Individual Political Behavior in Organizational Relationship

Zain Ul Abideen

doi:10.5539/jpl.v4n1p199

Abstract

This paper attempts to explain individual’s political behaviour in organizations. It also suggests that as organization theory neglects individual political behavior within organizations. So, individual political behavior in organizational context is explored using three key dimensions of political behaviors: internal-external, vertical-lateral and legitimate-illegitimate. A pattern based on these dimensions is proposed thus concluding that individual’s practice politicking for a variety of reasons e.g. power, resources, knowledge, authority and securing their positions.

Highlights

It is generally believed that politics affect many decisions in life, their intensity differs, but this fact cannot be denied that politics exists in workplace
The May 2007 edition of HR Focus reports (HR Focus, 2007): “At heart, office politics involve jockeying for position in a workplace setting
The article further states: ‘‘Another sign that office politics are a problem is when important decisions are made without company-wide input’’ (HR Focus, 2007, p. 8)

Summary

Introduction

It is generally believed that politics affect many decisions in life, their intensity differs, but this fact cannot be denied that politics exists in workplace . Froman (1962) defined Political behavior in organizations “as those activities that are not required as part of one's organizational role but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization”. This definition highlights that individual political www.ccsenet.org/jpl. The dimensions are: where the political activity takes place – inside or outside of the organization, the direction of the attempted influence -- vertically or laterally in the organization the legitimacy of the political action

Literature Review

A Typology of Political Behavior

Discussion