Document Type

Journal Article

Department/Unit

Department of Management

Title

Perceptions of organizational politics: A need satisfaction paradigm

Language

English

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. © 2014 INFORMS.

Keywords

Contextual performance, Creativity, Organizational politics, Proactive behavior, Self-determination theory, Social exchange, Stress

Publication Date

2014

Source Publication Title

Organization Science

Volume

25

Issue

4

Start Page

1026

End Page

1055

Publisher

INFORMS

DOI

10.1287/orsc.2013.0857

Link to Publisher's Edition

http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2013.0857

ISSN (print)

10477039

ISSN (electronic)

15265455

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