Abstract
It has been suggested that the most motivating and fundamental force in social life is interpersonal power. Organizational politics represents Lhe contextual and behavioral manifestations of power in the workplace, and researchers have invested a great deal of energy into framing the most fundamental relationships in organizations through the power and politics lens. From leadership to performance appraisal, organizational politics has demonstrated itself to be a valuable framework to investigate. Despite the abundance of research on politics in organizations; very little of that research has attempted to fully integrate political and relational perspectives.
The fundamental concept in social science is Power, in the same sense that Energy is the fundamental concept in physics … The laws of social dynamics are laws which can only be stated in terms of power, (Russell, 1938,, p. 10)
State University of Mew York at Buffalo
Technische Universität München
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ahearn, K. K., Ferris, G. R., Hocbwarter, W. A., Douglas, C., & Ammeter, A. P. (2004). Leader political skill arid team performance, Journal of Management, 30, 309–327.
Ammeter, A. P., Douglas, C., Gardner, W. L., Hoch warter, W. A., & Ferris, G. R. (‘20021. Toward a political theory of leadership, Leadership Quarterly, 13, 751–796
Andrews, M. C. & Kacmar, K. M. (2001). Discriminating among organizational politics, justice, and support, Journal of’Organizational behavior, 22, 347–366.
Aryee, S., Chen, Z. X., Son, L. Y., & Debrah, W. A. (2007).. Antecedents and outcomes of abusive supervision: Test of a trickle-down model, Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 191–201.
Barry, Pi. & Grant, J. M. (2000). Dyadic communication relationships in organizations: An attribution/expectancy approach, Organization Science, 11, 648–664.
Bentley, J. R., Treadway, D. C., Yang, J., Shaughnessy, B. A., & Williams, L. V. (2011). Thriving in the face of oppression: The moderating effect of political skill on the perceived victimization-performance relationship, a three-study replication. Poster presented at the annual meeting for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicago, IL.
Berscheid, E. (1999). The greening of relationship science, American Psychologist, 54, 260–266.
Blickte, G. & Schniizler, A. K. (2010). Is the political skill inventory tit for personnel selection? An experimental field study, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 18, 155–165.
Blickle, G., Witzki, A. H., & Schneider, P. B. (2009). Mentoring support and power: A three year predictive field study on protégé networking and career success, journal of Vocational behavior, 74, 181–189.
Brass, D.J. (1985). Men’s and women’s networks: A study of interaction patterns and influence in an organization, Academy of Management Journal, 28, 327–343.
Breland, J. W., Treadway, D. C., Duke, A. R, fir” Adams, G. L. (2007). The interactive effects of leader-member exchange and political skill on subjective career success, journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 13, 1–14.
Brouer, R. L., Duke, A., Treadway, D. C., & Ferris, G. R. (2009). The moderating effect of political skill on the demographic dissimilarity — Leader-member exchange quality relationship, Leadership Quarterly, 20, 61–69.
Castro, S. I.,, Douglas, C., Hochwarter, W. A,, Ferris, G. R., & Frink, D. D. (2003). The effects of positive affect and gender on the influence tactics-job performance relationship, journal of leadership & Organizational Studies, 10, 1–18.
Christiansen, N., Villanova, P., St Mikulay, S. (1997). Political influence compatibility: Fitting the person to the climate, journal of Organizational behavior, 18, 709–730.
Crick, N. R. & Dodge, K. A. (1994). A review and reformulation of social-info rmati on-processing mechanisms in children’s social adjustment, Psychological Bulletin, 115, 1’4 101.
Cropanzano, R., Howes, J. C., Grandey, A. A., & Toth, P. (1997). The relationship of organizational politics and support to work behaviors, attitudes, and stress, journal of ‘Organizational behavior, 18, 159–180.
Douglas, C. & Ammeter, A. P. (2004). Ail examination of leader political skill and its effect on ratings of leader effectiveness, Leadership Quarterly. 15, 537–550.
Downie, M., Mageau, G. A., & Koestrier, R. (2008). What makes for a pleasant social interaction? Motivational dynamics of interpersonal relations, Journal of Social Psychology, 148, 523–534.
Drory, A. (1993). Perceived political climate and job attitudes, Organization Studies, 1.4, 59–71.
Drory, A. & Romm, T. (19SS). Politics in organization and its perceptions within the organization, Organization Studies, 9, 165–179.
Falbe, C. M. & Yukl, G. (1992). Consequences for managers of using single influence tactics and combinations of tactics, Academy of Management Journal, 35, 638–652.
Ferris, G. R., Adams, G., Kolodirisky, R. W., Hochwartcr, W. A., & Ammeter, A. P. (2002). Perceptions of organizational politics: Theory and research directions: in F. J. Yammarino & F. Dansereau (eds) Research in Multi-Level Issues, Volume 1: The Many Faces of Mulli-Leēt Issues (pp. 179–254). Oxford, UK: JAI Press/Elsevier Science.
Ferris, G. R., Anthony, W. P., Kolodinsky, R. W., Gilmoie, D. C., & Harvey, M. G. (2002). Development of political skill: in C. Wankel & R. DeFillippi (eds) Rethinking Management Education for the. 21s’-Century, A Volume in: Research in Management Education and Development (pp. 3 25). New York: Information Age Publishing.
Ferris, G. R., Davidson, S. L., & Perrewé, P. L. (2005). Political Skill at Work: Impact on Work Effectiveness. Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing.
Ferris, G. R., Fedor, D. B., & King, T. R. (1994). A political conceptualization of managerial behavior, Human Resource Management Review, 4, 1–34.
Ferris, G. R., Frink, D. D., Bhawuk, D. P. S., Zhou, J., & Gilmore, D. C. (1996). Reactions of diverse groups to politics in the workplace, Journal of Management, 22, 23–44.
Penis, G. R., Haireil-Cook, G., & Dulebohn, J. H. (2000). Organizational politics: The nature of the relationship between politics perceptions and political behavior: in S. B. Bach ara ch VSI E. J. Eawler (eds) Research in the Sociology of Organizations (Vol. 17, pp. 89-130). Stamford, CT: JAI Press.
Ferris, G. R. & Judge, T. A. (1991). Personnel/human resources management: A political influence perspective, Journal of Management, 17, 447–488.
Ferris, G. R. & Kacmar, K. M. (1992). Perceptions of organizational politics, Journal of Management, 18, 93–116.
Ferris, G. R., Liden, R. C., Munyon, T. P., Summers, J. K., Basik, K. J., & Buckley, M. R. (2009). Relationships at work: Toward a multidimensional conceptualization of dyadic work relationships, Journal of Management, 35, 1379–1403.
Ferris, G. R., Perrewé, P. E., & Douglas, C. (2002). Social effectiveness in organizations: Construct validity and research directions, Journal of Leadership and Organization Studies, 9, 33–50.
Ferris, G. R., Russ, G. S., & Fandt, P. M. (1989). Politics in organizations: in R. A. Giacalone & P. Rosenfeld (eds) Impression Management in the Organization (pp. 143–170). Hillsdale, Nj: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Brouer, R. L., & Munyon, T. P. (2012). Political skill in the organizational sciences: in G. R. Fenis & D. C. Treadway (eds) Politics in Organizations: Theory and Research Considerations (pp. 487 528). >Jew York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Koiodinsky, R. W.f Hochwarter, VV. A., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., St Frink, D. D. (2005). Development and validation of the political skill inventors’, Journal of Management, 31, 126–152.
Ferris, G. R.,, Treadway, D. C., Perrewé, P. I,., Brouer, R. I,., Douglas, C., & Lux, S. (2007a). Political skill in organizations, Journal of Management, 33, 290–320.
Ferris, G. R., Zhiko, R., Brouer, R. L., Buckley, M. R., & Harvey, M. G. (2007b). Strategic bullying as a supplementary, balanced perspective on destructive leadership, Leadership Quarterly, 18, 195–206.
Gandz, J. & Murxay, V. V. (1980). The experience of workplace politics, Academy of Management journal, 23, 237–251.
Gerstncr, C. R. & Day, D. V. (1997). Meta-analytic review of leader-member exchange theory: Correlates and construct issues, journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 827–344.
Gilmore, D. C., Ferris, G. R., Dulebohn, J. H., SL Harrell-Cook, G. (1996). Organizational politics and employee attendance, Group and Organization Management, 21, 481–494.
Gordon, R. A. (1996). impact of ingratiation on judgments and evaluations: A meta-analytic investigation, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 54–70.
Graen, G. P. Sr Uhl-Pien, M. (1995). Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective, Leadership Quarterly, 6, 219–247.
Gui, B. Sc Stanca, L. (2010). Happiness and relational goods: Well-being and interpersonal relations in the economic sphere, International Review of Economics, 57, 105–118.
Harreil-Cook, G., Ferris, G. R., Sc Dulebohn, J. H. (1999). Political behaviors as moderators of the perceptions of organizational politics — Work outcomes relationships, journal of Organizational behavior, 20, 1093–1106.
Harris, K.J. Sc Kacmar, K. M. (2005). Easing the strain: The buffer role of supervisors in the perceptions of politics-strain relationship, journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 78, 337–354.
Harris, K. J., Kacmar, K. M., Zivnuska, $., Sc Shaw, J. D. (2007). Tire impact of political skill on impression management effectiveness, journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 278–235.
Hewiin, P. F. (2003). And the awTard for best actor goes to …: Facades of conformity in organizational settings, Academy of Management Re\>ie\v, 28, 633–642.
Higgins, C. A., judge, T. A., Sc Ferris, G. R. (2003). influence tactics and work outcomes: A meta-analysis, journal of Organizational behavior, 24, 89–106.
Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, K. M., & Treadway, D. C., Sc Watson, T. (2003). It’s all relative: The distinction and prediction of politics perceptions across levels, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33, 1995–2016.
Tigen, D. R. Sc Youtz, M. A. (1986). Factors affecting the evaluation and development of minorities in organization, Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 4, 307–337.
Jones. E. E. & Pittman, T. S. (1982). Toward a general theory of strategic self-presentation: in J. Suis (ed.) Psychological Perspectives on the Self (Vol. 1. pp. 231 262). Hillsdale, >Jj: Lawrence Erlbaum. judge, T. A. & Bretz, R. D., jr. (1994). Political influence behavior and career success, Journal of Management, 20, 43–65.
Kacmar, K. M. & Baron, R. A. (1999). Organizational politics: The siaie of the held, links to related processes, and an agenda for future research: in G. R. Ferris fed.) Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management (Vol. 17, pp. 1-39). Stamford, CT: JAI Press.
Kacmar, K. M.f Bozeman, D. P., Carlson, L). S.f & Anthony, W. P. (1999,). A partial test of the perceptions of organizational politics model, Human Relations, 52, 383–416.
Kacmar, K. M. & Carlson, D. S. (1997). Further validation of the Perceptions of Politics Scale (POPS): A multi-sample approach, Journal of Management, 23, 627–658.
Kiprias, D. & Schmidt, S. M. (1958). Upward influence styles: Relationship with performance evaluations, salary, and stress, Administrative Science Quarterly, 33, 523–542.
Kipnis, D., Schmidt, S. M., & Wilkinson, i. (1980). lntraoiganizational influence tactics: Explorations in getting one’s way, journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 440–452.
Kolodinsky, R. W., Treadway, D. C., & Ferris, G. R. (2007). Political skill and influence effectiveness: Testing portions of an expanded Ferris and judge (1991) model, Human Relations, 60, 1747–1777.
Tongenecker, C. O., Sims, 11. P., & Gioia, D. A. (1987). Behind the mask: The politics of employee appraisal, Academy of Management Executive, 1, 183–193.
Madison, P., Allen, R., Porter, T. W., Ren wick, P., & Mayes, B. (1980). Organizational politics: An exploration of managers’ perceptions, Human Relations, 33, 79–100.
Masiyn, J. & Fedor, D. B. (1998). Perceptions of politics: Does measuring different foci matter? Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 645–653.
Mintzberg, H. (1983). Power In and Around Organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prent ice-Hall.
Parker, C., Dipboye, R., & Jackson, S. (1995). Perceptions of organizational politics: An investigation of antecedents and consequences, Journal of Management, 5, 891–912.
Pettigrew, A. (1973). The Politics of Organizational Decision Making. London: Tavistock.
Pfeffer, J., Salancik, G. R., & Leblebici, H. (1976). The effect of uncertainty on the use of social influence in organizational decision making, Administrative Science Quartei’ly. 21, 227–245.
Phillips, K. W., Rothbard, N. P., & Dumas, T. L. C2009). To disclose or not to disclose? Status distance and self-disclosure in diverse environments, Academy of” Management Review, 34, 710–732.
Ragins, B. R. (1.997). Diversified mentoring relationships in organizations: A power perspective, Academy ofManagement Review, 22, 482–521.
Reis, H. T. (2007). Steps toward the ripening of relationship science, Personal Relationships, 14, 1–23.
Reis, H. T. & Collins, W. A. (2004). Relationships, human behavior, and psychological science, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 233–237.
Reis, H. T., Collins, W. A., & Berscheid, E. (2000). The relationship context of human behavior and development Psychological Bulletin, 126, 844-S72.
Rudman, L. A. (1998). Self-promotion as a risk factor for women: The costs and benefits of counterstereotypical impression management, journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 629–645.
Russell, B. (1938). Power: A New Social Analysis. London: Allen Si Un win.
Shaughnessy, B. A., Treadway, D. C., Breland, J. A., Williams, L. V7., & Brouer, R. L. (2011). influence and promotabiiity: The importance of female political skill, journal of Managerial Issues, 26, 584–603.
Smircich, L. & Morgan, G. (1982). Leadership: The management of meaning, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 18, 257–273.
Soucrwinc, A. H. (1978). Career strategics: Planning for personal achievement, Management Review, 65, 55–62.
Sparrowe, R. T. & Li den, R. C. (1997). Process and structure in leader-member exchange, Academy of Management Review, 22, 522–552.
Sparrowe, R. T. & Li den, R. C. (2005). Two routes to influence: Integrating leader-member exchange and social network perspectives, Administrative Science Quarterly, 50, 505–535.
Sternberg, R. J. (1997). Managerial intelligence: Why 1Qisn’t enough, journal of Management, 23, 475–493.
Tedeschi, J. T. S[ Melburg, V. (1984). E. J. Lawler (eds) Research in the Sociology of Organizations (Vol. 3, pp. 31-58). Greenwich, CT: JA1 Press.
Tepper, B. J., Brown, S. J., & Hunt, M. D. (1993). Strength of subordinates’ upward influence tactics and gender congruency effects, journal of Applied Social Psycholog’, 23, 1903–1919.
Tepper, B. J., Moss, S. E., & Duffy, M. K. (2011,). Predictors of abusive supervision: Supervisor perceptions of deep-level dissimilarity, relationship conflict, and subordinate performance, Academy of Management journal, 54, 279–294.
Thacker, R. A. & Wayne, S. J. (1995). An examination of the relationship between upward influence tactics and assessments of promotability, journal of Management, 21, 739–756.
Treadway, D. C. (2012). Political will in organizations: in G. R. Ferris & D. C. Treadway (eds) Politics in Organizations: Theory and Research Considerations (pp. 529–554). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.
Treadway, D. C., Adams, G. L., & Goodman, J. M. (2005). The formation of political sub-climates: Predictions from social identity, structuration, and symbolic interaction, journal of Business and Psychology, 20, 201–219.
Treadway, D. C., Breland, J. W., Adams, G. L., Duke, A. B., & Williams, L. A. (2010). The interactive effects of political skill and future time perspective on career and community networking behavior, Social Nehvorks, 32, 138–147.
Treadway, D. C., Breland, J. W., Williams, L. A., Yang, J., & Williams, L. (2012). Political skill, relational control, and the self in relational leadership processes: in M. Ilhl-Bien St S. M. Ospina (eds) Advancing Relational Leadership Research: A Dialogue Among Perspectives (pp. 381–420). New York: information Age Publishing.
Treadway, D. C., Ferris, G. R… Duke, A. B., Adams, G. L., & Thatcher, J. B. (2007). The m oder atiiig role of subordinate political skill on supervisors’ impressions of subordinate ingratiation and ratings of subordinate interpersonal facilitation,/owmaZ of Applied Psychology, 92, 848–855.
Treadway, D. C., Hocbwarier, W. A., Ferris, G. R., Kaemar, C. J., Douglas, C., Ammeter, A. P., & Buckley, M. R. (2004). Leader political skill and employee reactions, Leadership Quarterly, 15, 493–513.
Treadway, D. C., Sbaughnessy, B. A., Breland, J. W., Yang, J., & Reeves, M. (2013). Political skill and the job performance of bullies, journal of Managerial Psychology, 28, 273–289.
Valle, M. P. & Perrewé, P. L. (2000). Do politics perceptions relate to political behaviors? Human Relations, 53, 359–386.
Vigoda, E. (2002). Stress-related aftermaths to workplace politics: The relationships among politics, job distress, and aggressive behaviors in organizations, journal of Organizational behavior, 23, 571–591.
Wayne, S. J. & Lidcn, R. C. (1995). Effects of impression management on performance ratings: A longitudinal study, Academy of Management journal, 38, 232–260.
West, C. & Zimmerman, D. H. (1987). Doing gender, Gender & Society, 1, 125–151.
Williams, K. Y. & O’Reilly, C. A. (1998). Demography and diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research, Research in Organizational behavior, 20, 77–140.
Willirs, R. D. (1968). Company performance and interpersonal relations, Industrial Management Review, 8, 91–107.
Winstead, B. A. & Morganson, V. (2009). Gender arid relationships at work: in R. L. Morrison & S. L. Wright (eds) Friends and Enemies in Organizations: A Work Psychology Perspective. UK: Paigrave Macmillan.
Witt, L. A. (1998). Enhancing organizational goal congruence: A solution of organizational politics, journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 666–674.
Yukl, G., Kim, H., & Falbe, C. M. (1996). Antecedents of influence outcomes, journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 309–317.
Yukl, G. & Traccy, T. B. (1992). Consequences of influence tactics used with subordinates, peers, and the boss, journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 525–535.
Zhou, J. & Ferris, G. R. (1995). The dimensions and consequences of organizational politics perceptions: A confirmatory analysis, journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 1747–1764.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2013 Darren C. Treadway, Jeffrey R. Bentley, Angela S. Wallace, Stephanie R. Seitz and Brooke A. Shaughnessy
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Treadway, D.C., Bentley, J.R., Wallace, A.S., Seitz, S.R., Shaughnessy, B.A. (2013). Relationships and Organizational Politics. In: Morrison, R.L., Cooper-Thomas, H.D. (eds) Relationships in Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137280640_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137280640_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-44781-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-28064-0
eBook Packages: Palgrave Business & Management CollectionBusiness and Management (R0)