Politics and Politicking
Completion requirements
If managers want to be effective, they must be fully aware of the political environment and tactics. This resource examines the features of the organizational structure, its power sources, leadership styles, features, and tactics. The text recounts the strategies and tactics that organizations may use.
8. Features of Organizational Politics
Politics is an intentional act of influencing others through the acquired power to enhance self–interest and organizational advancement in the following ways:
- Power characterizes political action.
- Political action takes place when an actor recognizes that achievement of his goals is influenced by the behavior of others.
- Politicking involves the elimination of adversaries by the influential maneuvers of members of the organization.
- Politics involves the management of influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the formal organization.
- Any behavior by organizational member that is self–serving may be termed political
- Organizational politics exists wherever people work together.
- behavior referred to as politics takes place in varying degrees in all organizations.
- Not all behaviors are categorized as being 'political'. Asking for an annual increase or salary review is not political but coming together under an umbrella of trade union is a political act.