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Organizational Politics:Tactics, Channels, andHierarchical Roles

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Abstract

This research examines the relationships among the types of self-serving political messages sent in organizations, the channels through which they are sent, and the targets to whom they are sent. Two theoretical streams converge in this study: Communication as Political Behavior and Media Usage Theory. A review and synthesis of these two bodies of literature yielded three hypotheses, each of which received strong statistical support. The data suggest that the process of encoding and transmitting self-serving messages is strongly related to the specific target to whom they are sent (boss, subordinate, or peer) and the channel through which they are sent (face-to-face, telephone, memo, or e-mail).

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Authors
  1. Lyle Sussman
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  2. Arthur J. Adams
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  3. Frank E. Kuzmits
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  4. Louis E. Raho
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Sussman, L., Adams, A.J., Kuzmits, F.E. et al. Organizational Politics:Tactics, Channels, andHierarchical Roles. Journal of Business Ethics 40, 313–329 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020807700478

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