Abstract
Organisational power and politics are inevitable
One way to understand organisations is to view them as political systems. The political metaphor assists in the understanding of how power operates in organisational relationships. If we accept that power relations exist in organisations, then politics and politicking are an essential part of organisational life.
Politics is a means of recognising and ultimately reconciling competing interests within the organisation. The successful practice of organisational politics is perceived to lead to a higher level of power. These competing interests include those of the individual, the organisation, shareholder return and the wider stakeholder interests the organisation is incorporated to serve. These many and varied interests usually result in conflicts and ethical dilemmas, most often resolved through power, be that positional or otherwise.
Organisational decision-making and problem solving, while seemingly a rational process, is also a political one. Employees seek to satisfy not only organisational interests, but also their own wants and needs. Members of an organisation are at one and the same time cooperators in a common enterprise and rivals for the material and intangible rewards of successful competition with each other.
Dysfunctional power and political games can emerge If these dynamics are not understood and attended to. These will lead to the erosion of value in your business.
Costs of bad politics
Individuals are less focused on organisational goals. Political intrigues distract people from the business, from customers and from the stated strategic outcomes of the organisation. Productivity and performance will suffer.
The flow of information is restricted and decisions are not made as quickly. This adds cost over-runs for projects, inefficiencies inoperations and business opportunities lost.
Decision-making be slow, the quality of decisions will be poor; mistakes will be made as a direct result of embargoed knowledge,withholding of expertise and 'off-agenda' items.
Excitement about innovation is lessened, leading to loss of market presence and position. The required capacity for an organisation to reinvent its products offerings will be disabled.
Employee stress is increased. This means everything from lack of productivity to physical and mental illness; strokes, heart attacks, depression, are all common to prolonged exposure to stress and in the corporate world.
Employee job involvement and satisfaction is decreased, and valuable people leave the organisation. For example, when people feel they have been manipulated, their ability to trust is certain to be seriously undermined. The direct costs of replacing staff who leave, absenteeism and workers compensation pale by comparison to the brand, reputation and resultant commercial damage.
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