It is important to accept that office politics is something that is common to almost every place of work and that to some degree it is a case of being able to know when it is best to let thing go and when it is better to speak up.
Reardon (2009) has identified the following four different levels of workplace politics:
- Minimally politicised
- Moderately politicised
- Highly politicised
- Pathologically politicised
Characteristics of a Minimally Politicised Workplace
For those who are fortunate enough to work in an minimally politicised environment there is likely to be a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. In this type of workplace there is unlikely to be cliques and in the rare cases where conflicts arise, it is not something that will last long or get blown out of all proportion.
It is fair to say that such environments, particularly in today's financial crisis, are definitely not the norm, but such a workplace is ideal for those who prefer to just get on with their work and are not interested or uncomfortable with heavy political discussion.
Characteristics of a Moderately Politicised Workplace
Organisations which may be identified as being moderately politicised tend to have fairly formal rules which are sanctioned and widely understood. In such an environment, the level of office politics is unlikely to be a destructive influence and may in fact help in terms of working through issues. On the rare occasions where conflicts escalate there are usually conflict resolution principles for handling such a situation in place as well as sanctions where necessary.
Characteristics of a Highly Politicised Workplace
Most people will likely have experienced at some point what it is like to be employed by an organisation where there is a high level of office politics and there are in and out cliques, making it hard to work as a team. Within such an environment it is common for conflicts to arise, escalate and not be effectively handled due to blaming, aggression and an absence of constructive conflict resolution methods in place.
Characteristics of a Pathologically Politicised Workplace
For those unfortunate enough to be working in a pathologically politicised workplace, it may be an extremely stressful, destructive environment. A complete lack of trust is common as is an inability to work as a team. Within this type of environment it is highly likely that many relationships between colleagues are very strained and conflicts and grudges are pervasive causing a negative and unhealthy atmosphere.
As highlighted above, office politics is common to most if not all workplaces where people are stuck in a limited amount of space for around 40 hours a week. There are four key levels of office politics with most companies likely to be somewhere in the middle, flitting between moderate and highly politicised.
Source:
Reardon, K. (2009) Survive Office Politics London: A & C Black
Related Articles
How to Effectively Handle Office Politics
Coping with Office Politics in Work Meetings
How to Cope with Conflict in the Workplace
Benefits and Limitations of Workplace Conversation
Simple Ways to Handle Criticism at Work
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
Join the Conversation