What is organizational politics all about? Why do people tend to see organizatio
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Question
What is organizational politics all about?
Why do people tend to see organizational politics as negative?
Could an organization really exist without organizational politics?
What are the characteristics and skills of good political players?
Do you have good political skills?
How could you improve your political skills?
What is organizational politics all about? Why do people tend to see organizational politics as negative? Could an organization really exist without organizational politics? What are the characteristics and skills of good political players? Do you have good political skills? How could you improve your political skills?Explanation / Answer
All organisations are subject to conflict and competition between the desires and interests of different departments, teams and individuals. Organisational politics refers to the processes through which these rival interests are played out and eventually reconciled. While in an ideal organisation it may be hoped that decisions are made on a rational basis, politics is inherently non-rational and subject to power interactions between diverse interests. Members of an organisation are at the same time cooperating to achieve a common goal and competing for rewards, and at times their personal interests may be at odds with the organisation's objectives.
It is through the political system of an organisation that rival interests are resolved. This system represents how power is applied and distributed in the organisation. Understanding the political system of an organisation is necessary for a leader to operate effectively and reach their goals. A leader, exercising power, is able to have a strong influence on the political climate of an organisation through their decisions, their way of handling conflict and providing recognition, support and inspiration to their teams.
Negative organisational politics may be very destructive for an organisation. This has been identified as one of the major sources of stress within modern businesses. Negative politics includes the use of subversive methods to promote a personal agenda which may undermine organisational objectives, distract energy away from organisational goals and compromise the interests, cooperation and fulfilment of other employees. Such tactics may include filtering or distortion of information, non-cooperation, allocating blame, reprisals, dishonesty, obstructionism and threats.
Impression management is another aspect of organisational politics that it is important to maintain an awareness of. The term refers to techniques of self-presentation where a person may purposefully control the information they put forward about themselves or their ideas to create a favourable impression. For the leader this implies that everything may not always be as it appears. Studies have indicated that people using impression management may be more favourably rated by their supervisors than others. On the other hand, being aware of the impression you are creating should be considered in building support for your own goals. The extent to which impression management is applied is an ethical question that relates to a leaders credibility and integrity.
Often, political behaviour and manoeuvring within an organisation is caused by uncertainty[1], such as unclear objectives, poorly defined decisions, competition and change. A leader's influence may be used to smother a political climate that promotes such negative politics.
By promoting a positive culture that values integrity, respect and fairness within their team, the leader is able to channel people's interests and energy away from negative political interplay and towards an alignment with organisation objectives. Allowing team members to express their interests and demonstrating a commitment to support individual needs integrates their fulfilment into the work organisation and promotes the positive resolution of political conflicts.
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