Political choices: the role of political skill in occupational choice

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to investigate how political skill relates to career decisions and occupational fit.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes undergraduate business majors to determine how their level of political skill influences their choice of career/major in a Holland‐type framework. Hypotheses are tested using logistic regression.

Findings

The paper finds that there is general support for the proposition that political skill influences the pursuit of social and enterprising majors/careers.

Research limitations/implications

While choice of major is a strong indicator of occupational choice, it is not a direct measure of individual careers. However, the results provide insight regarding how organizational politics relates to individual careers and suggests the need for further study.

Practical implications

The paper provides a valuable additional factor for assessing career fit.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to critically examine organizational politics with reference to career choices rather than career outcomes and provides insight into how these affect satisfaction and success.

Citation

Kaplan, D.M. (2008), "Political choices: the role of political skill in occupational choice", Career Development International, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430810849533