due to politics.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Describe an example of a positive outcome due to politics.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Can you think of additional individual or organizational antecedents of political behaviour?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>What political behaviours have you observed within school groups or your workplace? Were they successful? Why or why not?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>References<\/h2>\r\nAnderson, T. P. (1994). Creating measures of dysfunctional office and organizational politics: The DOOP and short-form DOOP scales psychology. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Human Behavior<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">31<\/em>, 24\u201334.\r\n\r\nBandura, A. (1996). <em class=\"emphasis\">Self-efficacy: The exercise of control<\/em>. New York: Worth Publishers.\r\n\r\nBrandon, R., &amp; Seldman, M. (2004). <em class=\"emphasis\">Survival of the savvy: High-integrity political tactics for career and company success<\/em>. New York: Free Press.\r\n\r\nByrne, Z. S., Kacmar, C., Stoner, J., &amp; Hochwarter, W. A. (2005). The relationship between perceptions of politics and depressed mood at work: Unique moderators across three levels. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Occupational Health Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">10<\/em>(4), 330\u2013343.\r\n\r\nFerris, G. R., Fedor, D. B., &amp; King, T. R. (1994). A political conceptualization of managerial behavior. <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Resource Management Review<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">4<\/em>, 1\u201334.\r\n\r\nFerris, G. R., Frink, D. D., Galang, M. C., Zhou, J., Kacmar, K. M., &amp; Howard, J. L. (1996). Perceptions of organizational politics: Prediction, stress-related implications, and outcomes, <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Relations<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">49<\/em>, 233\u2013266.\r\n\r\nFerris, G. R., Frink, D. D., Bhawuk, D. P., Zhou, J., &amp; Gilmore, D. C. (1996). Reactions of diverse groups to politics in the workplace. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">22<\/em>, 23\u201344.\r\n\r\nFerris, G. R., Perrew\u00e9, P. L., Anthony, W. P., &amp; Gilmore, D. C. (2000). Political skill at work. <em class=\"emphasis\">Organizational Dynamics<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">28<\/em>, 25\u201337.\r\n\r\nGandz, J., &amp; Murray, V. V. (1980). The experience of workplace politics. <em class=\"emphasis\">Academy of Management Journal<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">23<\/em>, 237\u2013251.\r\n\r\nHarris, K. J., James, M., &amp; Boonthanom, R. (2005). Perceptions of organizational politics and cooperation as moderators of the relationship between job strains and intent to turnover. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Managerial Issues<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>, 26\u201342.\r\n\r\nHochwarter, W. A., Ferris, G. R., Laird, M. D., Treadway, D. C., &amp; Gallagher, V. C. (in press). Nonlinear politics perceptions\u2014work outcomes relationships: A three-study, five-sample investigation. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>.\r\n\r\nHochwarter, W. A., Witt, L. A., &amp; Kacmar, K. M. (2000). Perceptions of organizational politics as a moderator of the relationship between conscientiousness and job performance. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">85<\/em>, 472\u2013478.\r\n\r\nHR Reporter. (2012). One-half of employees participate in office politics: Survey.\u00a0<em>HR Reporter<\/em>, retrieved July 5, 2020 from https:\/\/www.hrreporter.com\/news\/hr-news\/one-half-of-employees-participate-in-office-politics-survey\/279165\r\n\r\nKacmar, K. L., Bozeman, D. P., Carlson, D. S., &amp; Anthony, W. P. (1999). An examination of the perceptions of organizational politics model: Replication and extension. <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Relations<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">52<\/em>, 383\u2013416.\r\n\r\nKacmar, K. M., &amp; Ferris, G. R. (1989). Theoretical and methodological considerations in the age-job satisfaction relationship. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">74<\/em>, 201\u2013207.\r\n\r\nKilduff, M., &amp; Day, D. (1994). Do chameleons get ahead? The effects of self-monitoring on managerial careers. <em class=\"emphasis\">Academy of Management Journal<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">37<\/em>, 1047\u20131060.\r\n\r\nKotter, J. (1985). <em class=\"emphasis\">Power and influence<\/em>. New York: Free Press.\r\n\r\nMarcus, B. (2017). What I learned about office politics that changed my career.\u00a0<em>Forbes.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved July 5, 2020 from\u00a0https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bonniemarcus\/2017\/04\/04\/what-i-learned-about-office-politics-that-changed-my-career\/#34f22e916168\r\n\r\nMaslyn, J. M., &amp; Fedor, D. B. (1998). Perceptions of politics: Does measuring different loci matter? <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">84<\/em>, 645\u2013653.\r\n\r\nMuhammad, A. H. (2007, Fall). Antecedents of organizational politic perceptions in Kuwait business organizations. <em class=\"emphasis\">Competitiveness Review<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>(14), 234.\r\n\r\nNye, L. G., &amp; Wit, L. A. (1993). Dimensionality and construct validity of the perceptions of politics scale (POPS). <em class=\"emphasis\">Educational and Psychological Measurement<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">53<\/em>, 821\u2013829.\r\n\r\nParker, C. P., Dipboye, R. L., &amp; Jackson, S. L. (1995). Perceptions of organizational politics: An investigation of antecedents and consequences. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">21<\/em>, 891\u2013912.\r\n\r\nRandall, M. L., Cropanzano, R., Bormann, C. A., &amp; Birjulin, A. (1999). Organizational politics and organizational support as predictors of work attitudes, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Organizational Behavior<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">20<\/em>, 159\u2013174.\r\n\r\nRosen, C., Levy, P., &amp; Hall, R. (2006, January). Placing perceptions of politics in the context of the feedback environment, employee attitudes, and job performance. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">91<\/em>(10), 21.\r\n\r\nValle, M., &amp; Perrewe, P. L. (2000). Do politics perceptions relate to political behaviors? Tests of an implicit assumption and expanded model. <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Relations<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">53<\/em>, 359\u2013386.","rendered":"<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ol id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>Understand what organizational politics are.<\/li>\n<li>Examine political behaviour within organizations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01\" class=\"section\">\n<h2 class=\"title editable block\">Organizational Politics<\/h2>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><strong>Organizational politics<\/strong> are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind-the-scenes efforts to sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives (Brandon &amp; Seldman, 2004; Hochwarter, Witt, &amp; Kacmar, 2000). Politics has been around for millennia. Aristotle wrote that politics stems from a diversity of interests, and those competing interests must be resolved in some way. \u201cRational\u201d decision making alone may not work when interests are fundamentally incongruent, so political behaviours and influence tactics arise.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p02\" class=\"para editable block\">Today, work in organizations requires skill in handling conflicting agendas and shifting power bases. Effective politics isn\u2019t about winning at all costs but about maintaining relationships while achieving results. Although often portrayed negatively, organizational politics are not inherently bad. Instead, it\u2019s important to be aware of the potentially destructive aspects of organizational politics in order to minimize their negative effect. Of course, individuals within organizations can waste time overly engaging in political behaviour. Research reported in <em class=\"emphasis\">HR Magazine<\/em> found that managers waste 20% of their time managing politics and 40% of employees engage in organizational politics when it directly affects them (HR Reporter, 2012). However, as John Kotter wrote in <em class=\"emphasis\">Power and Influence<\/em>, \u201cWithout political awareness and skill, we face the inevitable prospect of becoming immersed in bureaucratic infighting, parochial politics and destructive power struggles, which greatly retard organizational initiative, innovation, morale, and performance\u201d (Kotter, 1985).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p03\" class=\"para editable block\">In our discussion about power, we saw that power issues often arise around scarce resources. Organizations typically have limited resources that must be allocated in some way. Individuals and groups within the organization may disagree about how those resources should be allocated, so they may naturally seek to gain those resources for themselves or for their interest groups, which gives rise to organizational politics. Simply put, with organizational politics, individuals ally themselves with like-minded others in an attempt to win the scarce resources. They\u2019ll engage in behaviour typically seen in government organizations, such as bargaining, negotiating, alliance building, and resolving conflicting interests.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p04\" class=\"para editable block\">Politics are a part of organizational life because organizations are made up of different interests that need to be aligned. In fact, 93% of managers surveyed reported that workplace politics exist in their organization, and 70% felt that in order to be successful, a person has to engage in politics (Gandz &amp; Murray, 1980). Bonnie Marcus, an executive coach, coaches other female professionals to recognize the importance of office politics in getting ahead (Marcus, 2017). In the negative light, saying that someone is \u201cpolitical\u201d generally stirs up images of back-room dealing, manipulation, or hidden agendas for personal gain. A person engaging in these types of political behaviours is said to be engaging in self-serving behaviour that is not sanctioned by the organization (Ferris et al., 1996; Valle &amp; Perrewe, 2000; Harris, James, &amp; Boonthanom, 2005; Randall et al., 1999).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p05\" class=\"para editable block\">Examples of these self-serving behaviours include bypassing the chain of command to get approval for a special project, going through improper channels to obtain special favours, or lobbying high-level managers just before they make a promotion decision. These types of actions undermine fairness in the organization because not everyone engages in politicking to meet their own objectives. Those who follow proper procedures often feel jealous and resentful because they perceive unfair distributions of the organization&#8217;s resources, including rewards and recognition (Parker, Dipboye, &amp; Jackson, 1995).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p06\" class=\"para editable block\">Researchers have found that if employees think their organization is overly driven by politics, the employees are less committed to the organization (Maslyn &amp; Fedor, 1998; Nye &amp; Wit, 1993), have lower job satisfaction (Ferris et al., 1996; Hochwarter et al., Kacmar et al., 1999), perform worse on the job (Anderson, 1994), have higher levels of job anxiety (Ferris et al., 1996; Kacmar &amp; Ferris, 1989), and have a higher incidence of depressed mood (Byrne et al., 2005).<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s01_p07\" class=\"para editable block\">The negative side of organizational politics is more likely to flare up in times of organizational change or when there are difficult decisions to be made and a scarcity of resources that breeds competition among organizational groups. To minimize overly political behaviour, company leaders can provide equal access to information, model collaborative behaviour, and demonstrate that political maneuvering will not be rewarded or tolerated. Furthermore, leaders should encourage managers throughout the organization to provide high levels of feedback to employees about their performance. High levels of feedback reduce the perception of organizational politics and improve employee morale and work performance (Rosen, Levy, &amp; Hall, 2006). Remember that politics can be a healthy way to get things done within organizations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02\" class=\"section\">\n<h2 class=\"title editable block\">Antecedents of Political Behaviour<\/h2>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Individual Antecedents<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01_p01\" class=\"para editable block\">There are a number of potential individual antecedents of political behaviour. We will start off by understanding the role that personality has in shaping whether someone will engage in political behaviour.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01_p02\" class=\"para editable block\"><span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">Political skill<\/a><\/span> refers to peoples\u2019 interpersonal style, including their ability to relate well to others, self-monitor, alter their reactions depending upon the situation they are in, and inspire confidence and trust (Ferris et al., 2000). Researchers have found that individuals who are high on political skill are more effective at their jobs or at least in influencing their supervisors\u2019 performance ratings of them (Ferris, Fedor, &amp; King, 1994; Kilduff &amp; Day, 1994). Individuals who are high in <em class=\"emphasis\">internal locus of control<\/em> believe that they can make a difference in organizational outcomes. They do not leave things to fate. Therefore, we would expect those high in internal locus of control to engage in more political behaviour. Research shows that these individuals perceive politics around them to a greater degree (Valle &amp; Perrewe, 2000). <em class=\"emphasis\">Investment in the organization<\/em> is also related to political behaviour. If a person is highly invested in an organization either financially or emotionally, they will be more likely to engage in political behaviour because they care deeply about the fate of the organization. Finally, <em class=\"emphasis\">expectations of success<\/em> also matter. When a person expects that they will be successful in changing an outcome, they are more likely to engage in political behaviour. Think about it: If you know there is no chance that you can influence an outcome, why would you spend your valuable time and resources working to effect change? You wouldn\u2019t. Over time you\u2019d learn to live with the outcomes rather than trying to change them (Bandura, 1996).<\/p>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s01_f01\" class=\"caption\" style=\"text-align: center;font-size: .8em\">\n<p class=\"title\"><span class=\"title-prefix\">Figure 12.10<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/app\/uploads\/sites\/197\/2016\/11\/cd61cb7b4bb4cf663be96d554a0f44ef.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/principlesofmgmt\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1573\/2016\/11\/cd61cb7b4bb4cf663be96d554a0f44ef.jpg\" alt=\"Individual and organizational antecedents can both lead to political behavior\" width=\"500\" height=\"770\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"para\">Individual and organizational antecedents can both lead to political behaviour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02\" class=\"section\">\n<h3 class=\"title editable block\">Organizational Antecedents<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_p01\" class=\"para editable block\"><em class=\"emphasis\">Scarcity of resources<\/em> breeds politics. When resources such as monetary incentives or promotions are limited, people see the organization as more political. Any type of ambiguity can relate to greater organizational politics. For example, <em class=\"emphasis\">role ambiguity<\/em> allows individuals to negotiate and redefine their roles. This freedom can become a political process. Research shows that when people do not feel clear about their job responsibilities, they perceive the organization as more political (Muhammad, 2007). Ambiguity also exists around <em class=\"emphasis\">performance evaluations<\/em> and <em class=\"emphasis\">promotions<\/em>. These human resource practices can lead to greater political behaviour, such as impression management, throughout the organization. As you might imagine, <em class=\"emphasis\">democratic decision making<\/em> leads to more political behaviour. Since many people have a say in the process of making decisions, there are more people available to be influenced.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_n01\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h4 class=\"title\">OB Toolbox: Overcoming Ineffective Politics<\/h4>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_p02\" class=\"para\">Author and consultant Patrick Lencioni recommends the following four steps for overcoming ineffective politics due to turf wars. When members of the organization are more concerned about their own area of operations than doing what\u2019s best for the entire organization, in the long run, you may have a problem with <span class=\"margin_term\"><a class=\"glossterm\">turf wars<\/a><\/span>. Taking these four steps can help overcome this situation:<\/p>\n<ol id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_l01\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create a thematic goal<\/em>. The goal should be something that everyone in the organization can believe in, such as, for a hospital, giving the best care to all patients. This goal should be a single goal, qualitative, time-bound, and shared.<\/li>\n<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create a set of defining objectives<\/em>. This step should include objectives that everyone agrees will help bring the thematic goal to fruition.<\/li>\n<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create a set of ongoing standard operating objectives<\/em>. This process should be done within each area so that the best operating standards are developed. These objectives should also be shared across the organization so everyone is aware of them.<\/li>\n<li><em class=\"emphasis\">Create metrics to measure them<\/em>. Measuring whether the standard operating objectives get done is a vital step in the process. Rather than someone else pointing out what isn\u2019t working, all the people within the department will have the information necessary to come to this conclusion and correct the problem, because ultimately, everyone in the organization cares about achieving the thematic goal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"copyright\">\n<p class=\"para\"><sub>Source: Adapted from information in Lencioni, P. M. (2006). <em class=\"emphasis\">Silos, politics and turf wars: A leadership fable about destroying the barriers that turn colleagues into competitors<\/em>. New York: Jossey-Bass.<\/sub><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_n02\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Key Takeaway<\/h3>\n<p id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_p03\" class=\"para\">Organizational politics is a natural part of organizational life. Organizations that are driven by unhealthy levels of political behavior suffer from lowered employee organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and performance as well as higher levels of job anxiety and depression. Individual antecedents of political behaviour include political skill, internal locus of control, high investment in the organization, and expectations of success. Organizational antecedents include scarcity of resources, role ambiguity, frequent performance evaluations and promotions, and democratic decision making.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_n03\" class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3 class=\"title\">Exercises<\/h3>\n<ol id=\"fwk-122425-ch13_s03_s02_s02_l02\" class=\"orderedlist\">\n<li>Do you think politics are a positive or negative thing for organizations? Why?<\/li>\n<li>Describe an example of a negative outcome due to politics.<\/li>\n<li>Describe an example of a positive outcome due to politics.<\/li>\n<li>Can you think of additional individual or organizational antecedents of political behaviour?<\/li>\n<li>What political behaviours have you observed within school groups or your workplace? Were they successful? Why or why not?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>References<\/h2>\n<p>Anderson, T. P. (1994). Creating measures of dysfunctional office and organizational politics: The DOOP and short-form DOOP scales psychology. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Human Behavior<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">31<\/em>, 24\u201334.<\/p>\n<p>Bandura, A. (1996). <em class=\"emphasis\">Self-efficacy: The exercise of control<\/em>. New York: Worth Publishers.<\/p>\n<p>Brandon, R., &amp; Seldman, M. (2004). <em class=\"emphasis\">Survival of the savvy: High-integrity political tactics for career and company success<\/em>. New York: Free Press.<\/p>\n<p>Byrne, Z. S., Kacmar, C., Stoner, J., &amp; Hochwarter, W. A. (2005). The relationship between perceptions of politics and depressed mood at work: Unique moderators across three levels. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Occupational Health Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">10<\/em>(4), 330\u2013343.<\/p>\n<p>Ferris, G. R., Fedor, D. B., &amp; King, T. R. (1994). A political conceptualization of managerial behavior. <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Resource Management Review<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">4<\/em>, 1\u201334.<\/p>\n<p>Ferris, G. R., Frink, D. D., Galang, M. C., Zhou, J., Kacmar, K. M., &amp; Howard, J. L. (1996). Perceptions of organizational politics: Prediction, stress-related implications, and outcomes, <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Relations<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">49<\/em>, 233\u2013266.<\/p>\n<p>Ferris, G. R., Frink, D. D., Bhawuk, D. P., Zhou, J., &amp; Gilmore, D. C. (1996). Reactions of diverse groups to politics in the workplace. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">22<\/em>, 23\u201344.<\/p>\n<p>Ferris, G. R., Perrew\u00e9, P. L., Anthony, W. P., &amp; Gilmore, D. C. (2000). Political skill at work. <em class=\"emphasis\">Organizational Dynamics<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">28<\/em>, 25\u201337.<\/p>\n<p>Gandz, J., &amp; Murray, V. V. (1980). The experience of workplace politics. <em class=\"emphasis\">Academy of Management Journal<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">23<\/em>, 237\u2013251.<\/p>\n<p>Harris, K. J., James, M., &amp; Boonthanom, R. (2005). Perceptions of organizational politics and cooperation as moderators of the relationship between job strains and intent to turnover. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Managerial Issues<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>, 26\u201342.<\/p>\n<p>Hochwarter, W. A., Ferris, G. R., Laird, M. D., Treadway, D. C., &amp; Gallagher, V. C. (in press). Nonlinear politics perceptions\u2014work outcomes relationships: A three-study, five-sample investigation. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Hochwarter, W. A., Witt, L. A., &amp; Kacmar, K. M. (2000). Perceptions of organizational politics as a moderator of the relationship between conscientiousness and job performance. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">85<\/em>, 472\u2013478.<\/p>\n<p>HR Reporter. (2012). One-half of employees participate in office politics: Survey.\u00a0<em>HR Reporter<\/em>, retrieved July 5, 2020 from https:\/\/www.hrreporter.com\/news\/hr-news\/one-half-of-employees-participate-in-office-politics-survey\/279165<\/p>\n<p>Kacmar, K. L., Bozeman, D. P., Carlson, D. S., &amp; Anthony, W. P. (1999). An examination of the perceptions of organizational politics model: Replication and extension. <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Relations<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">52<\/em>, 383\u2013416.<\/p>\n<p>Kacmar, K. M., &amp; Ferris, G. R. (1989). Theoretical and methodological considerations in the age-job satisfaction relationship. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">74<\/em>, 201\u2013207.<\/p>\n<p>Kilduff, M., &amp; Day, D. (1994). Do chameleons get ahead? The effects of self-monitoring on managerial careers. <em class=\"emphasis\">Academy of Management Journal<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">37<\/em>, 1047\u20131060.<\/p>\n<p>Kotter, J. (1985). <em class=\"emphasis\">Power and influence<\/em>. New York: Free Press.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus, B. (2017). What I learned about office politics that changed my career.\u00a0<em>Forbes.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved July 5, 2020 from\u00a0https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bonniemarcus\/2017\/04\/04\/what-i-learned-about-office-politics-that-changed-my-career\/#34f22e916168<\/p>\n<p>Maslyn, J. M., &amp; Fedor, D. B. (1998). Perceptions of politics: Does measuring different loci matter? <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">84<\/em>, 645\u2013653.<\/p>\n<p>Muhammad, A. H. (2007, Fall). Antecedents of organizational politic perceptions in Kuwait business organizations. <em class=\"emphasis\">Competitiveness Review<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>(14), 234.<\/p>\n<p>Nye, L. G., &amp; Wit, L. A. (1993). Dimensionality and construct validity of the perceptions of politics scale (POPS). <em class=\"emphasis\">Educational and Psychological Measurement<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">53<\/em>, 821\u2013829.<\/p>\n<p>Parker, C. P., Dipboye, R. L., &amp; Jackson, S. L. (1995). Perceptions of organizational politics: An investigation of antecedents and consequences. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">21<\/em>, 891\u2013912.<\/p>\n<p>Randall, M. L., Cropanzano, R., Bormann, C. A., &amp; Birjulin, A. (1999). Organizational politics and organizational support as predictors of work attitudes, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Organizational Behavior<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">20<\/em>, 159\u2013174.<\/p>\n<p>Rosen, C., Levy, P., &amp; Hall, R. (2006, January). Placing perceptions of politics in the context of the feedback environment, employee attitudes, and job performance. <em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Applied Psychology<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">91<\/em>(10), 21.<\/p>\n<p>Valle, M., &amp; Perrewe, P. L. (2000). Do politics perceptions relate to political behaviors? Tests of an implicit assumption and expanded model. <em class=\"emphasis\">Human Relations<\/em>, <em class=\"emphasis\">53<\/em>, 359\u2013386.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":923,"menu_order":12,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["author-removed-at-request-of-original-publisher"],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[61],"license":[],"class_list":["post-343","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-author-removed-at-request-of-original-publisher"],"part":328,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/923"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1022,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/343\/revisions\/1022"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/328"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/343\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=343"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=343"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/businessessentials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}