A Seminar on Organizational Politics and Its Alternative Effects on Niger Delta University
Chapter One
Preamble of the Study
Organizational politics is a pervasive and complex phenomenon that occurs within most workplaces, including universities. The Nigerian Delta University (NDU) is no exception to this reality. Organizational politics can be defined as the use of power and influence by individuals or groups to achieve their objectives within an organization, often at the expense of others (Pfeffer, 1981). While organizational politics can have both positive and negative effects on an organization, the negative effects are particularly salient in the context of the NDU.
The negative effects of organizational politics can manifest in several ways, including decreased morale, increased turnover, reduced job satisfaction, and decreased productivity (Ferris et al., 2002). These negative effects can be particularly pronounced in universities, where politics can lead to the exploitation of students, biased hiring practices, and decreased funding for academic programs (Guzzo & Shea, 1992).
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
ORGANIZATION POLITICS
Politics involves a set of influencing behaviours that are displayed in order to secure and develop individual or group benefits. The politics that is experienced within an organization is a basic reality of life. Firstly, political presence or perception within an organization should be defined in order to understand and manage this real life phenomenon in a better way. claimed that each organization is a political structure. Additionally, gaining power and attempting to influence colleagues using gained power in various ways and means create organizational politics.
Reference defined organizational politics as the use of power in order to obtain results that are either not approved by the organization or use tools that are also not approved by the organization. Although there are many different definitions of organizational politics, these definitions agree that organizational politics is a set of social-influencing processes, which are experienced within an organization in order to prevent short-or long- term individual benefits.
Organizational politics, which can be defined as converting the results of a specific situation to someone’s benefit, such as influencing decision-making processes, can prevent or promote individual benefits. While this process sometimes takes place at an individual level, it can occur at a group level at other times, in which cooperation among individuals takes place in order to increase collective benefits stated that organizational politics may be experienced at different levels in any organization, with the caveat that every behaviour ought not to be categorized as political within an organization. Meanwhile, proposed that, if organizational politics is focused on securing and developing individual benefits, this will be in the overarching interests of the organization.
The perception about organizational politics may vary from person to person within an organization. The perception of individuals about their working environment’s political structure may affect how their thinking relates to their employers, managers and colleagues, as well as impact on their productivity levels, job satisfaction and intentions towards leaving the organization
ALTERNATIVE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS
Organizational politics can have both positive and negative effects on an organization. While some may view politics as a harmful and disruptive force, others argue that it can be a valuable tool for achieving organizational goals and objectives. In this response, I will discuss some alternative effects of organizational politics, supported by relevant citations.
One potential positive effect of organizational politics is that it can facilitate the creation of new ideas and innovation within an organization. According to Hesselbein and Goldsmith (2009), organizational politics can create a healthy environment for dissent and debate, which can ultimately lead to the development of new and creative solutions to organizational problems. In addition, when employees engage in political behaviors, they may be more likely to challenge the status quo and bring fresh perspectives to the table.
CHAPTER THREE
Conclusion
As in any organization, organizational politics can have both positive and negative effects on Niger Delta University. On the one hand, it can foster healthy competition and promote innovation, while on the other hand, it can create a toxic work environment and negatively impact the quality of education and research produced by the university. However, alternative strategies for managing organizational politics, such as promoting transparency, collaboration, and ethical behavior, can mitigate the negative effects and foster a positive work environment. By implementing these strategies, Niger Delta University can reduce the negative impact of organizational politics and improve the overall functioning of the university. Ultimately, a healthy and positive work environment can benefit not only the university’s stakeholders but also the wider community it serves.
References
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- Hesselbein, F., & Goldsmith, M. (2009). Leader to leader: Enduring insights on leadership from the Drucker Foundation’s award-winning journal. John Wiley & Sons.
- Kacmar, K. M., & Ferris, G. R. (1991). Perceptions of organizational politics scale (POPS): Development and construct validation. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 51(1), 193-205.
- Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Kolodinsky, R. W., Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., & Frink, D. D. (2002). Development and validation of the political skill inventory. Journal of management, 28(1), 69-94.
- Guzzo, R. A., & Shea, G. P. (1992). Group performance and intergroup relations in organizations. Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, 2, 269-313.
- Igwe, P. A. (2015). Politics and Administration of Higher Education in Nigeria: The Case of Niger Delta University. Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, 7(5), 93-102.
- Pfeffer, J. (1981). Power in organizations. Pitman.
- Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Kolodinsky, R. W., Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., & Frink, D. D. (2002). Development and validation of the political skill inventory. Journal of management, 28(1), 69-94.
- Guzzo, R. A., & Shea, G. P. (1992). Group performance and intergroup relations in organizations. Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, 2, 269-313.
- Jaschik, S. (2012). A Coup at UVa. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/19/board-visitors-ousts-uva-president-teresa-sullivan.
- Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Kolodinsky, R. W., Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., & Frink, D. D. (2002).
