Organizational politics as a blindfold

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 784-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongxing Guo ◽  
Haiying Kang ◽  
Bo Shao ◽  
Beni Halvorsen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of organizational politics on the relationships between work engagement, in-role performance and organization citizenship behavior – organization (OCBO). Design/methodology/approach Theoretical hypotheses were tested using a sample of 107 supervisor-subordinate dyads in China. Outcome variables, such as in-role performance and OCBO, were rated by supervisors. Findings Contrary to the established literature on positive work engagement-work outcomes relationships, the findings supported the prediction that work engagement was negatively related to supervisor-rated in-role performance and OCBO when the organizational is perceived as highly political. Research limitations/implications The sample size for this study is relatively small. In addition, the authors measured organizational politics from employees’ perspectives, which might not reflect reality objectively. Furthermore, the data were collected at a single time point, so causal relationships could not be validated. Practical implications When employees perceive the work environment as political, organizations need to be aware of non-work factors that may influence supervisors’ evaluation of employee performance to ensure they do not demotivate and discourage highly engaged employees. Originality/value Considerable research has shown that work engagement is positively related to in-role performance and OCBO. The present study, however, challenges and extends previous research by suggesting that work engagement can lead to low supervisor evaluation of in-role performance and OCBO when the organization is perceived to be political.

2000 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eran Vigoda

Politics is one of the most common yet least studied phenomena in organizations. This study examines employees' perceptions of organizational politics in the public sector and suggests that it mediates the relationship between job congruence (e.g., person-organization fit and level of met-expectations) and employee performance (e.g., organizational citizenship behavior [OCB] and in-role performance). A survey was conducted among 303 individuals in public personnel from two local municipalities in the north of Israel (first survey). Supervisors completed an assessment of employees' OCB and in-role performance six months later (second survey). Path analysis using LISREL VIII was implemented to evaluate two alternative models, direct and indirect. Findings of the study show that the indirect model fits the data better than the direct model, and therefore supports a mediating effect of perceptions of organizational politics scale (POPS) on the relationship between job congruence and employee performance. Structural coefficients among the research variables promote the theory on the affect of job congruence and POPS on OCB and in-role behavior. The findings contribute both to the understanding of antecedents of POPS as well as to the exploration of some of its consequences. The paper concludes with several implications and suggestions for further inquiry into politics in public administration systems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upasna A. Agarwal

Purpose This paper aims to test the effects of perception of organizational politics (POPS) on work outcomes–work engagement, innovative work behaviour and turnover intention. Mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of locus of control (LOC) on perceived organizational politics–outcome (innovative work behaviour and turnover intention) relationship was investigated. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from a sample of 302 full-time managerial employees in India. Results suggest that perceived organizational politics is significantly related to intention to quit and innovative work behaviour, and this relationship is partially mediated by work engagement. LOC moderates the organizational politics–work outcomes (work engagement and innovative work behaviour) relationship. Findings The current research demonstrates that availability of a work environment, where there are unfair decisions, nepotism and favoritism, is an impediment to engagement, innovative work behaviour and retention of managers. It behooves of top management therefore focusing on reducing POPS and subsequent deficits in motivation by providing clear feedback regarding which behaviours their organization desires. Research limitations/implications The study focused on POPS as reported by the employees and not on actual political behaviours. As the study did not cover all sectors, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution. Originality/value The study extended the current research stream of perceived organizational politics research to one of the underrepresented developing Asian countries, India. The study also contributes in terms of its sample characteristics. Managerial employees working across different sectors, served as the setting of our empirical study.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Ashfaq

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of person-organization (PO) fit on work engagement (WE). The paper also explores the relationships among WE, organization citizenship behavior-individual (OCBI) and organization citizenship behavior-organization (OCBO). Lastly, the study analyzes the mediating effect of WE between PO fit and OCBI/OCBO.Design/methodology/approachFor this purpose, a questionnaire has been designed and survey data has been collected from 280 frontline employees of private banks in Pakistan. The partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique has been employed to analyze the data and for testing the study hypotheses.FindingsFindings show the positive relationship of PO fit with WE, and the positive relationship of WE with OCBI/OCBO. It is also seen that WE mediate the relationship between PO fit and OCBI/OCBO.Originality/valueNo prior study tests the mediation of WE between PO fit and OCBI/OCBO. Further, organization citizenship behavior (OCB) has mostly been studied as a single construct; however, the current study discussed the individual and organizational aspects of OCB with PO fit and WE.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuj Gupta ◽  
Pankaj Singh

Purpose The antecedents and consequences of work engagement have been extensively discussed and analyzed in the previous literature; however, identifying cost-effective measures that can sustain work engagement to boost work outcomes has received sparse attention in the Indian information technology (IT) context. This study aims to provide new insights concerning the associations of job crafting and workplace civility with work engagement and its corresponding outcomes, such as change perception, general life satisfaction and intention to quit. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling on data obtained from 369 software developers in India using questionnaire surveys. Findings Results confirmed that work engagement partially mediated the association of job crafting and workplace civility with the perception of change and general life satisfaction. The negative associations of job crafting and workplace civility with the intention to quit were also partially mediated by work engagement. The findings can be used to inform human resources strategies to boost work engagement and subsequent work outcomes. Research limitations/implications The results of this empirical work will offer insights to managers who are looking for cost-effective interventions and behaviors aimed at increasing work engagement and, consequently, achieving effective work outcomes. Originality/value This study contributes by empirically testing the application of novel employee-driven practices in improving work engagement and work outcomes, particularly in the context of IT companies in India.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asrar-ul-Haq ◽  
Hafiz Yasir Ali ◽  
Sadia Anwar ◽  
Anam Iqbal ◽  
Muhammad Badr Iqbal ◽  
...  

Purpose Organizational politics has been a topic of conceptual and empirical interest for researchers and practitioners for many years. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between organizational politics and employee work outcomes in educational institutions. In addition, this paper also aims to assess the moderating role of social capital. Design/methodology/approach Employee perceptions about organizational politics and its impact on their work outcomes have been assessed empirically with a sample of 270 full-time employees in higher education institutions of Pakistan. The data have been collected from faculty members of five universities of Pakistan using survey method. SPSS and AMOS have been used to analyze the data and SEM has been used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate a moderating effect of social capital on the relationship between perceived organizational politics and employee outcomes, and the most significant employee outcomes are job stress, job satisfaction and turnover intentions. The findings of the study support the view that organizational politics has negative association with employee job stress and turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications Higher education sector in Pakistan is facing certain challenges, which affect talent retention. The findings of this study will help the administration of higher education institutions to develop effective strategies to cope with the challenges of organizational politics, such as motivation, satisfaction and retention of their employees. Originality/value The study adds to the literature on organizational politics by highlighting and validating its adverse effects on employee work outcomes in the context of Pakistani higher education.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Gupta ◽  
Vandna Sharma

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of employee engagement (EE) as a mediator in the relationship of extra-role performance (ERP) with leader member exchange (LMX), high-involvement human resource practices (HI HRPs) and employee resilience (ER) in the emerging service sector organizations in India. Design/methodology/approach Data have been gathered from 328 employees from executive and non-executive grades from metro rail organizations of North India through structured questionnaire. Before analysis, missing data and outliers were examined. Structure equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis have been performed to analyse the hypothesized model. Findings Findings reveal that all the constructs taken in the study – LMX, HI HRP and ER – had a positive influence on employees’ ERP through EE. Research limitations/implications This study is helpful in providing better understanding of the predictors of EE and the way it affects employees’ ERP for researches that are aiming to conduct related research studies in an Indian context. To achieve higher employee performance, organizations need to identify factors or drivers that potentially increase the EE levels, thereby, increasing the employees’ performance. This will also help HR practitioners in shaping and formulating effective organizational policies and practices. Originality/value This study has considered the emerging service sector organizations in India that have not been endeavoured before as earlier studies concentrated more on Western countries. The result of the study is congruent with that of the previous studies by establishing a positive relationship between EE and employees’ ERP and also concludes that LMX, HI HRP and ER have positive influence on EE.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Qamar Zia ◽  
Muhammad Naveed ◽  
Muhammad Adnan Bashir ◽  
Asif Iqbal

PurposeDrawing from social exchange theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of servant leadership on organizational citizenship behavior, turnover intentions and work performance through mediating role of job embeddedness.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered from 252 frontline employees of Pakistan's hotel industry in two-time lags with an interval of two months by using purposive sampling. PLS-SEM was applied for the analysis of data and hypothesis testing.FindingsThe study ascertained that job embeddedness is a potent mediator between the nexus of servant leadership and aforementioned work outcomes. The study results portray that servant leadership promotes job embeddedness, OCB, work performance and reduces turnover intentions.Research limitations/implicationsHotel management can use job embeddedness to boost servant leadership and reduce turnover intentions. In addition, management should also increase servant leadership by organizing training and workshops for their managers, which ultimately improves followers' organizational citizenship behavior and work performance.Practical implicationsHotel management can use job embeddedness to boost OCB, work performance and reduce turnover intentions. In addition, management should also increase servant leadership by organizing training and workshops for their managers, which ultimately improves followers' citizenship behavior and work performance.Originality/valueThere are numerous calls for research to ascertain as well as sparse literature available whether job embeddedness act as a mediator in the nexus of servant leadership and work outcomes or not. The current study fills these voids and contributes to the literature by empirically examining the mechanism of job embeddedness between servant leadership and the work outcomes.


Kybernetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenduo Zhang ◽  
Huan Xiao ◽  
Xueqin Gou ◽  
Miaomiao Li ◽  
Junwei Zheng

Purpose Previous research has examined the effects of discrete affects on voice; however, the role of trait and state affects in voice literature has received little attention. This study aims to address this important issue from a conservation of resources perspective, by exploring the influence of daily positive affect and emotional resistance to change on the voice of employees and their resulting work outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study collected data about 285 daily episodes from 57 employees over five consecutive days, using an experience sampling method (ESM) through mobile surveys. The study found that emotional resistance to change was negatively related to employee voice and in-role performance. Findings Voice mediated the negative relationship between emotional resistance to change and in-role performance. The study also found that daily positive affect buffered the negative effects of emotional resistance to change on voice. Originality/value These findings extend the research concerning affect and voice; the study provides integrative insight into how affect dynamically influences organizations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1235-1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Kissi ◽  
Odoi Ansah Asare ◽  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Daniel Yamoah Agyemang ◽  
Musah Labaran

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the interaction effects among organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), work overload (WO) and employees’ performance in the Ghanaian construction industry, thus identifying the thin boundary between advocating OCB and avoiding WO in attempt to increase higher employee performance. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative research method, three hypotheses were tested. The views of 86 project teams were elicited using a structured questionnaire, and linear regression was utilized to validate the hypotheses. Findings The study proved that OCBs positively affect employee performance in the construction industry. The results implied that increased work load on employees do not increase their productivity levels, but adversely increase the unconsiderable effects of employees’ work lives. In addition, WO played the role of homologizing moderation in the relationship between OCB and employee performance. Practical implications The findings suggest that there is a considerable effect of WO on overall employee performance in the construction industry; thus, there is a need for stakeholders to address this issue for performance improvement. Originality/value The application and investigation of these issues have dominated the banking industry but lacked in the construction industry. The current study therefore provides useful insight into the interaction effects among organizational citizenship behavior, WO and employees’ performance in the Ghanaian construction industry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 967-984
Author(s):  
Melody P.M. Chong ◽  
Xiji Zhu ◽  
Pingping Fu ◽  
Ling Ying Sarinna Wong

Purpose Previous research on influence strategies has almost exclusively indicated negative relationships between assertive influence and employee work outcomes; the purpose of this study is to argue that an assertive influence strategy can also lead to both positive and negative work outcomes, when subordinates hold different attributions towards the leaders’ motive of using assertive influence (hereafter “the cause”). Design/methodology/approach The empirical study was based on data collected from 930 employees in China. The authors developed hypotheses to test the mediating effects of three types of perception in the relationship between an assertive influence strategy and five outcomes, and additional analyses on persuasive and relational influence strategies are also conducted. Findings Results show that when subordinates attribute the cause to their ability (internal attribution), an assertive influence has indirect positive effect on felt obligation, organizational commitment, job performance and organizational citizenship behavior; when subordinates attribute the cause to the poor relationship with their superiors (relational attribution), an assertive influence has indirect negative impact on most outcomes except for job performance; when subordinates perceive that the cause is to the superiors, such as authoritarian leadership (external attribution), an assertive influence has indirect positive effect on job performance. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of subordinates’ perceptions during the leadership influence processes. Originality/value This study was the first to examine the mediation relationship between three types of influence strategies and five organizational outcomes based on a large sample of front-line staff in China. The findings of the study also enrich the literature of leadership and attribution theories.


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