Political Influence Behavior and Career Success

Abstract

In a recent review of the literature on politics and influence behavior in personnel/human resource management, noted that no studies had directly investigated the relationship between influence behavior and overall career success. In the present study the effect of political influence behavior on career success was investigated. Drawing from past research on influence behavior and relevant theory from social psychology, the effect of political influence behavior on career success was hypothesized to depend on the type of influence tactic employed. Support was found for the effect of political influence behavior in predicting career success, and for the differential effectiveness of influence behaviors. Implications of the results for the study of careers and career management processes are discussed . In a recent review of the literature on politics and influence behavior in personnel/human resource management, Ferris and Judge (1991) noted that no studies had directly investigated the relationship between influence behavior and overall career success. In the present study the effect of political influence behavior on career success was investigated. Drawing from past research on influence behavior and relevant theory from social psychology, the effect of political influence behavior on career success was hypothesized to depend on the type of influence tactic employed. Support was found for the effect of political influence behavior in predicting career success, and for the differential effectiveness of influence behaviors.Implications of the results for the study of careers and career management processes are discussed . 3Past research from the careers literature has identified a number of influences on career success. These influences broadly can be classified as individual or organizational in nature . Some of the more prominent organizational determinants of career success identified by past research include: socialization (Feldman, 1981;Louis, 1980;Reichers, 1987;Wanous, Reichers, & Malik, 1984), mentoring (Dreher & Ash, 1990;Hunt & Michael, 1983;Kram, 1983;Whitely, Dougherty, & Dreher, 1991), type of position (Whitely et al., 1991), early career challenge (Kaufman, 1974), and career systems (London & Stumpf, 1982). Similarly, a number of individual-level influences have been identified by past research, including cognitive ability (Dreher & Bretz, 1991), motivational variables such as hours worked (Whitely et al., 1991), human capital variables such as education, experience, and career interruptions (Hall & Hall, 1979;Mills, 1985;Pfeffer, 1977;Whitely et al., 1991), work/family variables such as spousal and familial demands (Cook, 1987;Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985), and demographic influences such as gender, marital status, and socioeconomic status (Dipboye, 1986;Dreher, Dougherty, & Whitely, 1985;Pfeffer, 1977;Powell, 1988).Although this research has contributed a great deal to understanding of career success (Howard & Bray, 1988), several authors have argued that past research has been limited by...

Managerial career success in Canadian organizations: is gender a determinant?

“…informal networks) may also be a major element. Judge and Bretz (1994) showed that this aspect had a significant impact on individual career success. Women do not receive support from their colleagues, and are consequently kept out of the influential networks in which political strategies are decided (Ohlott et al, 1994).…”

The impact of political skill on impression management effectiveness.

“…Early research on impression management primarily examined the relationship between the frequency of specific tactic usage and work outcomes such as performance ratings and career success (e.g., Judge & Bretz, 1994;Wayne & Liden, 1995;Wayne, Liden, Graf, & Ferris, 1997). Although the extant research has established the effectiveness of certain impression management behaviors, little is known about why and how these tactics work.…”

An Analysis of Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Career- Related Variables

“…The level of accomplishment in their job and career should affect career achievement. Considerable research also supports the relationship between the number of hours worked per week and salary and ascendancy [24,25] meaning that the desire to spend time at work predicts career achievement. Cox and Cooper [25] in trying to discover the motivation behind successful executives' long work hours, found that these executives enjoyed working long hours.…”

“…Rapoport and Rapoport [23] supported this by showing that the family's morale support and the diversion that it entails make it an important factor affecting QWL. Based on Judge et al [24] , career success/achievement is defined as the positive psychological outcomes or achievements one has accumulated as a result of experiences over the span of working life which consists of objective career success (job title, salary or promotion) and subjective career success (one's own appraisal of career attainment). Research also suggests that job tenure and total time in one's occupation are positively related to career success/achievement besides the number of hours worked per week and salary and ascendancy [25] .…”

“…In particular, researchers have observed that in early stages of their careers, individuals are often willing to sacrifice their personal lives in the interests of their career progression. Research also suggests that career tenure and total tenure in one's occupation are positively related to career achievement [24] . Thus, having occupational tenure and international experience will positively predict career success.…”