Political Strategies and Personal Actions

Abstract

Graduate students in organization behavior, business ethics, and organizational power courses responded to three questions regarding commonness of use, effectiveness, and propensity to apply four political strategies presented using 16 scenarios. Students believe political strategies are commonly used; they believe political strategies are moderately effective, but they are not enthusiastic about using them in their personal interactions. Students in the organizational power course viewed aspects of politics in organizations more favorably than did students who had not been tutored in organization power topics in depth. Ethics students were the most willing to build a coalition to sanction the behavior of a colleague whose actions were seen as dysfunctional by the members of the organization.