CHAPTER 12: Politics

Question 1

Organizational Politics

Answer 1

• The pursuit of self-interest whether or not the self-interest is compatible with organizational goals
• Can be functional (beneficial) or dysfunctional (harmful).

Question 2

Politics occur when:

Answer 2

o Resources are scarce
o Under conditions of uncertainty (e.g., vague performance goals, role ambiguity, job anxiety)
o When important issues arise (e.g., during organizational change, management succession, etc)

Question 3

The Facets of Political Skill

Answer 3

• Ability to understand others at work and use that knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one’s personal or organizational objectives.

1. Social Astuteness – Understanding others’ needs and emotions.
2. Interpersonal Influence – Being persuasive and adaptable.
3. Apparent Sincerity – Being perceived as genuine.
4. Networking Ability – Building relationships for influence.

Question 4

Key networking strategies include

Answer 4

o Maintaining contacts (business cards, thank-you notes).
o Socializing (golf, company events).
o Professional engagement (speaking events, workshops).
o Community participation (volunteering, clubs).
o Increasing visibility (high-profile projects).

Question 5

Machiavellianism

Answer 5

a set of cynical beliefs about human nature, morality, and the permissibility of using various tactics to achieve one’s ends.

Question 6

Characteristics of high Machiavellian individuals

Answer 6

o Act in their self-interest, even at the expense of others.
o Appear cool and calculating, especially in emotional situations.
o Exhibit high self-esteem and self-confidence.
o Form alliances with powerful individuals to achieve goals.
* High Machs assume others are gullible and use deceit as a strategy.
* They thrive in unstructured, emotional situations where they can manipulate others.
* High Machs are adept at coalition-building to outmaneuver opponents.
* Research shows they may engage in counterproductive behaviors like sabotage and theft.

Question 7

Knowledge hiding

Answer 7

a political behavior where individuals intentionally withhold information that has been requested by or is relevant to another organizational member
* It is damaging to organizational success, creativity, and innovation.

Question 8

Three types of knowledge hiding

Answer 8

o Playing dumb – Pretending to be ignorant of requested knowledge.
o Evasive hiding – Providing misinformation or delaying sharing information.
o Rationalized hiding – Justifying withholding information due to circumstances or blaming others.

• Over-competitive and politicized work environments encourage knowledge hiding.
• High Mach individuals are particularly inclined to engage in knowledge hiding.

Question 9

Defensiveness

Answer 9

A form of political behavior aimed at protecting self-interest and avoiding blame

Question 10

Defensive behaviors include

Answer 10

o Stalling – Delaying cooperation to avoid taking action.
o Overconforming – Rigidly following rules to avoid making decisions.
o Buck passing – Shifting responsibility to others.
* If avoidance is not possible, defensive behaviors shift to blame protection:
o Buffing – Over-documenting actions to appear compliant.
o Scapegoating – Blaming others for failures, often used by powerful individuals to maintain their position.