Political Activities in Organizations

Power struggles-CG1¹ certainly exist, and must be constrained.

Organizational rules-CG1² and policies must put limits to authority, pressure, harassment, bullying and coercion.

Management decisions-CG1³ are where accountability and the mélange of self-interests clash and get resolved one way or another.

Organizational issues-CG1⁴ emerge that are recognized as politically sensitive and distinct from straightforward management.

Chief executives and managers regularly exhort their staff in terms of the «good of the organization» or the «interests of the business» (on which all depend) i.e. CG1⁵.

Ethical aspects-CG1⁶ must be considered; and of course:

People are still human beings with needs, but the community here refers to all staff, so we refer to staff needs-CG1⁷ e.g. for safety, for privacy, for friendly attitudes, for a clean environment.

Political manoeuvring-CG2¹ occurs as expected, even if it is shaped by the culture, structures, policies and personalities in the organization.

Management briefings-CG2² replace official briefings.

Confidential discussion-CG2³ seems more fitting than in camera deliberation.

Instead of public advocacy-CG2⁴ as found in society, organizations require championing to over-turn self-defeating arrangements or rules, and to enable innovation in management methods.

The equivalent of media debate-CG2⁵ in organizations is wide consultation with feedback, useful if not essential when profound changes are imminent.

The societal phenomenon of moral challenge-CG2⁶ finds its counterpart in whistle-blowing which is the form that ethical exposure takes.

Power games-CG3¹ replace a victory strategy because the nature of authority in an organization means pressures and lobbying can usually be resisted. Games or ploys, however, test authority and manipulate or delay unwanted decisions.

Management measures-CG3² replace social measures and have similar implications.

Staff commitment-CG3³ replaces popular commitment, and is needed for any major change in strategy, culture or working practices.

Rights campaigns-CG3⁴ replace moral crusades Rights being defended may be those of female or handicapped employees, or relate to work-place prejudice based on things like skin-colour, ethnicity or disability.

Righting of wrongs-CG3⁵ remains, although that is perhaps as rare in organizations as elsewhere. It does occur following whistle-blowing and scandals. A new CEO may be required and, ideally, they decide to make amends and build a positive, humane working culture for all staff.

Powerful divisions or departments put in development bids-CG4¹ that are often sub-optimal in that they ignore the welfare of the organization as a whole; and budgets may be padded to counteract expected reductions.

The Board led by the CEO and top management team typically develops and sanctions company policy-CG4². Such policy tends to ignore the needs of staff and ethical aspects that might harm profits or pursuit of the cause.

Policy is often generated by consultant inputs-CG4³. However, consultancy firms have bested interests and services to sell—and their hammer may not correspond to the company's nail.

Rather rarely an organization may call for a wide-ranging inquiry-CG4⁴, perhaps to reinvent itself. This would involve many inputs including all staff, customers and a variety of outside interests, including activist groups that may be hostile. Governing boards, like government, are often resistant to such efforts.

Organizations (unlike communities or societies) must grow and adapt to markets and societal forces—or fail. Leaders are given that responsibility.

Appointed Leaders-CG5² are the central focus of organizations. From the CEO down the line-management spine of the organization, staff are appointed and expected (often implicitly) to handle political issues as part of their role.

Elected Leaders-CG5¹ are found in organizations, typically in relation to representative groups like staff unions or committees of professionals. Such leaders are also appointed members of staff and are at the mercy of the CEO. So often society provides laws to protect them.

Emergent leaders-CG5³ arise when top management denies or suppresses popular discontent based on unacceptable practices, and there is insufficient legal protection for elected leaders to diffuse the situation. These are not the «champions» beloved of CEOs and management consultants alike. These champions signify a crisis of confidence in management.

Imperatives driven by the business-CG6² may conflict with those that benefit a small group of insiders-CG6¹.

A small insider group, typically led by the CEO, may be tempted to exploit the company, its staff and its shareholders, rather than be duty-bound to strengthen the firm. Recent public examples include… Enron and the large US investment banks.

Organizations are dynamic and focused with people entering and leaving all the time. Nevertheless unity and stability remain essential to deliver results and make changes which have political dimensions.

Organizations are not «sovereign», but they do require Autonomy-CG7¹ to manage all aspects of internal politics and to be responsible for delivering on the mission.