This document discusses organizational politics and political behavior in organizations. It defines organizational politics as managing influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the organization or using non-sanctioned influence to achieve sanctioned ends. Politics in organizations can have both positive and negative functions. Positively, it can promote flexibility, meritocracy, multiple perspectives, and facilitate change. However, it can also lead to inequality, distorted decision making, inefficiency and a hoarding of power. Reasons for political behavior include scarcity of resources, competition for power, non-programmed decisions, ambiguity, subjective performance evaluations, complex technology/environments, and organizational change. The document outlines some devious political tactics like embracing or demolishing opponents, dividing

1. Political Behavior in
Organizations
PGDM (2013-15) Term-II
Dynamics of Group Behavior
Session-8
Dr. Vikramaditya Ekkirala

2. What is Organizational Politics?
• “Management of influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the organization or
to obtain sanctioned ends by way of non-sanctioned influence” (Pfeffer, 1981).
• Actions by individuals that are directed toward the goal of furthering their own
self-interest without regard for the well-being of others or their organization. ¹
• Political skill is the ability to get things done through favorable interpersonal
relationships beyond formal organizational mechanisms.
• Politics is also viewed as the art of creative compromise among competing
interests.
• All self serving behaviors that do not involve use of power cannot be termed as
politics.
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3. Positive functions of Organizational Politics
[² ] [³] [⁴]
• Organizational flexibility: Can rectify slower formal influence methods
affording flexibility to these methods.
• Meritocracy: The fittest & strongest in organization are brought into
positions of influence and leadership.
• Promotes multiple perspectives: Ensures that all sides of an issue are
heard and debated as against only one side being heard in conventional
forms of influence.
• Facilitates change: Politics can be used to promote changes that are
otherwise blocked by normal systems of influence.
• Decision implementation: Political activity can enhance decision
implementation.
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4. Negative functions of Organizational Politics ⁵
• Inequality, discrimination & unfairness: Results in creation of ‘ingroups’ and ‘out-groups’ in which interests of minority groups having
little formal influence can be ignored.
• Distorted decision making: Promotes self interest defeating decision
criteria.
• Inefficiency and wastage of time: Involves extensive lobbying, alliance
building and subversion of formal influence processes – uses up
enormous energy and time.
• Hoarding of power: Develops hunger for power resulting in hoarding of
power and its unequal distribution – polarization.
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5. Reasons for Organizational Politics ⁶
• Scarcity of resources: Person or sub unit having control over scarce
resources yields power. Political influence rather than rational needs plays
a role in how these resources will be distributed to various sub units.
• Competition for power: Political behavior emerges when people desire to
acquire power beyond their formal authority. Since the amount of power
is limited, behavior becomes dysfunctional due to competition.
• Non-programmed decisions: Unique problems encased in ambiguity
which cannot be solved by known & structured methods but require
ingenuity – give scope for political maneuvering by those who have the
knowledge and skill to solve such problems.
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6. Reasons for political behavior…..
• Ambiguity in organization: Ambiguity in roles/authority and/or goals
triggers internal system of political competition triggering political
behavior.
• Subjective evaluation of performance: When performance cannot be
measured quantitatively but based on subjective evaluation, people may
perceive superior’s bias and resort to dysfunctional political behavior.
• Technology & environment: Complexity of internal technology and
volatility of external environment enhances political behavior.
• Organizational change: Whenever there is organizational re-structuring or
rearrangement of organizational policies, people in powerful positions
have opportunity to play political games by trying to control the given
situation.
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7. Some Devious Political Tactics
• Embrace or demolish
• Divide and Rule
• Exclude the opposition
Political blunders
• Sticking to the losing side
• Violating the chain of command
• Being temperamental
• Creating conflict with top management
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8. References
1.
Drory, A., & Romm, T. (1985). The definition of organizational politics: A review. Human
Relations, 43: 1333-13554.
2.
Mintzberg, H. (1985). The organization as political arena, Journal of Management Studies,
22(2): 133-54.
3.
Pfeffer, J. (1981). Power in Organizations, Marchfield, MA: Pitman.
4.
Pfeffer, J. (1992). Managing with Power: Politics and Influence in Organizations, Boston
MA: Harvard Business School Press.
5.
Rollison, D., & Broadfield, A. (2002). Organizational Behavior and Analysis (2nd ed.).
Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Limited.
6.
Miles, R. H. (1990). Macro Organization Behavior. Santa Monica, Calif: Goodyear
Publishing.
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