Politics in organizations and workplace dynamics

Office Politics

People tend to think of office politics in negative terms, such as "backstabbing" and "brown-nosing." However, DeJanasz defines politicking as "an internal form of networking, a means to build your network within the organizational structure." (p. 200) Whether this politicking is positive or negative depends on how it is used. Team discussion notes showed situations where this politicking was used positively, negatively, and in somewhat ambiguous ways. One person described a situation where two employees were locked in a struggle to discredit each other. However, someone else pointed out that companies have their own cultures, based on shared values. If the employees are all agreed on the vision they have for the company, and if this is the dominant reason for politicking, it would tend to minimize negative politics.

Someone noted that to be an effective politician, one has to have influence and authority, and that these attributes can be used either positively and negatively. The person noted that office politics can give the organization an edge that keeps people "on their toes."

Someone also noted that companies hire human beings, and that all people are sometimes selfish. This is where hidden agendas, power struggles and even ruthless behavior appears. Sometimes the person's hidden agenda will promote both his or her desires and the company's goals. Someone gave an example of a manager determined to hire a male and not a female, and while this was certainly questionable, it seemed to have worked out well: the two worked better together than she did with any of her female employees and they were accomplishing a great deal. Since she didn't seem to work as well with females, her agenda served company needs.