Organizational politics in the workplace: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Office politics is an inevitable aspect of the workplace. Regardless of where you work or how friendly your office may seem, human beings are inherently imperfect, and their desires often clash. As commerce relies on human interaction, which it always will, disagreements and conflicts are bound to occur. Simply put, it’s an unavoidable part of life.

Organizational politics, or office politics, refers to how people gain power and influence within an organization. In essence, when people talk about office politics, they’re usually referring to something involving:

• Decision-making

• Organizational hierarchy

• Nepotism and favoritism

• Team dynamics

• Employee morale

• Overall work environment

So, what does organizational politics look like in the workplace? Can you navigate coworker relationships and conflict without sacrificing your needs and interests? Let’s talk about it.

What is workplace organizational politics?

Every organization needs resources (money) to operate. However, money is scarce, so budgets for promotions, pay raises, and projects all have to compete for priority.

Scarcity is the primary origin of office politics, and competition for scarce resources creates strategies for obtaining them.

• Political behavior at work fights for these resources through:
• Building alliances with decision-makers to secure a promotion
• Withholding vital information to maintain an advantage and protect job security
• Raising concerns about a project when its budget competes with its own
• Forming cliques to alienate others and eliminate competition
• Preventing qualified people from working on specific territorial projects

While it’s common to be caught off guard by office politics, most people feel jarred when someone else’s actions put them in a weaker position, which is likely why most people who mention office politics usually refer to them negatively. However, it also has some positive aspects.

Organizational politics can result in recognition, promotions, activism, and even job satisfaction, so understanding how people operate in groups is critical to responding effectively and protecting one’s interests.

Psychology of office politics

Humans naturally form hierarchies and seek status. For instance, some take charge, some learn specialized skills, some have muscular bodies, and many develop new skills to provide support wherever needed. While all these roles are required for a society to work, some appear more important and glamorous than others.

In the workplace, this translates into political behavior. Employees may promote themselves to look good in front of their boss. They may gossip about their competitors (or even try to sabotage them) to enact organizational change.

These behaviors aren’t uncommon or new—they are adaptations for survival. People can act against others out of:

• Insecurity
• Self-interest
• Charity
• Confusion
• Anger

By understanding these motivations, leaders can create fairer and more transparent work environments, helping to reduce the need for such behaviors. Again, there’s no escaping office politics—understanding organizational behavior is the only way to protect your well-being and that of your organization.

How organizational politics impacts the workplace

Workplace politics can impact the work environment for the better and worse. Positive relationships and teamwork, for example, can push employees to support each other and share resources. This is the kind of political behavior organizations want.

Negative politics, such as favoritism and backstabbing, lead to toxic workplaces where employees feel dissatisfied and disengaged. These kinds of workplaces often suffer from:

• High employee turnover
• Absenteeism and burnout
• Resentment and low employee engagement
• Hindered collaboration
• Decreased productivity and job performance

Also, decisions influenced by political behavior are only sometimes in the company’s best interests. For example, resources will be well-spent if a project is approved due to a manager’s influence rather than its merits.

Transparency and fairness are the best deterrents to negative workplace politics. By encouraging open communication and recognizing employees for their work (rather than for who they know), companies can create a positive, productive work environment with high morale.

The role of organizational politics in motivating employees

For some individuals, politically charged environments are where they thrive. They readily utilize political behavior to advance their careers and gain recognition, for instance by working extra hard to impress a manager who can promote them. Consequently, this illustrates how organizational politics can sometimes lead to increased effort and productivity.

However, not all employees respond positively to office politics. Some feel demotivated by merit-based success, especially if their hard work is the kind that goes unnoticed (looking at you, customer service reps).

Since political maneuvering is a skill not taught in schools, people lose motivation if self-promotion yields better results than plain old hard work. Consequently, organizations need to balance a positive work environment with healthy political competition to reduce stress at work and protect morale.

They can do this by:

• Promoting fairness and being open
• Reward employee performance and contributions rather than political skills
• Encouraging open dialogue and teamwork

Some people want to work harder for a promotion. That’s great—let them earn a better spot by being the right choice for the job, not by maneuvering. Tie recognition to measurable achievements rather than solid relationships.

What are the negative effects of organizational politics on employees?

In many cases, most people encounter an opportunist coworker early in their careers. Specifically, these people make work a nightmare by constantly watching for others’ mistakes so they can report them to a manager. As a result, any benefits of their hard work get overshadowed by the hostility they pose to everyone else.

A vicious cycle ensues, where workers look over their shoulders or report others so they don’t get reported themselves. Then managers mete out discipline, job security suffers, and worried workers have to look over their shoulders even more.

An office preoccupied with a witch hunt is stressful, and work rarely gets done. Taking people seriously when they level accusations at others is essential, but gossip and backstabbing are equally dangerous behaviors.

Negative office politics can also result in communication barriers. If people feel they can’t share ideas and insights because of some made-up hierarchy, they’ll keep ideas to themselves. They may even start to develop ideas on their own to bring to a competitor.

The worst impact of bad office politics is increased stress among employees. People don’t like it when thoughts of work make their hearts race. Too much stress leads to burnout, high turnover, and some lasting trauma.

Don’t be the workplace that people regale others with at parties.

Types of organizational politics

Power struggles

Conflict and tension can arise among employees when people compete for control or influence in the workplace. Examples include:

• Competing for leadership: Two people might want to be the team leader, leading to disagreements within the team
• Project control: Employees might have different visions for how a project should proceed, leading to arguments over decisions

Favoritism

Favoritism happens when managers give special treatment to specific people based on personal preference rather than merit. This makes others feel unfairly treated in instances of:

• Promotions: An employee might get promoted because they are friends with the boss, even when others are more qualified
• Assignments: Some employees might get the best tasks or opportunities because the manager likes them more

Self-serving behavior

Some people act in ways that benefit themselves at the expense of others or the organization. This can hurt teamwork and trust. This can look like:

• Taking credit: An employee might take credit for a team’s work rather than give credit where credit is due
• Withholding information: Employees might hide vital information to keep an advantage over their coworkers

Office gossip

Spreading rumors or talking negatively about others behind their backs creates a toxic work environment that can damage relationships. This includes:

• Spreading rumors: Sharing privileged information or lies about a colleague’s personal life or work performance
• Negative talk: Speaking poorly about coworkers or managers, which can create mistrust and conflict

Territorialism

Territorialism is when employees try to protect their areas of responsibility or resources. This can lead to conflicts and reduce collaboration, such as:

• Resource hoarding: An employee might refuse to share resources or information with others
• Defending turf: Employees might resist changes to areas under their control, even if those changes are suitable for the organization

Political maneuvering

Political maneuvering involves tactics for gaining power or advantage in the workplace. This can be subtle and hard to see, and can look like:

• Building alliances: Forming partnerships with influential colleagues to gain support and power
• Strategic communication: Carefully choosing what information to share and with whom as a way to influence decisions

Preventing negative organizational politics

There’s no simple way to prevent office politics from becoming negative. The fact is that some people don’t value loyalty or fairness in any organization—even a fair one—and will test the limits of influence until it isn’t worth it anymore.

The best thing organizations can do is build a bulwark against negative behaviors. They should foster open communication, build strong workplace relationships, and encourage collaboration that includes more people and voices.

This can be done through:

• Regular team meetings: Openly discuss progress, challenges, and concerns to keep everyone on the same page and prevent secret interests from staying hidden. Make sure to listen to team members and validate their concerns.
• Speedy conflict resolution: Teamwork hinges on being able to tackle conflict head-on. Conflict is usually uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be avoided altogether, as it provides some of the most fertile ground for new solutions and relationships. Stay calm and be fair.
• Networking: If people aren’t meeting others who can help them in their work, facilitate those introductions for them. Don’t let cliques and gatekeeping get in the way of effective teamwork.
• Team activities: Outings, happy hours, and opportunities to recognize achievements can help teams strengthen bonds and cooperate better.
• Open policies: Avoiding favoritism is easier when clear policies on promotions, rewards, and decision-making processes exist. Ensure evaluations and promotions are based on merit and performance, not personal preferences.

Positive workplace politics foster an environment where everyone feels included and valued. In fact, if you’ve ever worked somewhere that truly recognized your worth to the organization, you know it’s an unparalleled experience. Moreover, these workplaces tend to offer unique opportunities and retain employees for extended periods.

Don’t be fooled by the hustle culture that values net gains over people’s lives. It is in the company’s best interests to ensure people have a pleasant work experience, which means keeping a leash on negative office politics.

More Resources:
Discussing politics in the workplace: Navigating tricky waters
4 common types of team conflict and how to resolve them
How to avoid setting unrealistic goals for your team