“Can politics really be beneficial?” Toward a model for positive politics through consensus
International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior
ISSN: 1093-4537
Article publication date: 14 January 2022
Issue publication date: 6 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This article wants to propose deeper insights and clarifications into the effects of organizational politics which have been at the center of many debates in decision-making literature. For a long time, the debate focused on the negative effects of organizational politics and how to avoid them. This article wants to explore the positive effects of organizational politics and see how this impacts the consensus process in teams moderated by organizational change.
Design/methodology/approach
The article model and propositions are grounded in the organisational politics literature. The analysis builds on the “positive” politics literature which has been gaining steam in the last two decades and links this with the consensus literature.
Findings
The article proposes an integrated model which clearly shows how the three core concepts influence each other through the four proposed hypotheses. Organizational politics can help to create more consensus in a team decision-making process, and this can have a positive effect on team performance.
Originality/value
The article aims to expand insights of organizational politics on decision-making by putting the light on possible positive effects of organizational politics. The article addresses the theoretical gap of how organizational politics can impact the consensus process.
Keywords
Citation
Parmentier, T. and Reynaud, P.E. (2022), "“Can politics really be beneficial?” Toward a model for positive politics through consensus", International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, Vol. 25 No. 1/2, pp. 56-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-10-2020-0175
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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