Does Organizational Politics Matter?

MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan

Does Organizational Politics Matter? Ayesha Shariqa, Noor UlHadia a“

Department of Leadership and Management Studies Faculty of Contemporary Studies, National Defence University, Islamabad”

ABSTRACT Organizational politics has become a recent topic of debate in modern management literatures”. Existing literatures suggest that the perception of organizational politics (POP) negatively influence employees’ performance as well as employees’ commitment in the workplace. Therefore, we developed a conceptual framework by suggesting that the psychological attachment and the loyalty of employees toward organization has an impact on their performance (EC → EP). Furthermore, the relationship between employee commitment (EC) and employee performance (EP) is affected by employees who are using informal network to gain power and accomplish tasks to meet their personal wants or needs. Furthermore, a literature-based results revealed that organizational politics (OP) influences employee performance (EP) and employee commitment (EC) negatively as well as positively. However, the positive side of organization politics was comparatively found lesser than that of negative side. Therefore, these findings offer important implications for the support of theories, and it is useful for practitioners, academicians, and students to further explore the phenomenon of organization politics in organizational setting. Key words: organizational Politics; employee performance, employee commitment 1.

INTRODUCTION:

To produce humble points of success and sturdy achievement, recent investigation by the researchers and specialist’s alike joins to the benefit of giving a dedicate workplace to employees. Organizations consist of blends of individual with various perspectives, beliefs, thoughts and states of mind. These distinctions impact the manner in which employees conclude events in the organization. According to Silvester (2008) “these distinctions feed into the individual

understanding related with organizational activities like politics. Organizational politics is declared as the activities that endorse individual in organization to accomplish set goals other than utilizing the channels that are inappropriate. No matter if the political activities support or destroy the organization depends upon whether the targets of individuals are tried and dependable with the organizational

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MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan goals. Political beliefs are a typical fact observed in every organization” (P.107).

and its impact has been substantiated over an assortment of spaces. It has been seen contrarily, impartially or decidedly

Organizational politics (OP) represents various behaviors of employees towards their organization just for their selfinterest. It could be at the cost of different employees or could be organizational objectives also. Organizations where the aspect of politics is common, there it become difficult for employees to work freely also that organization failed to provide a friendly environment to work for the employees. It’s been two decades already, a lot of research on organizational politics is done so that organizational politics model can be tested.

Performance of employees in terms of commitment can be increased by the nature of assignment, autonomy to work and feedback as explained by the research on organizational politics (Kacmar et al., 1999; Witt et al., 2000, P.341-358). Factors to consider in a workplace which is political in nature skill variety self-governance in job and feedback (Ferris and Kacmar, 1992), have been viewed as critical. When organizational politics are introduced as moderator, in the context of Pakistan, what impact employee commitment (EC) will have on the performance of employees is the motive behind this study. Already, there is no such study found, particularly in Asian context, more specifically no such study was found in which every one of these variables have been studied at the same time in the context of Pakistan (p.235236)

It is an unavoidable truth in an organization that politics does exits. People who disregard this unavoidable truth do as such at their own risk. This implies that politics in organization is a reality and in this way observed as an essential abhorrence. In this manner, organizational politics is a common component of practically all workplaces, 2.

2.1

LITERATURE REVIEW

Organization politics (OP) is vital in every workplace and constitute some portion of every organization in any field, market, area, and culture underlining that organizational politics may be used to target, secure or boost collective interest for circumstance When organizational politics is discussed different similar terms are often represented together. Politics is the one of the most generally used and a standout amongst the most critical. Both politics and power are generally perceived (Vigoda 2003, Pg, 161) as a significant part of human behavior as they influence the capacity to secure one's objectives and interests in a social framework. The situation on improve

Organizational Politics

where choices are possible that impact different interest. The issue is of prime importance to an organization as suggested by Vigoda-Gadot and Drory (2006). the performing artist's measure of organizational assets and advantages is usually related with Organizational Politics (Drory and Beaty 1991, pg,249). Power struggles, conflicts over resources and benefits are the variables normally related with Organizational Politics (Vigoda 2003, pg,9). Organizational Politics can also be considered as a mental state although it is contextual and perceived differently by different 2

MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan individual as per their interpretation. Existence of Conflicts and exercised of power may not be the definition of politics for every individual of the organization it varies from individual to individual, whereas for some this act is seriously defined as politics. (Gandz and Murray 1980, pg,245.)

organizations have different negative results which incorporate wastage of time, harming data sharing of basic variables, making correspondence hindrances and at last influencing trade relationship among parties”. Political conduct are important but political perceptions are more essential as employee’s response are more effect on the perception of politics than reality.

Gandz and Murray (1980) Dreadful, unjustifiable, unnecessary and undesirable are the terms defined by researchers for politics (243). Therefore, it could be concluded that “Organizational Politics (OP) has a strong tendency to have negative perspective that concentrate on the dull side of the human behavior, as like power”. Organizational politics(OP) is considered as a social system which can have useful and likewise futile results, also have the ability to hurt or be helpful for the workers. Proficient achievement, enhanced position and accomplishment are some of the positive outcomes that can be achieved through organizational politics. On the other hand, according to Vigoda (2000) loss of key power and negative emotions towards others are the negative results of organizational politics. That is why, Organizational politics(OP) is considered as fundamental if individual needs to achieve goals and to be a good worker and wants to prevail in the organization” (190).

In a present report by Kane-Frieder et al. (2014) it was stated that when employees are helped by high supervisor they can survive and adjust to this situation more happily. As a result, “Job satisfaction, anxiety, work engagement and organizational citizenship practices are at positive level”. Kacmar and Ferris (1991) and Kacmar and Carlson (1994), prescribe that how much employees see their work environment as political in nature advancing the self-interests of others and unjustifiable and unreasonable from the individual's point of view is addressed by perceptions of organizational politics. Restricted selfinterest doubt is more illustrative of honest to goodness human conduct. A part of the narrow minded organizational individual on a very basic level propel self-interest even to the detriment of organizational objectives and revealed their activities toward more prominent organizational good.

Organizational politics is to search what is more interesting for the individual in the organization. Gotsis and Kortezi (2011) without keeping in mind the effects that organization face to fulfill its goals. It is concluded as a positive political conduct by adopting an alternate perspective of behavior. According to Eisenhardt and Bourgeois (1988) “perceptions of politics in 2.2 Organizational Politics and Employee Commitment

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MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan The psychological attachment of the employees with his organization is known as Organizational Commitment. A positive relationship between organizational politics (OP) and organizational commitment (OC) is also proposed by Waheed et al. (2017). According to O'Reilly and Chatman (1986),”it explains the extent to which the individual considers attachment with the organization, and limits himself/herself and objectives to the benefits of the organization for which he/she is working”.

two samples (n = 137 and n = 226) confirmed that employee’s perspective about their working environment do indeed affect their performance. A negative relationship was found by Hochwarter et al. (2003) between organizational commitment and organizational politics. Their findings revealed that “the level of organizational commitment decreases when organizational politics increases”. For investigating the union of results two studies, various samples were done. In the first study sample comprised of “middle and upper level directors of the hotel industry”. While, University employees comprised second sample; diverse measures were used of the comparable variables for this purpose. “A positive association between job tension and organizational politics was confirmed by the two investigations”.

Vigoda-Gadot and Meisler (2010) supported the moderating role of Organizational politics (OP). Kacmar et al. (2009), “utilized Trait activation theory as a framework, the moderating role of two situational variables studied by them are; organizational politics (OP) and leader effectiveness”. Results from

2.3 Organizational Politics and Job Performance Political acts are significant when organizational performance or employees' performance is examined these can influence employees' conduct and attitude therefore, its importance should not be ignored because these have their own place and significance. Higher level of feedback lowers the level of organizational politics and the fearlessness of employees is increased (Rosen et al., 2006). As the contribution of employees' contribution in political exercises increases it tends to increase absenteeism among employees (Harrell et al., 1996).

“organizational citizenship behavior” toward individuals (20.16) and organization (20.20). Moreover, the effects of organizational politics (OP) on employee’s turnover goals are mediated by work attitude and that the both attitude and strain mediated the effects of organizational politics (OP) on employee performance (EP Meta-examination was applied by Mill et al. (2008) on 79 independent from 59 distributed and unpublished investigations which includes 25,059 individual members. Between perceptions of organizational politics (POP) and occupation job satisfaction, strong negative relationship is exhibited and moderately positive relationship was found amongst POP and results of commitment, “POP” and the results of “job stress” and “turnover intensions”, and a non-significant relationship among “POP” and “in-job performance”. Age, work setting (i.e. public or domestic sample), and social contrasts (i.e. public

A model was tested by Chang et al. (2009) that links “organizational politics” to “job performance” and ''turnover intensions''. Meta-analytic evidence maintained significant, bivariate relationship among politics and strain (0.48), “turnover intensions” (0.43), “job satisfaction” (20.57), “affective commitment” (20.54), “task performance” (20.20), and 4

MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan or international sample), have contingent effects on certain POP connections showed by Moderator tests.

“correspondence”, “information system”, “reward” and “organizations structure” were positively related to “knowledge sharing” in an organizations Al-Alawi et al. (2007). The authors believe that there is further research needed to address governmental foundations related variables. The cooperation of organizational politics perceptions (POP) and “employees age” on “job performance” is studied in three studies by Treadway et al. (2005). In light of protection of resource hypothesis, the authors expected that perception of politics would show their most negative outcomes for job performance for old employees. Results over the three studies gave strong help to the hypothesis that increase in politics perceptions are connected with reduces in job performance for more established employees and that perception of politics don't impact employees' performance.

All in all, the organizational politics and organizational support strengthened individual 's perceptions of the organizational job performance (Cropanzano et al., 1997). Work outcomes relate to the politics and support to a fundamental extend. Drory (1990) and Drory and Romm (1988) conducted two field studies that inquired that there was a less waste effect while on the attitudes of low status employees. Considering politics, the attitudes of low status employees there was more detritus influence. Drory (1990) set this happened to shape and take advantage from basic “decisionmaking process” because the higher status individuals were in a prominent position. In every organization, the Relationship of employees rely upon give and take of financial, social or contemplative it was supported by trade hypothesis (West and Turner, 2000) and employees coordinates the cost of this relationship with saw pay. Per Foa and Foa (1974), budget allotment is showed up of an extensive portion of the relational practices. In any case, Biasness and power showing influenced resources and budget distribution, by which brings about politicking of Organizational condition.

The intervening effect of organization politics (OP) on the association among “leadership” and “performance” is demonstrated by Gadot (2007). Performance is the only mode by which the employees can achieve the set targets and give their best to prove they can work better in a flexible work environment. He says that there is an immediate and positive relationship among leadership and performance. The employee who considered jobs as a basic part of their lives show high relationship.

Vigoda-Gadot (2007) supported “the mediating effect of organizational politics on the relationship between leadership, job performance and organizational citizenship”. Rosen et al. (2006) proposed a model prescribing that to bring down of employee’s behavior there is a need of supporting high level of organizational circumstances and required collaborative feedback.” Trust”,

If an organization wish to develop the predominance of the phenomenon, make logical classifications, and analyze its relationship with variable and results of significance to organization there is a prerequisite for efficient examination Bozionelos (2005). Zivnuska et al. (2004) outcomes exhibited that

employees who believed that they are not treated as other employees and who were not treated equally on the account

of performance management they would agree that their expectation was not met for career advancement and 5

MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan promotion. These findings demonstrated a significant relationship between perception of being treated unequally and chances of career advancement. “The effects of employees' perceptions of political points of view in performance assessment on their job satisfaction “is studied by Poon (2004).

framework, a direct relationship between organizational commitment (OC) and employee performance is hypothesized. We further assume that this relationship is moderated through organization politics (OP).

With regards to a politically charged atmosphere Witt et al. (2002) investigated the process of evaluating contextual performance. Results showed that a significant incremental measure of variance in the interpersonal facilitation facet of contextual performance is explained by the interaction of politics and the personality dimensions of pleasantness. Randall et al. (1999) sampled 128 participants supported the relationship of “organizational politics” and organizational support to different work attitudes and behaviors. Politics and support were identified with job satisfaction, responsibility, turnover aims, and supervision ratings of organizational citizenship behavior consistent with our hypothesis. However, the only support was related to “job performance” and “organizational commitment”. Result of confirmatory factor analysis CFA revealed that “it is more parsimonious to treat politics and support as opposite end of same construct”, however the two-factor display improved fit. After extensive review of literature; This study focusses on conceptual framework of “organizational politics”, “organizational commitment” and “employees’ performances”. In this 3. MATERIAL AND METHOD

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of Organizational Politics, Employees Commitment and Employees Performance

The proposed hypothesis is going to be tested for this paper where research evidence from the previous study will be 4.

taken to discuss and built relationship between the variables.

CONCLUSION

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the

MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan Presence of politics could affect job performance of employees. If employees feel political behaviour inside an organization, he can't give his best for that organization. If perceived organizational politics (POP) is present in the organization, the level of

employee commitment employee performance will be low. Meaning that the relationship between organization commitment (EC) and employee performance (EP) is moderated through organizational politics (OP).

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MDSRC - 2017 Proceedings, 27-28 December, 2017 Wah/Pakistan

5.

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