Pros and Cons of Corporate Politics

One often hears statements like “I had a bad day at work today as there were too many politics!” or “I am fed up of these petty corporate politics”.

So, what exactly are these ‘corporate politics’?

Courtesy: AK Mishra Library

There is no exact definition of ‘corporate politics’ given in the Oxford or the Collins dictionary. It is a term which has come into use very extensively over the last few decades due to the emergence of a number of MNCs and large corporates and the competition amongst the members of these organizations for personal or professional interests.

Just like the way there are two sides to every coin, each and everything in this world has its plus points and its negative points or as we say its pros and cons. One always tends to focus on relating to only the negative aspect of corporate politics. The term ‘corporate politics’ tends to make people cringe. But, corporate politics has a number of advantages as well. Let us have a look at both the sides of this coin.

The Pros:

Let us start on a positive note by looking at the pros of corporate politics which are as follows:

1.      It has rightly been said, “Success is not a destination, it is a journey”. So, to make this journey in the corporate world a success, one has to learn to follow the policy of ‘live and let live’. Corporate politics makes one understand and learn the art of not being ruffled by unnecessary petty politics and focusing single-mindedly on the task at hand.

2.   Strength is a very strong attribute to the development of one’s character. This strength cannot be achieved if one tends to run away from situations in life. Corporate politics definitely makes an individual stronger as these large organizations follow the policy of ‘survival of the fittest’ and in order to ‘survive’ in a corporate, one automatically learns to become strong.

3.      A positive attitude in life is a must to grow as an individual. One often has to ignore the politics going around and overcome all negativity by adopting a positive approach and having a positive outlook. So, corporate politics teach us to be positive at all times, no matter what the situation is.

4.      In order to obtain a shining precious jewel, a gem has to be mined, has to be polished and has to go through a lot of hardships to finally attain its form as an invaluable precious gem. Similarly, in order to become successful and thereafter enjoy the taste of success, one has to go through a number of hardships in work life, corporate politics being one of them.

The Cons:

Now, let us explore the negative aspects of this ‘unnecessary evil’ of the corporate world.

1.     ‘Time and tide wait for none', especially not for petty politics. Corporate politics lead to a lot of time wastage. Things like plotting, planning and scheming for all the wrong things like how to let down someone or how to promote selfish interests, gossiping, insulting people around due to personal grudges etc. are all a waste of time which results in non-fulfillment of targets and inability to meet deadlines at work.

2.      The ability and capacity to work of those who engage in office politics or those who become a victim of those politics drop down drastically. If one is continuously engaging in office politics or being a victim of those politics, then from where would the energy or concentration to work come from? Hence, in order to enhance the capacity and potential of all employees which eventually enhances productivity, it is important to have a healthy office environment which is free from politics.

3.     Stress acts as a major obstacle in the path of progress. Corporate politics gives thousand times more stress than what regular office work does. It also leads to an unfriendly atmosphere at the workplace and causes ill will amongst colleagues. These petty politics spoil relationships and friendships which could bloom into beautiful flowers are nipped in the bud due to these politics.

4.     Most importantly, the growth of the organization is adversely affected by corporate politics. Corporate politics are often backed up by personal motives and selfish interests rather than interests of the company. So, instead of focusing on the growth of the company and individual professional growth, those who create politics focus only on those politics. For the organization to grow, it is important to have diligent workers who focus single-mindedly on work.

Thus, we can see that like everything else, corporate politics too has both its good and bad points. Ironically, if at one hand, it hampers the growth of an individual, then, on the other hand, it gives the strength, the confidence and the wisdom to grow. By focusing on the pros of corporate politics while being a victim and by avoiding any engagement in politics, one can indeed create a love towards the work and ease down unwanted stress level.