Perceptions of Organizational Politics: A Need Satisfaction Paradigm

Christopher C. Rosen (), D. Lance Ferris (), Douglas J. Brown (), Yuanyi Chen () and Ming Yan ()
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Christopher C. Rosen: Department of Management, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
D. Lance Ferris: Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Douglas J. Brown: Psychology Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
Yuanyi Chen: Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Ming Yan: Lingnan College, Sun Yat-sen University, Guang Zhou 510275, China

Organization Science, 2014, vol. 25, issue 4, 1026-1055

Abstract: Stressor and exchange relationship paradigms have developed in isolation from each other to explain the negative effects of perceived organizational politics. We outline how these different paradigms share a common basis—a focus on psychological need satisfaction—and develop a needs-based paradigm to account for the negative effects of perceived organizational politics. Moreover, we argue that psychological need satisfaction acts as an unmeasured third variable, which, once accounted for, should limit the utility of stressor and exchange relationship paradigms. Across four samples using a combination of multiple sources, operationalizations of constructs, and measurement occasions, we found full support for the needs-based paradigm as a mediator of the effects of politics on contextual performance, creativity, and proactive behavior, whereas strain and exchange relationship constructs by and large had no effect on outcomes once psychological need satisfaction was accounted for. Theoretical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: organizational politics; contextual performance; creativity; proactive behavior; self-determination theory; social exchange; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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