ABSTRACT
Organisational politics has a significant impact on how most organisations function and evolve. Thus, organisational politics is an unavoidable factor in the workplace, with numerous influences on the affairs and behaviour of employees. In light of these facts, an effort was undertaken in this study to discover the Organisational politics and corporate performance in Nigerian local government, A case study of Afikpo North local government. Employees of the Afikpo north local government were the study’s target group. Both teaching and non-teaching employees were chosen using a stratified random selection procedure. To collect data from respondents, questionnaires and structured interviews were employed. Frequencies, percentages, averages, and T-tests were among the statistical methods used to assess the data. The findings found that organisational politics in Afikpo North Local Government were caused by ambiguous job descriptions, power struggles, favouritism, competitiveness, and a lack of knowledge. It was found that if organisational politics are not managed properly, they might generate a hostile organisational climate that hinders the organization’s progress. It was therefore advised that both management and staff lay aside their own interests and support the organization’s mission and vision in order to attain the stated goals.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
Organisations are social entities that entail a fight for resources, personal conflicts, and a range of influence strategies used by people and groups to achieve various advantages and purposes. Power and politics are extremely important in business, controlling everything from how decisions are made to how employees interact with one another. The impact of power in firms large and small is determined by whether individuals utilise positive or negative power to influence others in the workplace. Politics may have a direct impact on who has power and if the broader atmosphere of the company supports productivity.Organisations are plagued with organisational politics. People come to work with a variety of goals, not simply one overarching aim. These objectives create tension and competitiveness among employees in the organisation. According to Chaudhary et al. (2012), organisational politics entails collecting organisational influence for personal gain rather than organisational goals. Organisational politics, according to George and Jones (2011), can be dysfunctional for the organisation, but when organisational interests connect with employee interests and are utilised for the good of the organisation, it can be functional and useful. Access to physical or intangible rewards such as status or pseudo-authority that impacts the behaviour of others may be among the personal advantages. Individuals and organisations may engage in office politics, which may be extremely harmful since they seek personal benefit at the expense of the organisation. Self-serving political acts can harm our social groups, collaboration, knowledge exchange, and a variety of other organisational functions. As a result, it is critical to pay attention to organisational politics and to develop the appropriate political environment.In general, bad organisational politics has the capacity to reduce an organization’s output and damage its ability to function at the most fundamental levels. Office politics may undeniably impair an employee’s job performance, since if a person believes that no matter how hard he works, he will never be recognised for his efforts simply because he is not in the good graces of his line manager, his performance will suffer. So he arrives to work and makes no extra effort to ensure the organization’s growth. As a result, organisational initiative, innovation, morale, and performance improve. Some people see organisational politics as a way to resolve problems inside organisations, and employees use their understanding of organisational politics to make sense of the environment in which they work. Although organisational politics can be destructive, organisations can create an understandable political culture for their employees. Establishing clear standards and lines of authority makes it easier for employees to get answers and spend more time doing excellent work, which increases productivity. Organisations that foster negativity and strife, on the other hand, will suffer as a result. If staff are encouraged to engage in dishonest or unethical behaviour in order to advance, and favouritism takes precedence over quality of work, the organisation will experience decreased productivity and greater turnover rates.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Organisational politics has played an important role in both the commercial and governmental sectors in influencing organisations to achieve their aims and objectives. It is now widely used in the management process as a tool for achieving organisational goals and objectives. Politics, according to Judge and Sanghi (2008), is subjective. For instance, blaming fellow employees may be seen as fixing responsibility to someone, covering yourself might mean documenting decisions or scheming may be seen as planning ahead to others. According to Vince (2001) politics in workplaces may push some employees further in the corner, induce defensive behaviors and cause dissatisfaction at work. Many managements have focused on negative aspects of organization politics but failed to eradicate it due to the strategies imposed.
This study addresses the existence of politics in working environment in relation to the performance of the organization. Many scholars have observed negative effect of politics in an organization, leaving aside the positive side of the politics and how it can play a major role on the performance of the organization towards the realization of its mission, vision and objectives. This study therefore focuses on the exploring the positive side of organization politics. Several studies conducted concerning organizational politics for instance Olorunleke (2015) examined the effects of organizational politics on organizational goals and objectives in Nigeria. In the light of the previous studies examined so far, to the best of my knowledge, there is little knowledge provided on the effect of organizational politics in organizational performance.
1.3 Objective of the study
The main focus of this study is to examine the Organizational politics and corporate performance in Nigeria local government. Specifically, it sought to:
- To find out the causes of organizational politics in Afikpo north local government.
- Ascertain the preventive measures put in place by the management of Afikpo north local government.
- Identify the extent to which organizational politics affect the performance of employees of Afikpo north local government.
- Find out the coping strategies used by employees in managing organizational politics in Afikpo north local government.
1.4 Research question
What are the causes of organizational politics in Afikpo north local government?
- What are the preventive measures put in place by the management of Afikpo north local government?
- What is the extent to which organizational politics affect the performance of employees of Afikpo north local government?
- What are the coping strategies used by employees in managing organizational politics in Afikpo north local government?
1.5 Significance of the study
The results of this research would be of enormous benefit to the organization understudy (Afikpo north local government) and to other organizations as well. This is because the research will bring out the bare facts about the harm politics can cause the organization in its growth and help minimize it if not alleviate the problems that arise from politics in the organization.Again, officers at the helm of affairs especially, the Management of Afikpo north local government will be informed of the positive and negative effects of organizational politics in order to be able to deal with it constructively to help achieve the overall goals of the organization.
1.6 Scope of the study
The scope of this study borders on the examination on the causes, prevention and management of organizational politics. it will examine the relationship between Origanizational politics and corporate performance in Nigeria local government. The study is however delimited to Afikpo north local government, Ghana.
1.7 Limitation of the study
During the course of this research, the following factors are proposed to be a limitation.
Financial constraints: Financial constraints tend to impede the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research is reduced. However the researcher will give in their best to make this research a success.
1.8 Definition of terms
Organization: An organization, or organization, is an entity – such as a company, an institution, or an association – comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose
Politics: Politics is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations between individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status.
Organizational Politics: “Organizational politics are self-serving behaviors” that “employees use to increase the probability of obtaining positive outcomes in organizations”. Influence by individuals may serve personal interests without regard to their effect on the organization itself.
Do you need help? Talk to us right now: (+234) 08060082010, 08107932631 (Call/WhatsApp). Email: [email protected].IF YOU CAN'T FIND YOUR TOPIC, CLICK HERE TO HIRE A WRITER»
