Factors contributing to political behaviour in an organisation

Answer:

Individual Factors: There are individual factors where individuals play politics to satisfy their personal needs. These personal or individuals needs are like to gain power for control and to influence decision-MAKING process of the organisation. The aim of such individuals is to increase the area of their influence. They try to sustain power as it helps to obtain personal needs and fulfill desires. In organistions, individuals play politics as they have great desire and high need of gaining power. Such types of individuals are basically internals and self monitored people. There are many individuals who play politics because of their expectation of quick success in life at any cost.

ORGANISATIONAL Factors: There are some of the organisational factors that influence the individuals to play politics in the organisations. These factors are as follows:-

1. Limited Resources in the organisation: - When there are limited resources in the organisation then every individual in the organisation wants to have optimum resources. It results in making individuals getting engaged themselves in politics to get the maximum advantage of the distribution of resources.

2. Interpretation of limited resources: - The interpretation of limited resources like position, power, promotion etc in the organisation makes individuals engage in the politics. The individual who craves for such resources feels that they may be deprived of such resources in the process of distribution of resources and so they play politics in the organisation.

3. Uncertainty in decision-making: - There are some individuals who take advantage of the situation where there is uncertainty and ambiguity in decision-making because of unclear rules and policies.

4. Performance evaluation: - The individuals tend to play politics in the organization when performance evaluation and its outcome are subjective, QUALITATIVE and unclear.

5. High Performance pressure: - The individuals play politics when they are enforced with high performance pressure. The politics playing in the organization becomes measure to pressurize authority to withdraw control and lower the performance target.

6. Decision-making culture: - Democratic and participative decision-making culture of the organisation is also liable to organisational politics as every individual wants to enhance his/ her importance and thereafter GIVE opinion on crucial and important matters.

7. Affecting lower LEVEL persons: - The lower level persons get affected when they experience persons at higher level playing politics.