Question based on IIBSM MBA Assignment Solution and other course
Answer:
Politics is a fact of life in organizations. People who ignore this fact of life do so at their own peril. but why, you may wonder, must politics exist? Is not it possible for an organization to be politics free? It’s possible but unlikely.
Organizations are made up of individuals and groups with different values, goals and interests. This sets up the potential for conflict over resources. Departmental budgets, space allocations, project responsibilities and salary adjustments are just a few examples of the resources about whose allocation organizational members may disagree.
Resources in organizations are also limited, which often turn potential conflict into real conflict. If resources were abundant, then all the various constituencies within the organization could satisfy their goals. But because, they are limited, not everyone’s interest can be provided for. Furthermore, whether true or not, gains by one individual or group are often perceived as being at the expense of others, within the organization. These forces create competition among members for the organizations limited resources.
May be the most important factor leading to politics within organizations is the realization that most of the ‘fact’ that are used to allocate the limited resources are open to interpretation. What, for instance, is good performance? What’s an adequate improvement? What constitutes an unsatisfactory job? One person’s view that an act is a ‘selfless effort to benefit the organization’ is seen by another as a ‘blatant attempt to further ones interest’.
