Is Intra-Team Political Behavior a Good Thing? It May Depend on Team Learning

Abstract

Political behavior has been discussed for nearly a hundred years. Although political behavior has been explored in-depth in previous research, sufficient attention has not been paid to team-level politics. Moreover, whether political behavior is beneficial in a team context remains an unanswered question. This paper examines the influence of intra-team political behavior on individual task performance and voice. Based on transactive memory theory, this study explores the potential boundary role of team learning in the above relationship. Furthermore, the authors propose that intra-team competitive climate and leader-member exchange mediate the moderating effect of team learning. A multi-source field study was conducted to examine the hypotheses. Results showed that team learning moderated the relationship between intra-team political behavior and individual task performance, voice, and leader-member exchange. Furthermore, the interactive effect between team learning and intra-team political behavior on task performance was mediated by intra-team competitive climate. Finally, the results of this study provide a basis for critical thinking for organizations and managers seeking to develop their understanding of organizational politics.