Introduction to Organizational Politics Essay

This piece consists heavily of quotations from and adaptations of material from several sources (see references at the end). There still may be some unreferenced quotations because I look at lost track of their genesis over many years of piteous content through various notes. I dont subscribe originality, other than the choice and organizing of material Rex Mitchell. Pfeffer (1992, p. 30) outlined government as the processes, the actions, the behaviors through which potential power is utilized and realized.Another author (Dubrin, 2001 , p. 92) defined organizational politics as informal approaches to gaining power through instrument other than merit or luck. It could be argued that politics are used primarily to achieve power, either directly or indirectly, e. g. , by being promoted, receiving a larger budget or other resources, or gaining desirable assignments. Many hatful regard organizational politics as something negative (e. g. , pursuing selflnterests at the expense of others) and something to be minimized.Consequently, although most people know that organizational politics are common, they avoid saying so when it concerns one=s own ehavior. It is more common to talk closely politics when complaining about a loss to a booster shot than it is in the context of ones own governmental maneuvering. When we move on on an issue, we call it leadership when we lose, we call it politics. In many organizations, politics is a taboo subject, which makes it difficult for individuals to deal with this crucially important fit of organizational reality.I believe a leader must skilfully use organizational politics to acquire and retain power and to fulfil major goals. Therefore, it would be a mistake to pretend that politics does not exist or to antasize that a leader can be practiced without appropriate (and ethical, I would add) use of politics. As Pericles wrote over 2500 years ago, still because you do not take an interest in politics doesnt mean pol itics wont take an interest in you. I regard organizational politics as neither good nor bad, per se, although it is important for us to distinguish between ethical and unethical political behavior.