DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT? YES OR NO

Power and politics do tend to have negative connotations for a few reasons. In today's political climate, a lot of people choose not to discuss their beliefs and views for the sake of being polarized for them. Power tends to have a negative connotation because of the way it affects people when they have it. Power leads people to prioritize themselves over others and view people around them as objects to be used or manipulated (Robbins & Judge, 2019). An example of power making people prioritize themselves and objectify others can be seen in architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In the beginning of his career, Wright worked with a mentor, Lois Sullivan. By the peak of Wright's career, he hardly praised or acclaimed Sullivan and even took credit for some of his designs (Robbins & Judge, 2019). While power in the workplace can lead to some negatives, it can be controlled. Implementing policies where people in power are checked on their management of power, self-serving attitudes dissipate. Studies have also shown that people who are more anxious are less likely to abuse their power (Robbins & Judge, 2019). However, functioning groups usually have a power figure or someone to take charge.

Politics in an organization (like a business or team) refers to the use of power to affect decision making. In any group dynamic, there is politics. Political behavior is behavior outside of one's job description that is done to influence decision making. One true negative of political behavior is that it gets you ahead in your organization (Robbins & Judge, 2019). Political behavior is more effective than hard work, initiative and creativity in getting you ahead. This is disheartening because it shows that advancement in a company is not really tied to the work you do, it is tied to the actions you take outside of your role that get you ahead. Politics in the workplace are sort of unavoidable. While it should not be the most effective way to get ahead, they are necessary. Acting a certain way to affect decision making is important especially when working in a group. In a group, there are many opinions going around and decisions to make. Once a power figure has been established, people will act in a certain manner to be sure that their priorities are being met.

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. (2019). Organizational behavior. Pearson Education.