Political Behavior in Organizations: Mechanisms of Intervention

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify the perception of Brazilian executives about the forms of political behavior in organizations and related mechanisms of intervention. The wellbeing of the organization depends on how its executives behave politically, by broadening the positive effects as well as reducing the negative effects of politics in the organization. In order to meet the research objective, a survey was carried out with 110 respondents, using open-ended questions. A content analysis was applied to analyze the data, in order to define and rank the categories raised by the study. As a result, the research points to a less negative view of the respondents on the concept of political behavior, when it’s compared to the literature. The main managerial contribution focuses on the discussion of mechanisms of intervention in organizations that promote a dynamic of political behavior in favor of organizational goals. The most cited interventions are: to reduce negative effects, establishment of rules and controls and punitive actions; and to extend the positive effects, alignment, participation, ethical leadership, culture, and human capital development. From the academic point of view, the discussion of the positive effects of political behavior is expanded, and the intervention mechanisms for future research of politics in organizations are presented.

Keywords

• política
• comportamento político
• mecanismos de intervenção