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Perceptions of politics: does measuring different foci matter?
1Department of Leadership, Organizations, and Policy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA. maslynjm@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|September 8, 1998
Summary
This study shows organizational politics impact employee turnover and commitment differently based on whether the politics are perceived at the organization or work-group level. Leader-member exchange was also considered.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Perceptions of politics in organizations are increasingly studied.
- A multiple-foci approach is suggested for understanding politics-outcome relationships.
- Organizational and work-group levels of politics may have differential effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To confirm separate measures for organizational and work-group politics perceptions.
- To demonstrate differential effects of these perceptions on various outcomes.
- To examine the relationship between politics perceptions, leader-member exchange, and outcomes like turnover, citizenship behavior, and commitment.
Main Methods:
- The study utilized separate measures for perceptions of politics at the organizational and work-group levels.
- Statistical analyses were performed to assess the predictive validity of these measures.
- Leader-member exchange was controlled for in the analyses.
Main Results:
- Perceptions of organizational-level politics predicted turnover intentions.
- Perceptions of work-group-level politics predicted citizenship behavior.
- Both organizational and work-group politics perceptions significantly predicted organizational commitment.
Conclusions:
- Distinct measures for organizational and work-group politics are valid and have differential effects.
- Understanding the level at which politics are perceived is crucial for predicting employee outcomes.
- Future research should consider the multiple foci of political perceptions in organizational studies.
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