Power, politics and job satisfaction among employees in Wolaita Sodo Polytechnic College, South Ethiopia

Shimelis Tamirat ,Zerihun Ayenew

doi:10.18282/hrms3585

Home - HRMS - Volume 7 - Issue 1

Submit to HRMS

Journal Browser

Volume | Year

Issue

• Current lssue

View All

News and Announcements

Feb 3, 2026

Journal Support Policy Statement: APC Support Policy for 2026 Submissions
Jun 4, 2025

Human Resources Management and Services accepted for inclusion in Scopus

View All

Power, politics and job satisfaction among employees in Wolaita Sodo Polytechnic College, South Ethiopia

Shimelis Tamirat

Zerihun Ayenew

Human Resources Management and Services 2025, 7(1), 3585; https://doi.org/10.18282/hrms3585

Submitted：03 Dec 2024

Accepted：07 Jan 2025

Published：17 Jan 2025

Download PDF(399.40KB)

XML

Abstract

When power is exercised, it results in political behavior in organizations. Excessively held organizational politics can hurt an organization and its members though some consider wisely used political behavior as positive. This study was conducted at Wolaita Sodo Polytechnic College (WSPTC) to investigate the effect of power and political dynamism on employee job satisfaction. Cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from stratified, randomly selected 146 informants. The Rahim Leader Power Inventory (RLPI), Interpersonal Power Inventory (IPI), Perception of Organizational Politics (POP), and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) were employed to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were made using statistical packages (SPSS version 23). The findings revealed that when managers legitimate, coercive, and reward power bases are higher, then organizational politics becomes higher. Power concentration at higher positions results in increased organizational politics than when it was shared. Regression analysis uncovered that 47% (R-squared 0.468) of variations in job satisfaction were explained by POP and power dynamics. Hence, it is recommended that having power sharing, empowering subordinates, and moderate political maneuvering in the use of power and politics will be helpful in maintaining constructive relationships and job satisfaction.

Keywords

References

Agarwal, U. A. (2016). Examining perceived organizational politics among Indian managers. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 24(3), 415–437. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijoa-07-2014-0786

Agrawal, K. (2013). Determinants of Organizational Politics in Professional Educational Institutes. Drikshtikon: A Management Journal, 4(1), 1–23.

Akaegbu, J. B. (2018). A Conceptual Exploration of Diversity and Organizational Politics. European Journal of Business and Management, 10(23), 39–45.

Alsalamah, F. (2015). How power and politics impacts an organizational unit in terms of achieving the firm’s goals? International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 6(6), 202–207.

Atinc, G., Darrat, M., & Fuller, J. B. (2010). Perceptions Of Organizational Politics: A Meta-Analysis of Theoretical Antecedents. Journal of Managerial Issues, 22(4), 494–513. https://doi.org/10.2307/25822527

Ayobami, P. (2013). Influence of Perception of Organizational Politics on Job Satisfaction among University Workers in Oyo Town, Nigeria. European Journal of Business and Management, 5(2), 162–170.

Bakotić, D. (2016). Relationship between job satisfaction and organisational performance. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 29(1), 118–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677x.2016.1163946

Barthwal, T. (2013). Power and Politics in Organizations. The Indian Journal of Political Science, 74(3), 407–412.

Bedi, A., & Schat, A. C. H. (2013). Perceptions of organizational politics: A meta-analysis of its attitudinal, health, and behavioural consequences. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 54(4), 246–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034549

Bodla, M. A. (2013). The Use of Influence Tactics in Politicized Organizations: A Look from Gender Perspective. Information Management and Business Review, 5(9), 456–462. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v5i9.1074

Bolden, R. (2011). Distributed Leadership in Organizations: A Review of Theory and Research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13(3), 251–269. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00306.x

Brass, D. J., & Burkhardt, M. E. (1993). Potential Power and Power Use: An Investigation of Structure and Behavior. The Academy of Management Journal, 36(3), 441–470. https://doi.org/10.2307/256588

Brouer, R. L., Douglas, C., Treadway, D. C., et al. (2012). Leader Political Skill, Relationship Quality, and Leadership Effectiveness. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 20(2), 185–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051812460099

Cacciattolo, K. (2015). Organisational Politics: The Positive & Negative Sides. European Scientific Journal, 11(1), 121–130.

Camm, T. W. (2013). Power and Politics in Organizations. Mining Engineering, 1, 1–3.

Comstock, D. E. (1982). Power in Organizations: Toward a Critical Theory. The Pacific Sociological Review, 25(2), 139–162. https://doi.org/10.2307/1388721

Daud, Z., Isa, M. F. M., Nor, W. S. W. M., & Zainol, Z. (2013). Office Politics: The Reduction of Employees’ Need for Power. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(11), 29–35.

Dhar, R. L. (2011). Living with organizational politics: An exploration of employees’ behavior. Work, 40(2), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-2011-1216

Dirik, D., & Eryılmaz, İ. (2018). Leader Power Bases and Organizational Outcomes: The Role of Perceived Organizational Politics. Journal of East European Management Studies, 23(4), 532–558. https://doi.org/10.5771/0949-6181-2018-4-532

Dunbar, N. E. (2015). A Review of Theoretical Approaches to Interpersonal Power. Review of Communication, 15(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2015.1016310

Durnali, M., & Ayyildiz, P. (2019). The Relationship between Faculty Members’ Job Satisfaction and Perceptions of Organizational Politics. Participatory Educational Research, 6(2), 169–188. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.19.20.6.2

Durrani, A. B. (2014). Understanding the Relationship between Organizational Politics and Leadership Styles. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 16(11), 62–67. https://doi.org/10.9790/487x-161136267

Eniola, S. O., Iyabo, A. S., Adeshina, A. T., et al. (2015). Organisational Politics—Causes and Effects on Organisation and Employees. International Journal of Business, Economics and Management, 2(9), 204–208. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.62/2015.2.4/68.4.204.208

Erkutlu, H. V., & Chafra, J. (2006). Relationship between leadership power bases and job stress of subordinates: example from boutique hotels. Management Research News, 29(5), 285–297. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170610674419

Erkutlu, H., Chafra, J., & Bumin, B. (2011). Organizational Culture’s Role in the Relationship between Power Bases and Job Stress. H.U. Journal of Education, 40, 198–209.

Ferris, G. R., & Kacmar, K. M. (1992). Perceptions of Organizational Politics. Journal of Management, 18(1), 93–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639201800107

Ferris, G. R., Ellen, B. P., McAllister, C. P., et al. (2019). Reorganizing Organizational Politics Research: A Review of the Literature and Identification of Future Research Directions. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 6(1), 299–323. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012218-015221

French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The Bases of Social Power. In: Cartwright (editor). Studies in Social Power. University of Michigan. pp. 150–167.

Fuqua, H. E., Payne, K. E., & Cangemi, J. P. (2004). Leadership and the Effective Use of Power. Psychology.

Gargiulo, M. (1993). Two-Step Leverage: Managing Constraint in Organizational Politics. Administrative Science Quarterly, 38(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393252

Gencer, M., Nuri Tok, T., & Ordu, A. (2018). The Effect of Power Base Games on Organizational Silence and Organizational Socialization. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(7), 1407–1423. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2018.060701

Goo, W., Choi, Y., & Choi, W. (2022). Coworkers’ organizational citizenship behaviors and employees’ work attitudes: The moderating roles of perceptions of organizational politics and task interdependence. Journal of Management & Organization, 28(5), 1011–1035. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2019.26

Greer, L. L., & Chu, C. (2020). Power struggles: when and why the benefits of power for individuals paradoxically harm groups. Current Opinion in Psychology, 33, 162–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.040

Gürerk, Ö., Lauer, T., & Scheuermann, M. (2018). Leadership with individual rewards and punishments. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 74, 57–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2018.03.007

Haller, D. K., Fischer, P., & Frey, D. (2018). The Power of Good: A Leader’s Personal Power as a Mediator of the Ethical Leadership-Follower Outcomes Link. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01094

Hardy, C. (1993). What do we really Mean by Power and Politics? A Review of the Literature. In Dlugos, G., Dorow, W., & Farrell, D. (editors). Organizational Politics. Gabler Verlag. pp. 1–26.

Hartley, J., & Branicki, L. (2006). Managing with Political Awareness. Chartered Management Institute.

Hartley, J., & Fletcher, C. (2008). Leading with Political Awareness: Leadership Across Diverse Interests Inside and Outside the Organisation. In: James, K. T., & Collins, J. (editors). Leadership Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 163–176.

Hassan, H., Vina, T. M. H., & Ithnin, N. S. (2017). Perceived organizational politics and job satisfaction: The role of personality as moderator. Logforum, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.17270/J.LOG.2017.4.8

Hochwarter, W. A., Rosen, C. C., Jordan, S. L., et al. (2020). Perceptions of Organizational Politics Research: Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Management, 46(6), 879–907. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206319898506

Hooi, L. W. (2012). Enhancing employee satisfaction: An analysis of current promotion practices. International Journal of Management Practice, 5(3), 245–269. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMP.2012.048075

Hussain, A., Yang, X., Yali, L., et al. (2020). The Impact of Autocratic Leadership on Disruptive Political Behavior, Moderating the Relationship of Abusive Supervisory Behavior and Mediating the Relationship of Employee’s Perception of Job Insecurity. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 12(6), 57. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijef.v12n6p57

Jabid, A. W., Buamonabot, I., Fahri, J., et al. (2021). Organizational Politics and Job Satisfaction: Mediation and Moderation of Political Skills. Binus Business Review, 12(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.21512/bbr.v12i1.6226

Jain, L., & Ansari, A. A. (2018). Effect of Perception for Organisational Politics on Employee Engagement with Personality Traits as Moderating Factors. The South East Asian Journal of Management, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.21002/seam.v12i1.9396

James, R. (2019). Politics perception and satisfaction among school teachers: the moderating role of emotional intelligence. Journal of Business Studies, 6(2), 38–60. https://doi.org/10.4038/jbs.v6i2.46

Javed, M., I. H., &. M. S. (2014). Effect of Perceived Organizational Politics and Core Self Evaluation on Job Satisfaction. Information Management and Business Review, 6(3), 146–155. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v6i3.1110

Jones, A. M., & York, S. L. (2016). The Fragile Balance of Power and Leadership. TheJournalof Values-BasedLeadership, 9(2), 11.

Junaimah, J. (2015). Effect Of Manager’S Bases of Power on Employee’S Job Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Satisfaction with Supervision. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, III (2), 1–14.

Kacmar, K. M., & Carlson, D. S. (1997). Further Validation of the Perceptions of Politics Scale (Pops): A Multiple Sample Investigation. Journal of Management, 23(5), 627–658. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639702300502

Keum, D. D. (2022). Managerial political power and the reallocation of resources in the internal capital market. Strategic Management Journal, 44(2), 369–414. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3440

Khalid, S., & Ishaq, S. (2015). Job Related Outcomes in Relation to Perceived Organizational Politics. Pakistan Economic and Social Review, 53(1), 133–146.

Kirchmeyer, C. (1990). A Profile of managers Active in Office Politics. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 11(3), 339–356. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324834basp1103_8

Kisaka, M. A., Were, P. E., Kapkiai, M., & Okeche, P. (2020). Development Political Dynamics of Organizational Mission and Employee Performance in Selected Public Universities in Uganda. International Journal of Political Science and Development, 8(7), 280–294. https://doi.org/10.14662/IJPSD2020.170

Kiziloglu, M. (2016). Perception of Organizational Power in Textile Industry. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 5(10), 29–32.

Lee, K. L., & Tui Low, Lr. G. (2008). Bases of Power and Subordinates’ Satisfaction with Supervision - The Contingent Effect of Educational Orientation. International Education Studies, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v1n2p3

Maes, G., & Van Hootegem, G. (2022). Power and Politics in Different Change Discourses. Administrative Sciences, 12(2), 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12020064

Meisler, G., Drory, A., & Vigoda-Gadot, E. (2019). Perceived organizational politics and counterproductive work behavior. Personnel Review, 49(8), 1505–1517. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-12-2017-0392

Miller, B. K., Rutherford, M. A., & Kolodinsky, R. W. (2008). Perceptions of Organizational Politics: A Meta-analysis of Outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 22(3), 209–222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-008-9061-5

Mohd Yusof, J., Nur ‘Atikah Zulkiffli, S., Falindah Padlee, S., et al. (2018). The Relationship between Organizational Politics, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention in the Maritime-Related Agencies in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. KnE Social Sciences, 3(10), 1001. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v3i10.3188

Mokhtari, R., Safania, A. M., & Poursoltan Zarandi, H. (2018). The Factors Affecting the Formation of Political Behavior in Iranian Sport Ministry and Federations. Annals of Applied Sport Science, 6(2), 95–104. https://doi.org/10.29252/aassjournal.6.2.95

Nejad, B. A., Abbaszadeh, M. M. S., & Hassani, M. (2016). Organizational Political Tactics in Universities. Higher Education Studies, 1(2), 65. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v1n2p65

Ng, T. W. H., Sorensen, K. L., & Eby, L. T. (2006). Locus of control at work: a meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(8), 1057-1087. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.416

Ocasio, W., Pozner, J. E., & Milner, D. (2020). Varieties of Political Capital and Power in Organizations: A Review and Integrative Framework. Academy of Management Annals, 14(1), 303–338. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2018.0062

Olorunleke, G. K. (2015). Effect of Organizational Politics on Organizational Goals and Objectives. International Journal of Academic Research in Economics and Management Sciences, 4(3), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarems/v4-i3/1877

Omisore, B. O., & Nweke, A. N. (2014). The Influence of Power and Politics in Organizations (Part 1). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 4(7): 164–183. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v4-i7/997

Peyton, T., Zigarmi, D., & Fowler, S. N. (2019). Examining the Relationship Between Leaders’ Power Use, Followers’ Motivational Outlooks, and Followers’ Work Intentions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02620

Rahim, M. A. (1988). The Development of a Leader Power Inventory. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 23(4), 491–503. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr2304_6

Raven, B. H., Schwarzwald, J., & Koslowsky, M. (1998). Conceptualizing and Measuring a Power/Interaction Model of Interpersonal Influence1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(4), 307–332. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1998.tb01708.x

Robbins, S., Judge, T., & Judge, T. (2018). Organizational Behavior, 18th ed. Pearson Education, Inc.

Schein, V. E. (1977). Individual Power and Political Behaviors in Organizations: An Inadequately Explored Reality. The Academy of Management Review, 2(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.2307/257607

Singh, A. (2009). Organizational Power in Perspective. Leadership and Management in Engineering, 9(4), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)LM.1943-5630.0000018

Singh, D. L. B. (2017). Job Satisfaction as A Predictor of Employee Engagement. Amity Global HRM Review, 20–31.

Soares, L. P. (2018). Organizational Politics: Harmful or Helpful? Instructional Design Capstones Collection, 44.

Somoye, K. G. (2016). The Effects of Power and Politics in Modern Organizations and its Impact on Workersâ Productivity. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(11). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v6-i11/2442

Sonaike, K. (2013). Revisiting The Good and Bad Sides of Organizational Politics. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 11(4), 197. https://doi.org/10.19030/jber.v11i4.7748

Sturm, R. E., & Antonakis, J. (2015). Interpersonal Power. Journal of Management, 41(1), 136–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206314555769

Sultan, S., Kanwal, F., & Gul, S. (2015). Factors of Perceived Organizational Politics: An Analysis of What Contributes the Most? Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 9(3), 999–1011.

Taherdoost, H. (2017). Determining Sample Size; How to Calculate Survey Sample Size. International Journal of Economics and Management Systems, 2, 237–239.

Treadway, D. C., Bentley, J. R., Wallace, A. S., et al. (2013). Relationships and Organizational Politics. In: Morrison, R. L., & Cooper-Thomas, H. D. (editors). Relationships in Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 47–73.

Vigoda‐Gadot, E., & Talmud, I. (2010). Organizational Politics and Job Outcomes: The Moderating Effect of Trust and Social Support. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(11), 2829–2861. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00683.x

Wangui, N. P., & Muathe, S. M. A. (2014). A Critical Review of Literature on Organizational Politics and Work Outcomes. The International Journal of Business & Management, 2(12), 158–165.

Weiss, D. J., Dawis, R. V., England, G. W., et al. (1967). Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire—Short Form. In: PsycTESTS Dataset. American Psychological Association (APA). http://doi.org/10.1037/t08880-000

Williams, E. A., Scandura, T. A., Pissaris, S., et al. (2016). Justice perceptions, leader-member exchange, and upward influence tactics. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 37(7), 1000–1015. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj-02-2013-0021

Yang, F. (2017). Better understanding the perceptions of organizational politics: its impact under different types of work unit structure. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(2), 250–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2016.1251417

Yukl, G. (2012). Use Power Effectively to Influence People. In: Locke, E. A. (Editor). Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior. Wiley. pp. 347–365.

Previous
article in this issue

Next
article in this issue