Variation of Political Skill Dimensions Across Different Industries

2021 ◽  
pp. 097226292110656
Author(s):  
Shivani Tiwari ◽  
Vikas Jain ◽  
Shafiullah Anis
Keyword(s):  
Personnel Selection ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
The Political ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Organizational Goals ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Networking Ability ◽  
Skill Dimensions ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
Political Skill Inventory

The purpose of this study to ascertain if there is any variation in political skill dimensions ((a) social astuteness, (b) interpersonal influence, (c) networking ability and (d) apparent sincerity) exhibited by employees in India’s seven industry sectors. In this study, the Political Skill Inventory (PSI) is used to examine such variations. Five hundred fifty survey respondents are employed in seven sectors viz. automobile, education, finance, fast moving consumer goods, health, information technology and telecom. The results exemplify that statistically significant differences are exhibited in these political skill dimensions by the employees in different industry sectors chosen for this research. Since these differences are reflected on four dimensions of the political skill, this study makes a unique contribution by developing an understanding of individual dimensions of political skill, thus, enabling greater insight into skill enhancement at various levels. Further, this study contributes by furnishing insights on skills useful for practitioners to understand dominance and lack of industry-specific skills within PSI inventory. The implications of this study could be in the areas such as personnel selection, framing skill development tools and programmes, enhancing job performance, achieving organizational goals and improvising organizational culture.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of the Spanish Version of the Political Skill Inventory: A Measurement Invariance Test

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-377
Author(s):  
Rebeca Cepas González ◽  
Paula Ruiz-Zorrilla Blanco ◽  
Francisco Gil ◽  
Mirko Antino
Keyword(s):  
Spanish Version ◽  
The Political ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Factor Analyses ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Political Skills ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analyses ◽  
Networking Ability ◽  
Invariance Test

Introducción: El inventario de habilidades políticas (PSI, siglas en inglés) es una medida para calibrar cuatro dimensiones relacionadas con este constructo: la astucia social, la capacidad de influencia interpersonal, la habilidad para establecer contactos y la sinceridad aparente (Ferris, 2005). Método: En el presente estudio, multi-muestra y multi-método, sendos análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio se han llevado a cabo para desarrollar y testar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española del PSI. Adicionalmente, se llevó a cabo un test de fiabilidad longitudinal y un análisis de invarianza relativo al género. Resultados: Los índices alpha de Cronbach y omega revelaron un grado de fiabilidad satisfactoria. El análisis factorial exploratorio extrajo los cuatro factores de la versión original, tal y como ya ha sido reportado en otros estudios (N = 309). El análisis factorial confirmatorio confirmó que el ajuste de dicha estructura fue el mejor frente a los datos (N = 248). Conclusiones: Con este estudio se añade evidencia al estudio de la invarianza de género y la estabilidad temporal de esta medida, mostrando que la versión española del PSI puede ser considerada una medida estable y válida a través del tiempo y relativa al género. Background: The Political Skills Inventory (PSI) is a measurement tool for assessing four dimensions associated with political skills: social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability and apparent sincerity (Ferris, 2005). Method: In the present study, multi-sample and multi-method, we developed and analyzed the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the (PSI), by performing both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Additionally, a longitudinal reliability test and a sex factorial invariance test were performed. Results: Cronbach's alpha and omega indices revealed satisfactory reliability and exploratory factor analyses extracted the four original factors as reported in other studies (N = 309). Confirmatory factorial analyses confirmed that the four-factor solution presented the best fit to our data (N = 248). Conclusions: We add new evidence for time and sex invariance of the measure, showing that the PSI can be considered a stable and valid measure over time and across sex.

scholarly journals Pretesting a political skill scale in a sample of teacher-leaders from polytechnics in northeast Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-292
Author(s):  
Bala Salisu ◽  
Siti Rahmah Awang
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Leadership ◽  
Teacher Leaders ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
The Political ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Content Domain ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Skill Inventory ◽  
Κ Statistic ◽  
Northeast Nigeria

Although the Political Skill Inventory (PSI) is the benchmark measure of the political skill construct, the existence and frequent use of other measures suggest that the PSI fails to cover the content domain of the construct comprehensively. This study utilised the extant political skill measures in developing a robust and parsimonious political skill scale for assessing the political sensitivity of teacher-leaders in higher education. Cognitive tests, behaviour coding and respondent debriefing were conducted to evaluate a 38-item pool on political skill in a sample of 36 teacher-leaders drawn from nine polytechnics situated in Northeast Nigeria. The scale's interrater agreement was computed using Fleiss' κ statistic based on categorical data from five expert reviews. The results of our analyses revealed a 15-item Political Skill Scale (PSS) that reflects the social competence teacher-leaders need in performing the largely voluntary roles of teacher leadership. This work contributes towards contextual mapping of the political skill construct in an African setting. It also offers a new political skill measure.

scholarly journals A Reliability Generalization Study of the Political Skill Inventory

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824401770671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan K. Jacobson ◽  
Chockalingam Viswesvaran
Keyword(s):  
Political Skill ◽  
The Political ◽  
Reliability Generalization ◽  
Political Skill Inventory

Measure invariance of the Political Skill Inventory (PSI) across five cultures

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Lvina ◽  
Gary Johns ◽  
Darren C. Treadway ◽  
Gerhard Blickle ◽  
Yongmei (Lucy) Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Equivalence ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
The Political ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mean And Covariance Structures ◽  
Political Skill Inventory

This research expands the study of political skill, a construct developed in North America, to other cultures. We examine the psychometric properties of the Political Skill Inventory (PSI) and test the measurement equivalence of the scale in a non-American context. Respondents were 1511 employees from China, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and the United States. The cross-cultural generalizability of the construct is established through consistent evidence of multi-group invariance in an increasingly stringent series of analyses of mean and covariance structures. Overall, the study provides systematic evidence that political skill can be treated as a stable construct among diverse cultural groups. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that translated PSI measures operationalize the construct similarly. With some exceptions, the item loadings and intercepts are invariant for the US and non-US responses, suggesting partial measurement equivalence. After verifying the accuracy of item translation, we conclude that any differences can be explained by variation in the cultural value of uncertainly avoidance and cultural differences on a low-to-high context continuum. Detected dissimilarities are addressed, and some suggestions regarding the correct use across borders of the instrument by managers and researchers are provided.

Political Skill at Work and in Careers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Kranefeld ◽  
Gerhard Blickle ◽  
James Meurs
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Personnel Selection ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Leadership ◽  
Political Environments ◽  
Networking Ability

Organizations are political environments, and, thus, individuals engage in political behavior in the workplace. As research on organizational politics grew, it became clear that some individuals are more successful at managing this landscape than others. This construct, termed political skill, was designed to capture the social savvy and competencies an individual needs to effectively achieve organizational and/or personal goals. Political skill comprises four key facets: first, social astuteness refers to the ability to understand others and social situations at work. Second, interpersonal influence comprises the capacity to persuasively communicate with others at work. Third, networking ability captures building, fostering, and using interpersonal relationships and connections to achieve work-related goals. Fourth, apparent sincerity entails conveying authenticity while influencing others at work. The composite construct and its facets are measured with the political skill inventory, which has been extensively validated across many countries and cultures. Political skill positively associates with workplace and career outcomes such as job performance, job satisfaction, career advancement, stress management, leadership effectiveness, and team performance. It also serves as moderating variable, bolstering (or buffering) effects of individual or job characteristics on those same outcomes. Even though more research is needed that specifies mediating processes and moderating conditions, political skill is already a useful tool for personnel selection. However, a comprehensive training program has yet to be developed. Moreover, political skill can play a critical role in new forms of interaction via social media.

Development and Validation of the Political Skill Inventory

2005 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald R. Ferris ◽  
Darren C. Treadway ◽  
Robert W. Kolodinsky ◽  
Wayne A. Hochwarter ◽  
Charles J. Kacmar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Political Skill ◽  
Performance Ratings ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Political ◽  
Mental Ability ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
General Mental Ability ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Political Skill Inventory

The present research was developed to examine the conceptualization and measurement of the political skill construct and to provide validation evidence for the Political Skill Inventory (PSI). The results of three investigations, involving seven samples, are reported that demonstrate consistency of the factor structure across studies, construct validity, and criterion-related validity of the PSI. As hypothesized, political skill was positively related to self-monitoring, political savvy, and emotional intelligence; negatively related to trait anxiety; and not correlated with general mental ability. Also, the PSI predicted performance ratings of managers in two samples. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are provided.

Political skill, organizational justice, and career success in mainland China

2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojun Lu ◽  
Mary E. Guy
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Justice ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Political Skill ◽  
Interpersonal Influence ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Networking Ability ◽  
Eastern Cultures ◽  
Sector Analysis

Organizational justice is a topic popularized for Western bureaucracies but there is less known about its influence in Eastern cultures. This research tests how organizational justice moderates the relationship between political skill and career success in the Chinese public sector. Analysis reveals that four dimensions of political skill (networking ability, apparent sincerity, social astuteness, and interpersonal influence) correlate positively with career success (measured as perceived internal marketability and perceived career success). Although hypothesized that organizational justice would lessen the influence of political skill on career success as a result of the implementation of formal merit-based pay rules, findings show that political skill is only partially moderated. While lessening the value of social astuteness, a positive relationship between interpersonal influence and internal marketability remains. Points for practitioners Profound changes in China’s salary system challenge traditional workplace customs. The implementation of merit-based pay requires a fair procedure for determining salary raises. In China, personalism remains a driving force because of the importance of guanxi. This affects how formal merit-based pay systems function in the East. Chinese culture tempers Western notions of organizational justice with its persistent reliance on political skill. This blend of worker behavior and career success, moderated by a conceptualization of organizational justice that embraces political skill, complicates the application of Western management systems in the East.

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