What are the negative effects of organizational policy? Find the answer here! This research paper focuses on the disadvantages of organizational policy in a company. It shows that it has more negative than positive outcomes, causing conflicts between employees.
Introduction
Organizational politics refers to office politics. Further, organizational politics encompass politics within the workplace. Thus, it involves the use of authority in a company or an organization to attain personal interests. Research shows that companies that engage in healthy organizational politics perform better than others.
The interests of the employees are addressed in an acceptable and amicable manner. Employees engaging in the same do not consider the effects organizational politics would have on the company. Workplace politics influence the behavior of employees and it might enhance access to assets and resources of the company. Unhealthy organizational politics will benefit a few employees of the company.
This aspect is destructive because it diverts the attention of employees to other issues. Employees of the company will be compelled to seek personal gains at the expense of organizational goals and objectives. In most cases, organizational politics affect the flow of information. Workers might receive wrong information from other employees that engage in workplace politics (Sharma, 2011).
Creation of appropriate political background in a company will avert the occurrence of destructive activities. This will also forestall the occurrence of other aspects or issues that will affect the image, reputation and goodwill of the company. Therefore, the management of the company should be prompt in addressing issues that would trigger organizational politics. This paper addresses some of the negative effects associated with organizational politics in a company.
Disadvantages of Organizational Politics in a Company
Negative politics affects the concentration of workers of a company. There is the likelihood of making a lot of mistakes when one is involved in workplace politics. In most cases, the focus of the employees involved in organizational politics is elsewhere. Employees might not even produce goods and services as required by the company.
Research shows that employees whose attention is divided cannot maximize on the productivity of the company. In fact, interests of employees that indulge in workplace politics are inclined towards spoiling the reputation and image of other employees. This is aimed at humiliating others in front of supervisors, team leaders, and even departmental heads.
In addition, mistakes can occur among employees indulging in organizational politics. Lack of concentration can cause minor and serious mistakes in a company. This would affect the company’s performance.
For instance, employees involved in service delivery will perform poorly and are likely to discourage customers from using the services of the company. They will not provide services in a satisfactory manner. Customers will not be satisfied. They are likely to boycott the products and services of the company leading to reduced revenue for the company.
Secondly, organizational politics could ruin the ambience. The world of business requires people and organizations to have good relations. This will foster unity in production and service delivery. However, organizational politics will interfere with good relations among employees of the company (Vigoda-Gadot & Drory, 2006). Hostility could also be enhanced by organizational politics. In fact, people indulging in organizational politics within an organization are disliked by the rest of the employees and management.
Consequences of Organizational Politics: Work Environment
Organizational politics can also lead to an unfriendly work environment. Employees will not have peace in their workplace. Situations of negative work environment will enhance high turnover rates in the company. The staff members of the company will not be comfortable because the environment will be hostile.
Other employees will refuse to go to work or even leave their workplace earlier than expected. They will try to return home to have peace of mind and be away from organizational politics within the company. This will affect production of goods and services in the company.
The third effect of organizational politics encompasses the attitude of the staff members. For instance, employees might have a negative attitude towards work, the employer or even their leaders. This will affect production. They are not likely to follow instructions as directed by their leaders.
Above and beyond, employees will lose interest in their work. They will go to work, but they will not work. Mostly, this will affect the serious employees within the company. They will not work when their interests are diverted from the activities of the company.
Politics within the company will not allow employees to be efficient in production. Most of them will be working at a capacity of 50 to 70 percent. This will reduce production and is likely to lead to losses.
Equally, the efforts of the hardworking employees will not be noticed. Organizational politics will encourage laziness among some employees within the company. This will affect the work of serious employees within the company. For instance, if 10 workers are serious with their work, whereas 20 workers are not serious with their work, the net effect will be poor work.
Further, workers will divert their energies and resources to organizational politics. Thus, little energy will be left for production processes. Serious employees will be demoralized and will give up in their quest to produce extra goods and services for the company.
Equally, it will be hard for the team leaders and managers to lead people with a negative attitude towards work. In fact, workers will not listen to their departmental heads. This will cause conflicts that will affect the company’s activities.
The other negative effect or organization politics is the presence of demotivated employees. Motivation amongst employees ensures that there is increased productivity. However, lack of motivation will underpin failure within the company.
Sometimes, non performers are favored by their bosses or managers because of their involvement in organizational politics. This might not be taken well by other employees within the company. In fact, it discourages the serious employees within the organization (Serven, 2001). Performers will not have any reason to work hard for the company. They will be demotivated and will not perform their tasks. This will reduce the performance of the company and lead to losses.
Organizations hold discussions from time to time. This presents a platform to address issues that affect the employees. However, organizational politics could be encouraged by discussions and meetings. Some employees could strive to damage the names and image of other employees.
This will discourage and demoralize other workers of the company. What is more, some may even boycott meetings and discussions because they would predict the outcome of the same. This will hinder the discussion of critical issues that affect employees. This will lead to poor performance because their issue will not be addressed. Again, poor decisions concerning the company will be made. This will create problems to the company in the long run.
Consequences of Organizational Politics: Communication
Organizational politics has also seen wrong employees being rewarded at the expense of serious employees. For instance, an employee could be rewarded because of indulging in workplace politics. In most cases, such employees do not deserve rewards.
This is not acceptable among the hardworking employees. It is unfair, and it infringes on their rights. They work hard for the company, but someone else is rewarded. This will not motivate workers of the company. In fact, people lose focus and engage in other activities that do not benefit the company.
This will not only affect the employees, but also the management. The management will have a rough time. It will be difficult to ensure that all activities are done in the right way. This is likely to divert their attention from managing employees to dealing with problems caused by a few selfish employees.
Moreover, there is the likelihood that organizational politics will avert suitable payment amongst employees. This will have negative effects on the performance of employees. It might affect corporate social responsibility of the organization or company. Demotivated employees will not be willing to take part in corporate social responsibility activities. Equally, they will be reluctant to take responsibilities or even carry out duties encompassing activities of the company.
Research has also shown that organizational politics can increase stress among employees of the company. For instance, when workers have problems, they discuss or even share the same with their fellow colleagues. This facilitates problem solving and management of the same. Employees are capable of identifying friends and colleagues that can help them solve their problems. However, organizational politics in a company will avert that culture.
Employees will not share their problems with their colleagues (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2007). They will fear that their problems will be discussed in public. Employees will not confide in one another. Furthermore, they will not share their secrets with others. Most of the workers of the company will not share their issue with others. This will affect the business in terms of performance. Stress will increase, and its effects will be transferred to the operations of the company.
Organizational politics will also prevent sharing of ideas or even normal communication amongst employees of the company. Keeping quiet for about 8 to 9 hours will facilitate stress development. The fear created by organizational politics will hinder effective communication in the company. In addition to this, hatred will develop among employees. Contempt will also emerge as a result of stress.
Organizational politics can also facilitate dissemination of wrong information among employees of the company. Employees that engage in organization politics can manipulate information before it reaches others. In fact, information will not be disseminated in its original form (Jais, 2006). Thus, it will not achieve its intended purpose. This will enhance poor coordination and improper instructions in relation to the activities of the company.
Wrong information will also affect many aspects within the company. For instance, supervisors and departmental heads are likely to get the wrong impression about the situation on the ground. They will have a wrong picture of issues or even occurrences in the company.
Indulging in organizational politics will also have a lot of disadvantages. For instance, a wrong person could be given credit because of engaging in organizational politics. Also, there is the likelihood that performers will be ignored by the company (Cropanzano & Kacmar, 1995). This is likely to demoralize the hardworking employees of the company. They will be dispirited and will not work in an efficient and effective manner.
Finally, organizational politics will hinder efficient and effective production in the company. Employees indulging in organizational politics will not perform well in their duties. Their output is likely to decrease. This will accumulate and will contribute to reduced productivity in the company. Thus, low productivity will lead to losses in the company.
Employees that indulge in organizational politics will pay more attention to organizational politics than their work. This will contribute to poor performance in the company. Instead of focusing on the objectives and goals of the organization, employees will divert their attention to workplace politics. This is not productive and will waste time and resources of the company.
Research shows that organizational politics will encourage backbiting. In some instance, it could encourage leg pulling. These aspects are negative and will affect the company’s performance in a negative manner. Organizational politics also provides a platform on which employees criticize their colleagues. This is not right because it will lead to reduced productivity in the company. Employees will not work properly when being criticized by others. They will feel demoralized and inferior to others.
Additionally, the company will experience delays and some activities will be poorly performed. Some employees of the company will fail to achieve their targets and goals. This will water down the activities of the company. It will also damage the reputation of the company and spoil the good relations of the company with other partners.
Conclusion
Organizational politics affect the company’s performance in a negative way. In fact, it will demotivate employees, increase the levels of stress and even change the attitude of employees towards work. This will facilitate reduction of a company’s productivity. What is more, the concentration of employees will be affected, and there is the likelihood that poor performance will be enhanced.
Consequently, organizational politics is not beneficial to the company. Measures should be established to avert organizational politics. This will curb issues that would arise from organizational politics. Therefore, the management should be alert at all times. This will enable them to identify and prevent unhealthy organizational politics. It will ensure that employees of the organization are doing their work. It will also ensure that objectives and goals are achieved within the right time.
Unnecessary delays will also be eliminated leading to prompt production activities. The company will be capable of maintaining its cordial relations with other players in the industry. This will underpin successful activities that will earn revenue and profit for the company. Equally, the company will establish a good image that will give it a remarkable reputation. Hence, customers will be compelled to use the products and services of the company.
This will underpin the growth of the company in many aspects. For instance, other employees would like to join the company. Customers will also become loyal and use products of the company. Other business partners will also partner with the company and see to it that there is tremendous growth.
Government agencies would also like to partner with a performing company. Thus, there is the need to have healthy and acceptable organizational politics in a company. Healthy organizational politics will address issues of all employees and the issues of the company.
References
Cropanzano, R., & Kacmar, K. M. (1995). Politics, justice, and support in work organizations. Westport, Conn: Quorum.
Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W. (2007). Organizational behavior. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.
Jais, S.-D. (2006). The successful use of information in multinational companies: An exploratory study of individual outcomes and the influence of national culture. Wiesbaden: Dt. Univ.-Verl.
Serven, L. B. M. G. (2001). The end of office politics as usual: A complete strategy for creating a more productive and profitable organization. New York: AMACOM.
Sharma, G. (2011). How to win office politics. New Delhi: Mahaveer Publishers.
Vigoda-Gadot, E., & Drory, A. (2006). Handbook of Organizational Politics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub.