Handbook of Organizational Politics

Citation

Bullock, J. (2007), "Handbook of Organizational Politics", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 28 No. 5, pp. 486-488. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730710761797

The disciplines of management science and organisational behaviour converge in the exploration of a dynamic force that shapes organisations through power, influence, and change, propelling them to action in the competitive landscape across government, public and private sectors. Multifaceted and multidimensional, this force is commonly referred to as politics. Politics can be viewed on two distinct levels representing state and entity perspectives. Macropolitics, largely inter‐organisational in nature, is the domain of political scientists, economists, and historians who study the administration, control, exercise of authority, and governance of a state or nation. The focus of Micropolitics is the use of power at an intra‐organisational level to influence behaviour and outcomes and is thus studied by management scientists, sociologists, and psychologists who study dynamic interactions, ranging from conflict to cooperation, between individuals and groups within an organisation.

The Handbook of Organizational Politics explores both levels through an in‐depth compendium of articles authored by scholars from around the world, all leading researchers in their field. It presents a comprehensive construction of the fascinating arena of interpersonal influence and power wielded consciously or unconsciously in an organisational setting to achieve desired outcomes. Politics is investigated in an integrative and engaging manner from multiple vantage points to provide the reader with insight into the dynamics that help employees, middle managers, and leaders get ahead while advancing organisational goals and their personal agenda. Ultimately, the Handbook of Organizational Politics is about outcomes and performance that affects individuals, groups, and organisational stakeholders, serving to promote a greater understanding of current knowledge about this dynamic force through a comprehensive examination of original studies and empirical evidence.

The Handbook of Organizational Politics is presented in five sections representing core areas of research. Each section includes chapters exploring different facets and manifestations of organisational politics leveraging perspectives, methods, and tools garnered from contemporary research. The first section presents a microanalysis of individuals and their role in the workplace beginning with an investigation of the significance of organisational politics in leadership roles, perceptions of politics resulting from the mediation of leadership styles and employee performance, as well as the affect of agreeableness and extraversion on political influence compatibility. It then delves into personality variables resulting in a multiplicity of attitudes and behaviours before launching into an in‐depth examination of the role of perception in creating positive or negative collective outcomes. Highlighting inter‐group and intra‐group political processes, it culminates with an assessment of contextual factors in impression management and manipulation.

The second section evaluates ethical considerations in organisational politics from philosophical and empirical research perspectives, surveying the impact of values and morals on organisational trust and commitment trough analysis of the relationship between perceptions of politics and perceptions of justice. The third section dives even deeper into this fascinating phenomenon by exploring the mental and physical consequences resulting from emotional stress involved in organisational politics. Three definitions of stress in this context are presented: an environmental event capable of producing negative reactions; a cognitive appraisal of being overwhelmed by environmental demands; and a response to adverse working conditions. In addition, emotions are proposed as the intermediary link between perceptions of organisational politics and attitudinal and behavioural outcomes, culminating with a discussion of a study assessing the effect of varying degrees of political skills on the perception of politics and strain‐related symptoms in employees.

Moving from micropolitics to macropolitics, the fourth section attends to aspects of organisational politics evident in strategy, change, and decision making, building upon prior chapters to create an integrated view of the “big picture” which spans the gamut from job performance to organisational democracy by analysing findings from relevant studies. The final section elevates the discussion to the professional's perspective designed to support human resources and management consulting professionals tasked with optimising performance and results through proper management of power and influence by presenting practical methods to address lack of concern or awareness of issues associated with the use of power – formal or informal – in organisations. It closes with a discussion of a model of organisational politics that aids in the understanding of the eight factors of organisational politics to include behavioural factors utilised in constructing political strategies, as well as mediating factors providing a context for determining political action.

The Handbook of Organizational Politics is well suited for scholars, students and practitioners in management science, organisational behaviour, psychology, sociology, and political science. Presented in classic academic style, articles conclude with a discussion of implications for further research, as well as a listing of references to aid the reader. The Handbook of Organizational Politics is highly recommended for those who seek a greater understanding of the dynamic influence of power and authority in organisations, as well as those who seek harness the power inherent in organisational politics to fuel their advancement.