Intro to Organizational Behavior (OB): Power and Politics - Organizational Politics, Political Behavior Impression Management Tactics Defensive Behaviors

Organizational Politics: Study Guide

What This Is

Organizational politics refers to informal, self-interested behaviors employees use to influence others, gain power, or protect their interests—often outside formal authority structures. It includes political behavior (e.g., coalition-building, information control), impression management (e.g., flattery, self-promotion), and defensive behaviors (e.g., avoiding blame, playing dumb). Politics matters because it shapes career success, resource allocation, and organizational culture—even in "flat" or "transparent" companies. For example, Google’s "20% time" policy (allowing engineers to work on side projects) was often gamed by employees who used political savvy to secure approval for pet projects, sometimes at the expense of core work.

Key Theories & Models

• Mintzberg’s Political Games: Identifies 13 common political tactics (e.g., insurgency = junior employees resisting authority; alliance-building = forming coalitions). Implication: Managers must recognize these games to neutralize toxic politics or harness constructive ones (e.g., Southwest Airlines encourages "positive politics" by rewarding cross-departmental collaboration).
• Ferris et al.’s Political Skill Model: Four dimensions—social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and apparent sincerity. Implication: Politically skilled employees (e.g., Reed Hastings at Netflix) navigate power structures effectively without appearing manipulative.
• Impression Management (IM) Tactics (Jones & Pittman): Five strategies—ingratiation (flattery), self-promotion, exemplification (appearing dedicated), intimidation, and supplication (playing helpless). Implication: Overuse of IM (e.g., Elizabeth Holmes at Theranos) can backfire if perceived as insincere.
• Defensive Behaviors (Ashforth & Lee): Three types—avoiding action (e.g., "playing dumb"), avoiding blame (e.g., scapegoating), and avoiding change (e.g., resisting new processes). Implication: Zappos’ holacracy failed partly because employees used defensive behaviors to resist self-management.
• Power Bases (French & Raven): Six sources of power—coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational. Implication: Political behavior thrives when power is informal (e.g., Steve Jobs’ referent power at Apple) or uncertain (e.g., during layoffs).
• Social Exchange Theory (Blau): Relationships are built on reciprocity (e.g., "I scratch your back, you scratch mine"). Implication: Political favors (e.g., promotions based on loyalty over merit) create long-term obligations and resentment.
• Attribution Theory (Weiner): People attribute others’ behavior to internal (e.g., "they’re selfish") or external (e.g., "they’re under pressure") causes. Implication: Political behavior is often misattributed (e.g., a manager may see an employee’s self-promotion as "ambitious" or "arrogant" based on bias).
• Organizational Justice (Greenberg): Three types—distributive (fair outcomes), procedural (fair processes), and interactional (fair treatment). Implication: Politics flourishes when procedural justice is low (e.g., Wells Fargo’s fake accounts scandal—employees gamed the system due to unrealistic sales targets).

Step-by-Step Application

How to Manage Organizational Politics

1. Diagnose the Political Landscape
2. Map formal vs. informal power (e.g., who controls budgets vs. who has the CEO’s ear).
3. Identify key players (e.g., gatekeepers, influencers, resistors) using stakeholder analysis.

4. Example: At Netflix, HR tracks "high-potential" employees who shape culture—ignoring them risks political backlash.

5. Set Clear Rules of Engagement

6. Establish transparency in decision-making (e.g., Amazon’s "narrative memos" replace PowerPoints to reduce political posturing).

7. Define acceptable vs. toxic politics (e.g., Google’s "don’t be evil" mantra discourages Machiavellian tactics).

8. Leverage Constructive Politics

9. Encourage coalition-building for cross-functional projects (e.g., Apple’s "DRI" system—Directly Responsible Individuals—reduces blame-shifting).

10. Reward political skill when used ethically (e.g., Satya Nadella at Microsoft promotes leaders who build consensus).

11. Mitigate Defensive Behaviors

12. Reduce uncertainty (e.g., Buffer’s transparent salaries minimize gossip and blame).

13. Use 360-degree feedback to expose avoidance tactics (e.g., GE’s forced-ranking system weeds out "deadwood").

14. Model Ethical Political Behavior

15. Avoid impression management traps (e.g., don’t over-promise; Elon Musk’s Twitter antics hurt Tesla’s reputation).

16. Frame politics as collaboration (e.g., "How can we align this with the company’s goals?" vs. "How can I get what I want?").

17. Monitor and Adapt

18. Conduct pulse surveys to detect rising political tensions (e.g., Glassdoor reviews often reveal toxic politics).
19. Adjust reward systems to discourage zero-sum games (e.g., Patagonia’s profit-sharing reduces internal competition).

Common Misconceptions

• Misconception: "Politics is always bad—it’s just manipulation." Correction: Politics can be constructive (e.g., advocating for a team’s needs) or destructive (e.g., sabotaging a rival). Example: Sheryl Sandberg’s "lean in" advocacy at Facebook was political but aligned with company goals.

• Misconception: "Only Machiavellian people engage in politics." Correction: Everyone uses politics—even introverts (e.g., quietly building alliances). Example: Susan Wojcicki (YouTube CEO) rose through low-key networking, not overt self-promotion.

• Misconception: "Impression management is just lying." Correction: IM is strategic self-presentation (e.g., highlighting achievements vs. fabricating them). Example: Warren Buffett’s folksy persona is authentic but also a calculated IM tactic to build trust.

• Misconception: "Defensive behaviors are always a sign of laziness." Correction: They often stem from fear of failure or punishment (e.g., Enron’s "rank and yank" policy led to blame-shifting). Example: Volkswagen’s emissions scandal involved employees covering up failures due to high-pressure culture.

• Misconception: "Flat organizations have no politics." Correction: Politics thrives in ambiguity—flat structures (e.g., Valve’s no-managers model) can create power vacuums where informal leaders emerge.

Exam / Case Interview Tips

1. Spot the Political Tactic
2. Question: "An employee keeps praising their boss in meetings but badmouths them in private. What’s happening?"

3. Answer: Ingratiation (IM) + coalition-building—they’re using flattery to gain favor while undermining the boss behind their back.

4. Distinguish Power from Politics

5. Trap: Confusing French & Raven’s power bases (e.g., "expert power") with political behavior (e.g., "using expertise to hoard information").

6. Example: A doctor withholding medical knowledge to control a team is political; a doctor respected for their expertise is powerful.

7. Link Politics to Justice

8. Question: "Why do employees engage in politics during a merger?"

9. Answer: Low procedural justice—unclear decision-making processes (e.g., Disney-Fox merger) trigger political behavior to secure resources.

10. Defensive Behaviors in Case Studies

11. Trap: Assuming avoidance = laziness. Instead, ask: "What’s the root cause?" (e.g., fear of retaliation at Boeing led to whistleblower suppression).

Quick Practice Scenario

Scenario: At a tech startup, the engineering team resists a new project management tool. The CTO insists it’s mandatory, but engineers "forget" to use it, blame IT for "glitches," and cite "priorities" to delay adoption. The CTO is frustrated by their "lack of cooperation."

Question: What defensive behaviors are the engineers using, and how should the CTO respond?

Answer: - Defensive behaviors: Avoiding action ("forgetting"), avoiding blame (blaming IT), and avoiding change (citing "priorities"). - Solution: The CTO should reduce uncertainty (explain the tool’s benefits), involve engineers in the decision (procedural justice), and reward early adopters (reward power).

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

1. Organizational politics = informal, self-interested influence behaviors.
2. Mintzberg’s games: Insurgency, alliance-building, empire-building, etc.
3. Ferris’ political skill: Social astuteness, influence, networking, sincerity.
4. IM tactics: Ingratiation, self-promotion, exemplification, intimidation, supplication.
5. Defensive behaviors: Avoiding action, blame, or change (e.g., "playing dumb").
6. French & Raven’s power bases: Coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, referent, informational.
7. Social Exchange Theory: Politics thrives on reciprocity (e.g., favors for promotions).
8. Politics-power—power is capacity; politics is behavior.
9. Flat orgs-no politics—ambiguity fuels informal power.
10. Defensive behaviors-laziness—often fear-based (e.g., blame culture).