Politics — The Essence of Organisation?

Abstract

We have set out to position politics as a central dimension in management, and we have surfaced the influence of the deep-seated rational mindset in undermining its legitimacy. As with governmental politics, the constructive value of organisational politics stems from the possibility of acting on principled causes, which itself turns on the balance of self and other interest. The moment managers stray from the straight and narrow of the rational mindset, they are faced with the problem of finding that balance. Yet this is their day-to-day experience. It is the essence of organisation and it leads us to recast the managerial role as that of ‘politician’.