Organization, Politics of

Abstract

The importance of political relations and political processes in organizations has been remarked on recurrently by researchers and people with experience of organizations. This entry considers the following aspects. First, the politics within organizations and especially that between different groups. This intraorganizational politics is widely reported, and some recurrent patterns have been observed. Second, there are political dimensions to the activities and actions of organizations themselves. Zald long ago identified “social movement organizations” that embody the aspirations of particular social groups, but almost all organizations share this characteristic to some extent, being the instrument for the advancement of some particular group. This can lead them into collision or collusion with other organizations. Finally how intra‐ and interorganizational politics connects with politics in society is considered. This is potentially the most important area in the field of organizational politics. From this discussion, it seems that there is much about social change that can be better understood through the systematic study of political aspects of organization. Conflict and its resolution (the essence of politics) is one key to understanding social change more adequately, and sociological study in this area has much to contribute to organizational theory.