UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS FOR POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT AND BEHAVIOURS AMONG LIS PROFESSIONALS: A CONCEPTUAL GUIDE

Author: Nse Emmanuel Akwang Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

Organizational politics is a common phenomenon that has attracted the concerns of many scholars. It is often seen from the negative perspective but some researchers have faulted the ideology maintaining that there are positive aspects of organizational politics. Against this background, this paper seeks to provide a thematic review of the understanding and managing of organizational politics for positive engagement and behaviours among LIS professionals. Specifically, this paper presents a literary discourse on organizational politics and the perspectives of organizational politics. The paper also identifies the predominant organizational politics in tertiary institutions as well as possible factors influencing them. The strategies for managing the political behaviour within the context of the library were also revealed. In conclusion, the paper established that organizational politics is a necessary evil that cannot be totally eradicated from organizations including tertiary institutions. It is also ascertained that having a proper understanding and adopting appropriate management strategies could go a long way to minimize the negative effects of organizational politics thus creating a friendly work environment for positive engagement and behaviours within tertiary institutions and libraries. It is recommended among others that the management team of tertiary institutions and library management should constantly observe the work environment for possible factors that could fuel upheavals within the system, employ the right persons for the right positions, and maintain an open and transparent communication system. The paper suggests an empirical analysis to establish the extent to which the organizational politics identified in this paper could affect the work commitment of LIS professionals in university libraries.

Keywords: Politics, Organizational Politics, Political Behaviour, Power, Influence, LIS Professionals.

REFERENCES

  • Asadullah, M. A., Haider, S., Heredero, C., & Musaddiq, M. (2016). Effect of ingratiation on supervisor satisfaction through helping behavior: A moderated mediation model. Intangible Capital, 12(5), 1157–1191
  • Bhagwam, V. & Bhushan, V. (2010). Public administration. Delhi: S. Chand
  • Bohns, V. K. & Flynn, F. J. (2013). Understanding our influence over others at work. http://www.digital commons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles
  • Cacciattolo, K. (2015). Organizational politics: The positive and negative sides. European Scientific Journal, 2(1), 121-129.
  • Chen, H., Jiang, S. & Wu, M. (2021). How important are political skills for career success? A systematic review and meta-analysis. The International Journal of Human Management, 33(19), 3942-3968. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2021.1949626
  • Drory, A. &Vigoda-Gadot, E. (2010). Organizational politics and human resource management: A typology and Israeli experience. Human Resources Management Review, 20, 194-202.
  • Enyinna, U. K., Ndugbu, M. O., Lazarus, O. & Ukpai, K. A (2014). Organizational politics and employees’ performance in private sector investment: A comparative study of Zenith Bank Plc and Alcon Plc. Nigeria. European Journal of Business and Management, 6(26). https://www.iiste.org
  • Gotsis, G. N. & Kortezi, Z. (2010). Ethical considerations in organizational politics: Expanding the perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 93, 497-517.
  • Jarrett, M. (2017). The four types of organizational politics. Harvard Business Review. http://hbr.org/2017/04/the-4-types-of-org-politics
  • O’hair, D. & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction (2nd ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins
  • Olusegun, O. J. (2019). The impact of workplace politics on organization development: A theoretical perspective. Journal of Management and Corporate Governance, 11(1). www.cenresinpub.org
  • Robbins, S. P. (2001). Organizational Behavior (6th ed.). New Delhi: Prentice-Hall.
  • Uford, I. C. (2017). Customer and Employee-based Brand Equity Driving United Bank for Africa’s Market Performance (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic & Business Sciences).
  • Vigoda-Gadot, E. & Drory, A. (Eds.) (2006). Handbook of organizational politics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.