What is office politics?

Do you know well about office politics? Office politics is also known as workplace politics or organizational politics. Obviously, office politics is what happens in a company or organisation, between colleagues and subordinates. According to Ochoga (n/a), "organization with weak directives, poor communications and ineffectively managed cultures and breeding grounds for negative dysfunctional interpersonal dynamics referred to as office politics". Poor communication and self-interest may lead to office politics. “All organisations are subject to conflict and competition between the desires and interests of different departments, teams and individuals. Office politics refers to the processes through which these rival interests are played out and eventually reconciled.”(Kinicki, 2008)  Conflict and competition is the big topic in office politics and office politics is the way how they achieve their self-interest. Office politics also indicate gossip between the people in an organization. Wherever there are two or more people involved in an organisation,  Many of self-feeling that in a person might cause conflict or contradiction. All of these issues are considered as office politics.

               Everyone in the organization is the character in the political games. Office politics is “synonymous with hypocrisy, secrecy, deal making, rumours, power brokers, self-interest, image building, self promotion and cliques” (Grahm, 1998). Office politics bring a lot of effect to an organization and most of them are probably negative effect. It is also said that office politics is the non-proper way to gain power to achieve self-interest. (Dubrin, 2001) But we have to know it, office politics is not an issue that definitely wrong in moral value or bringing the negative influence to us. The manipulation is still in people’s hand.It is necessary to have a leader in an organization and he/she is the person who able to have a strong influence on the political environment of an organization. (Kinicki, 2008) This is because an organization is running the political system as a state or country actually. A skillfully leader could use the situation to help the organization to achieve their major goals.

               Many of fresh graduates cannot deal well with the office politics and feel very frustration. This is because there is less relation of profit between schoolmates instead of colleagues.Anyway, there are still a lot of habits and ways to help us to deal with office politics. What to be sure is we must develop our soft skills as well as we can face every single situation well.

               There are some basic office politics personality types that can be found in an organization. “The ego monster” indicate someone feel that they are always right; “the bully” always feel good when putting others down and “the climber” try their best to close with boss and try to get a higher situation in an organization.

               In our assignment, we are going to emphasis on what are the causes and effects of office politics occurs.