Understanding the causes of
organisational politics aids in the reduction of the adverse or dysfunctional
effects of politicism to support colleagues in engaging in more favourable
political behaviours that help organisational stakeholders. The goals of
organisational politicism include the following:
- Furtherance of personal goals and
aims.
- The building of powerful allies and
networks.
- The need for recognition, usually
as the result of personal insecurities.
- Self-interest and protectionism.
- Developing and managing invaluable
connections.
- Money and financial rewards.
Organisational politics
occur in most, if not all, organisations. These complex social networks
interconnect horizontal relationships between teams and vertical connections
between directors, team leaders, and staff. Defining where a political stance
lies, its direction and the overall understanding of the political landscape
within an organisation can be challenging.
Colleagues experience the
impact of organisational politicism, positive or negative, throughout their work.
Politicism can occur when gathering information for political reasons by
engaging in office gossip or joining and acting as part of a group to
manipulate others.
In contrast, others will use
politics to climb the corporate ladder, to be seen as productive and efficient
and to curry favour with potential partners who have the power to further a
person’s personal goals and aspirations. The characteristics of politicism will
include some or all of the following:
- Self-promotion: When people act purely to further
their careers without regard for their impact on others, including taking
credit for others' results, publicly identifying others as foolish or
unintelligent, and putting people down to bolster their self-image or
increase their self-worth.
- Office Politics: Occurs when colleagues or groups
try to influence other stakeholders through manipulation, persuasion,
pressure, or influence. This can positively influence those sceptical of a
course of action to get them on board with a project or vision. However, the
negative impact is that it can cause disagreements, leading to increased
tension if people believe that a change of mind concerning an issue is at
the expense of others.
- Territorialism: When colleagues become
obstinately attached to a specific role or position within an
organisation, in which they undertake the role entirely or all of the
tasks associated with a role themselves. Typically, this might be a team
leader who will only hand over the reins of a project once it has been
completed.
- Factionalism: Seen when a group of people
becomes disjointed in their thoughts and beliefs in the way that the goals
and aims of the group should be achieved or completed. It becomes
difficult to steer and manage tasks when common interests become
disjointed. The larger group splits into smaller groups to form alliances
in which the aspirations of the splinter groups do not align with the leading
group's goals and aims. This can increase the innovation and agility of
the leading group, but can have negative consequences where splinter
groups commit to achieving the goals and aims of the group in diverse
ways.
- Gatekeeping: Colleagues whose position or
influence in an organisation gives them a degree of power to block or
control access to resources or people who have the authority to preserve
and support their power to avoid confrontation and being challenged. This
stifles innovation and entrepreneurialism, which stops others from
performing at higher levels or their best.
Sometimes, it may require a
few intense moments or difficult conversations to discern the political
situation. However, it is essential to remember that such actions often result
in conflict. Taking mental note of the support for various projects and initiatives
can prove beneficial. Similarly, paying attention to one's ability to show
rapport with colleagues can also be helpful, no matter how difficult or
dysfunctional other people's views may appear.
This approach, grounded in
common sense, may appear straightforward. Nonetheless, complications can
quickly arise within a group setting. The more crowded or diverse an office
space, the higher the likelihood of unintentional clashes between colleagues. Such
clashes may go unnoticed until after the fact.
Conflict can arise when
individuals lack access to information, leading to frustration,
misunderstanding and anger. Conversely, an excess of information in the
workplace can also give rise to conflict, as colleagues become blinded by the
excess of high volumes of information and fail to digest it. In such cases,
colleagues can experience intense feelings of emotions centred around the
following:
- Jealousy: If one colleague perceives
another as a favourite or more competent, it can easily foster resentment.
This is particularly true when their director or team leader does not try
to conceal their favouritism or actively engages in preferential treatment
of one person over another. Such dynamics can have a detrimental impact on
workplace morale. Favouritism should never be tolerated, especially within
an office where collaboration is crucial for success.
- Organisational Change: When new appointments are made at
senior management levels, colleagues often try to outshine one another by
highlighting their skills or speaking ill of their colleagues. This
behaviour can fuel competition, which typically has negative consequences
for the organisation.
- Limited Promotion Opportunities: When only a few positions are
available for people to seek advancement, with many individuals vying for
the limited opportunities, progress and advancement can take time and
effort. As a result, colleagues often belittle others to make their
contribution, even if ordinary or below standard, seem better than others.
This approach may result in more promotions for those who are
forward-thinking and seize every opportunity at the expense of
better-qualified and suitable candidates, reducing the organisation's
performance.
- Laziness: Colleagues sometimes look for
shortcuts in seeking promotion and advancement without putting in the
effort or undertaking the full responsibility of their duties.
Organisational politics are a way to grab the limelight or remove people
when the authority of directors or team leaders is challenged, their
insecurities are exposed, or they are shown as incompetent or lacking in
the skills, knowledge or experience required to undertake their role
within the organisation.
- Unknown Career Path: If advancement comes for
arbitrary reasons, colleagues may need clarification or mentoring to
increase their recognition and skills. Not knowing these vital factors can
lead to increased anxiety that is unproductive for colleagues and the
organisation.
- Stagnant Organisation: When there is no competition,
accountability, or leadership in an organisation, its directors, team
leaders, and staff will often become lethargic, and colleagues will feel
as if they do not need to perform as hard, leading to a lowering of
organisational performance. This usually leads to inferior customer
service levels, higher costs, loss of organisational direction,
innovation, spontaneity, and free-thinking across an organisation to
resolve issues and increase customer service.
The lack of motivation can
adversely affect productivity on all levels. If directors, team leaders, and
staff are unmotivated, everyone else will likely follow suit, resulting in
decreased colleague and team efficiency and effectiveness with little or no
progression towards their goals. The adverse effects of organisational politics
include tension, dissatisfaction, and low morale.
In contrast, the positive
effects of organisational politics include improved performance and motivation
among directors, team leaders, and staff. The reality is that it can go either
way, depending on how an organisation uses this tactic, the common adverse side
effects of which might include:
- Increased Stress: Stress comes from the constant
fear of the unknown and the threat of directors, team leaders, and staff
losing their jobs.
- Decreased Productivity: Directors, team leaders, and
staff caught up in organisational politics pay less attention to their
work and other commitments.
- Low Concentration Levels: Directors, team leaders, and
staff preoccupied with personal agendas are less likely to perform at
their best.
- Cynicism: Can lead to low morale, lower
productivity, and dissatisfaction.
- High Staff Turnover: Directors, team leaders, and
staff who excel at what they do but leave an organisation because of its
politics may result in a lack of qualified colleagues or a loss of
organisational knowledge and experience.
- Demotivated Staff: Undeserving directors, team
leaders, and staff succeeding or engaging in toxic work practices could
leave the rest of an organisation's colleagues feeling demotivated and
demoralised.
- Miscommunication: Organisational politics thrive on
manipulation, leading to a prevalence of miscommunication. Directors and
team leaders are often provided with edited versions of events, while
colleagues are kept out of the loop.
- Decreased Performance: The organisation's overall
performance suffers due to the negativity caused by lousy office politics.
- Resentment: Colleagues resent their
directors, team leaders, and the organisation.
Bad office politics occur
when people in power and trust use their influence for personal gain.
Unfortunately, backstabbing, gaslighting, and the formation of unhealthy
cliques are common in office environments. Individuals cannot avoid corporate
politics, regardless of their position within the office. It is a reality that
must be acknowledged.
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