Abstract
Power and politics are a part and parcel of the running of an organization. Power is can be measured based on the position that one holds in the organization. Organizations function efficiently by distributing power. The position that one holds depends on their willingness to work hard and climb up the ladder with power breeds politics. Office politics can work either negatively or positively for an organization. The guiding principle of office politics is the people that one knows who would help them to get to top management. The main goal for most employees is to gain power. However, some methods of gaining this power promote unhealthy competition among employees. It is, therefore, necessary for the top management and executives to establish policies and a chain of command that promotes positive office politics. Besides, employees should also be empowered with positive politics skills such as social astuteness, sincerity, managing social networks, and interpersonal influence. This way, the employees get to enjoy a conducive work environment.
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"Power and Politics in the Workplace".
A popular saying in the business world goes like this, ‘it is not what you know; it is who you know.’ This is a guiding principle of office politics. Office politics are all about getting noticed by the right individuals in order for one to get ahead. This involves hanging around the people who hold the power in the organization. Office politics also involves influencing the policies and actions that the organization’s management institutes (Cairns, 2017). The people with power comprise the business owners and top management. In small business, for example, the business owners hold the power to give promotions and make key organizational decisions. For big businesses, the managers and executives have a great deal of power and make most decisions. Therefore, employees should identify the powerful people in an organization and work towards getting their attention. These are the individuals who will ensure that they get promoted, thus, growing their careers.
Individuals have the desire to climb the ladder and get to top management of any company. This desire is not only fueled by the money that one can make when they hold such a position but by the power that they can achieve. Employees are fully aware that power enables one to make numerous decisions that make them influential (Zeiger, 2018). However, more often than not, office politics are always viewed negatively. This is because of the negative influential behavior that is associated with an individual who is trying to get to top management. Most times, the employees who are trying to get to the top use unethical tactics to achieve their goals. Even so, every person in an organization engages in office politics. This is because everyone has an agenda. Even the person who is striving to stay in the same position would do anything in their power not to progress. Examples of negative workplace behavior consist of back-stabbing, self-interest, favoritism, cronyism, and avoidance (Cairns, 2017). Most of these behaviors are linked to status and power. People always take a defensive position with office politics. They insist that they have to survive the actions of their aggressors or come up with a countermeasure.
A negative work environment is damaging to the employees and affects the overall productivity (Zeiger, 2018). These environments result in conflict and the organization ends up suffering. When the organization’s top management turns a blind eye to dishonest and unethical behavior, the organization feels the pinch since the quality of work is also compromised. Therefore, it is vital for organizations to come up with policies that limit the instances of negative work behavior. These policies should encourage employees to solve problems and complete their work. Establishing a chain of command is also important. This enables employees to find the answers that they require, thus, they are more likely to spend their time focusing on work. Moreover, top management should also foster a climate that encourages collaboration and emphasizes on equal treatment of employees. Such an environment would eliminate conflict that can reduce productivity (Zeiger, 2018).
In addition to that, positive workplace politics should be encouraged. Employees need to understand that office politics do not have to be a contest that has both winners and losers. Nevertheless, office politics should be properly researched and individuals empowered to adopt what is known as positive political savvy (Cairns, 2017). Employees who learn how to navigate the negative office politics become more productive. These employees practice positive political skill whereby people only get to see the effect but do not know what caused it. There are four main political skills that have been outlined. They include social astuteness, sincerity, managing social networks, and interpersonal influence.
Social astuteness is the ability to be conscious of how other people react to one’s behavior (Cairns, 2017). In order for one to be conscious of how others react, it is important for them to receive feedback about their behavior. This will enable them to decide whether to behave the same way to reevaluate their behavior. Sincerity can also be described as transparency or honesty. People are likely to trust a sincere person with their organization. It is also a quality that helps firms maintain their clientele. Managing social networks refers to knowing the right people who can be of help at a particular time. It involves including the right people in team, rallying resources for them, and giving them the right roles and responsibilities. For this team to come in place, the leader has to see the bigger picture, be in a position to solve puzzles, and identify connections and patterns (Cairns, 2017). Lastly, interpersonal influence refers to the ability to inspire behavior. Interpersonal influence works when a person has the power of persuasion which enables them to convince people to change and make certain decisions.
Conclusion
Power and politics play a significant role in organizations; this ranges from how the employees interact with one another to how decisions are made in the organization. Organizations function efficiently through the process of distributing power correctly. This is mainly the greatest task that most individuals at the top management are faced with. Power always yields politics in any organization. As a result, employees sometimes develop negative behavior that results in unhealthy and unnecessary competition. It is, nevertheless, the role of the top managers and executives to develop clear policies a chain of command that promote positive politics in the workplace. This ensures that employees are treated equally, content, and productive.
- Cairns, T. D. (2017). Power, Politics, and Leadership in the Workplace. Employment Relations Today, 5-11.
- Nieman, G., & Bennett, J. A. (2006). Business management: avalue chain approach. Pretoria : : Van Schaik Publishers.
- Zeiger, S. (2018). The Impact of Power and Politics in Organizational Productivity. Retrieved from Small Business Chron : http://smallbusiness.chron.com/impact-power-politics-organizational-productivity-35942.html
