Politics: Power In Action.

 

Definition of Organizational Politics

There is no shortage of definitions of organizational politics. Essentially they focus on the use of power to affect decision making in an organization or on self-serving and organizationally unsanctioned behaviors. For our purposes, political behavior in organizations consists of activities that are not required as part of an individual’s formal role but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization. Political behavior is outside specified job requirements. It includes efforts to influence the goals, criteria or processes used for decision making. 

 

Is there a “legitimate” dimension in political behavior? Legitimate political behavior refers to normal everyday politics such as complaining to your supervisor, bypassing the chain of command, forming coalitions, obstructing organizational policies or decisions through inaction or excessive adherence to rules and developing contacts outside the organization through professional activities. Different from these, illegitimate political behavior violates the implied rules of the game. illegitimate activities include sabotage, whistle-blowing and symbolic protests such as wearing unorthodox dress or protest buttons and calling in sick as a group. Those who pursue such extreme activities are often said to “play hardball”.

 

Factors Contributing to Political Behavior

Not all groups or organizations are equally political. In some organizations, for instance, politicking is overt and rampant, whereas in others politics play a small role in influencing outcomes. Why this variation? Recent research and observations have identified a number of factors that appear to encourage political behavior. Some are individual characteristics, derived from the unique qualities of the people the organization employs; others are a result of the organization’s culture or internal environment. Both individual and organizational factors can increase political behavior and provide favorable outcomes (increased rewards and averted punishments) for both individuals and groups in the organization.