Please Like Me: Ingratiation as a Moderator of the Impact of the Perception of Organizational Politics on Job Satisfaction

Drawing from the negative impacts of the perception of organizational politics (POP) on the literature on organizational outcomes, the model proposed in this study examines a nonlinear relationship of POP on job satisfaction. In a similar way, ingratiation as a moderator variable is tested. Based on a survey of 240 state-owned enterprise employees in Indonesia, this study finds that POP exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with job satisfaction. Low and high levels of POP have a negative impact on job satisfaction. Nevertheless, our most intriguing finding is that ingratiation behavior not only strengthens POP’s effects on job satisfaction, but can also alter the direction of the relationship in which its shape is represented by a U-shape. This shape indicates that the employees who engage in high levels of ingratiation as a coping mechanism and adaptive strategy tend to do so when they perceive high degrees of POP. These results are then discussed from a cross-cultural perspective as an attempt to explain the legitimacy of ingratiation in Indonesia.

EXPRESS: When Can Display of Authenticity at Work Facilitate Coworker Interactions? The Moderating Effect of Perception of Organizational Politics

Authenticity has long been held as a virtue. However, is it beneficial for employees to be true to themselves in coworker interactions? Drawing on social penetration theory, we argue that a focal employee’s exhibited authenticity at work helps the employee penetrate the interpersonal boundaries of an interacting coworker and as a result, the employee is more likely to be included in this coworker’s social circles and receive help from the coworker. Accordingly, we propose a dyadic-level model and test this model in two survey studies using a round-robin design. The results of both studies consistently demonstrated that the focal employee’s exhibited authenticity is positively related to help received from the coworker via inclusion in the coworker’s social circle. Further, this positive indirect relationship is moderated by the coworker’s perception of organizational politics, such that the relationship is weaker when the coworker’s perception of organizational politics is high. These findings help advance the understanding of when and how employees can gain relational benefits from displaying authenticity at work.

Perception of Organizational Politics and its Impact on Job Performance

This paper aims to examine the understanding of organizational politics and its impact on the job performance of Nepal's civil service employees. The research design adopted in this study consists of a descriptive and causal-comparative research design. Based on a multi-stage random sampling, 250 civil servants in five ministries of the Nepal Government were selected as sample. The response rate was 76.40 percent. The findings of this research indicate that strong organizational politics exist at government offices. Mainly, over politics exist in the case of pay and promotion policies. Likewise, going along to get ahead and general political behavior are also common at these offices. The job performance level, however, was found at an average level. The inferential results indicate that there is a significant negative impact of organizational politics (in terms of going along to get ahead, pay and promotion policies, and general political behavior) on the job performance of employees. Therefore, leaders and administrators of ministries and other government offices need to keep an eye open in such realities and try to reduce unnecessary politics at workplaces so that the civil servants can focus on delivering effective services to the general public.

Perception of organizational politics and employee performance: Antidotal role of impression management

The perception of organizational politics seriously affects working people, and it is an unavoidable detrimental aspect of an organization. Prior studies are focused on the detrimental consequences of perceived organizational politics and not paid attention to its remedial actions. Therefore, proper intervention as a corrective action for the harmful effect of organizational politics perception was essential. Hence, this study was motivated to know: (a) the effect of the perception of organizational politics on employees’ performance, and (b) the mitigating role of impression management (self-promotion and ingratiation) for the detrimental effect of perception of organizational politics on work performance. Perceptual cross-sectional data was taken from 725 employees working in Nepalese banks. Quantitative data analysis revealed that perception of organizational politics has a detrimental impact on employee performance; impression management (self-promotion and ingratiation) worked as an antidote for such effects. The study’s unique findings were a different form of association of perception of organizational politics with work performance under the different situations of impression management (self-promotion and ingratiation). Moreover, those employees were less suffered from the perceived organizational politics who were good in impression management (self-promotion and ingratiation). Impression management (self-promotion and ingratiation) is controlled, as an antidote, comparatively more effectively for the high poli-tics perceiver than the low perceiver. Numbers of theoretical and practical implications are suggested to cure perceived organizational politics’ detrimental outcomes on employee performance. AcknowledgmentThis article is a part of the PhD research work that was funded by the University Grants Commission of Nepal (award number: PhD/73-74/Mgmt/04).

Nonlinear Impact of Perception of Organizational Politics on Satisfaction with Co-workers and Job Stress

Large number of previous studies have tested that perception of organizational politics negatively impact on employee outcomes with linear relationship. To ascertain the condition where perception of organizational politics can be fruitful for employee outcomes, this study measured the nonlinear relationship of perception of organizational politics with satisfaction with co-workers and job stress. 453 employees working with microfinance companies in Kathmandu valley were surveyed to get cross sectional perceptual data. To infer the conclusion, data were analyzed adopting quantitative analysis, deductive reasoning approach as well as positivist research philosophy. Empirical evidences revealed the nonlinear impact of perception of organizational politics on satisfaction with co-workers and job stress. Both high and low levels of perceived organizational politics were harmful for satisfaction with co-workers and job stress. But a medium level of perception of organizational politics was fruitful for satisfaction with co-workers and job stress. The relationship between perception of organizational politics and satisfaction with co-workers was inverted U-shaped and the relationship between perception of organizational politics and job stress was U-shaped. Based on the findings, numbers of practical as well as theoretical implications are suggested.