Leaders' Political Skill, Organizational Politics Savvy, and Change in Organizations - A Constellation

Abstract

A few studies have attempted to conceptualize independent relationships between organizational politics, political skill, and different personal and organizational outcome. This paper searches into the effects of leaders’ political skill and their understanding of organizational politics on organizational change. I present a model that conceptualizes how organizational leaders manage the change in organizations by using their political skill and organizational politics savvy. It is argued on the basis of the research and theory of leadership, political skill, organizational politics, and change that leaders who have political skill can develop a better understanding of organizational politics and can also use different influencing skills particularly their political skill to initiate, promote, and lead a positive change in organizations. This “right stuff” will make them more effective in managing friction and resistance against change and ultimately enable them to cope with dysfunctional conflicts. After defining leadership, leaders’ political skill, organizational politics, and change in organizations, I develop propositions regarding the political skill of leaders and its influence on organizational change through better understanding of organizational politics. Implications for practice, future potential research areas, and limitations of the paper are also given.