2023 Backstabbing, Credit Snatching, and Blame Gaming: Disrupting the Toxic Office Research from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
PEPPERDINE GRAZIADIO BUSINESS SCHOOL 24255 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA 90263 Tel . 310.568.5500 bschool.pepperdine.edu
Table of Contents Introduction: Introduction: The The Toxicity Toxicity of of Office Office Politics.........................................4 Politics
xecutive Summary........................................................................................5 Executive Summary Office Office Politics Politics andand Getting Getting Ahead..........................................................6 Ahead. Office Politics is Prevalent and Negative.............................................7 Negative. Rumor Spreading, Rumor Spreading, Sucking Up, Sucking BlameUp, Gaming, BlameBack Gaming, Stabbing... Back Stabbing...8 Office Office Politics Politics and and Office Office Pressure.........................................................9 Pressure.. Office Politics Office forPolitics Good.............................................................................10 for Good...
t Harms...................................................................................................11 Who it Harms Generational Generational Differences..........................................................................12 Differences.
Gender Differences.....................................................................................14 Gender Differences. Management Management and Senior and Senior Management Management Hold the Hold Key. the Key...................15
usion.......................................................................................................16 Conclusion....
hodology..................................................................................................17 Methodology
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The Toxicity of Office Politics Office politics has existed since the dawn of office life. The ways that power is shared in an organization or workplace, and the ways that it is affected by the personal relationships between the people who work there is a fact of life in any organization. Marked by toxic cultures and marginalized groups, office politics is the top reason for corporate culture misfires, frustration, and defeat. Some believe 'healthy office politics' foster inclusive and supportive working environments. Existing evidence shows office politics is all too often tainted territory. It’s a white man's game or a “bro culture” – in which empathy and respect take a backseat to obnoxious behavior. Some offices are dominated by “cliques” in which groups spend most of their time together creating barriers to entry and opportunity. In others, bullies, yellers, and manipulators too often set the tone. In all these scenarios, certain groups including women and ethnic minorities are left out and left behind. Negative activities, attitudes, and behaviors used to get or keep power or maintain an unfair advantage are unfortunately alive and well in offices across the U.S. Office politics are the poison ingredient spoiling
the dynamic mix of decision makers who must set the course and workers who must get the work completed - this has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic as the workplace environment has changed dramatically with the workforce spread between the office and telework, creating communication and oversight challenges for management. At Pepperdine Graziadio Business School we are set on identifying the practices that derail the workplace. As we seek to pursue the hallmarks of a top business school – values-centered, experience-driven, and collaborative – toxic office politics stand in the way. Through this first-of-its-kind research, we aim to identify and define the dynamics of office politics. We delve into manager and worker opinions to identify common perceptions and surprising splits. We offer high-level thinkers who can describe the facts, myths, and behaviors standing in the way of high performance. Looking ahead to the future, we set our sights on the pathway to office harmony and how MBA programs can play a role.
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Executive Summary Main points and takeaways from this report: 1. Office politics is prolific. The majority of workers surveyed (68 percent) say office politics is very or somewhat prevalent in their office. 2. Office politics is negative. Workers debunk the idea that office politics can be a force of good in an organization. Two in five (42 percent) say “none” is the right amount of office politics while two in five (42 percent) say “a little every now and then” is acceptable. 3. Office politics is a barrier to getting ahead. Three in ten (29 percent) respondents said office politics is the most problematic in getting ahead - Number 2 only to communications problems. 4. Office politics is ugly. Rumor spreading, sucking up, blame gaming, and backstabbing are the most commonly displayed behaviors in office politics. 5. Office politics is a participatory sport. Half of the workers (49 percent) surveyed say they feel pressured to engage in office politics, while more than two in five (42 percent) say engaging in office politics is just part of the job. 6. Office politics is harmful. Quitting, changing positions, ethical, and legal issues are believed to stem from office politics. Negative, harmful office politics more heavily impact ethnic minorities and women. 7. Office politics is influenced by senior management. One-third say managers (33 percent) and senior management (32 percent) have the most influence over the level of negative office politics and are best positioned to do something about it.
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Office Politics and Getting Ahead In the best of times, office politics and inter-office communications can prove challenging to any business. A lack of effective communication in the workplace only serves to foster an environment where office politics can thrive. In order to learn more about the current state of the office and office politics, we asked 800 office workers - 400 who manage people and 400 who do not manage people - for their beliefs and opinions about office life, including office politics. The majority (68 percent) of survey respondents say office politics is very or somewhat prevalent in their office. Office politics is one of the top two challenges to getting ahead in the workplace today. More than one-third of office workers responding (35 percent) said the top challenge in their work environment is communication problems, while three in ten (29 percent) say it is office politics that’s the most problematic. In this diffused and often chaotic environment, workers rely on their managers to provide a steady flow of information related to the business and to provide a steady hand in managing day to day staff operations.
What do you believe are the top challenges for getting ahead in today’s workplace? *Respondents were able to select more than one option Communication problems
35%
Office politics
29%
Small budget and/or few resources
26%
Ineffective plans
20%
Ineffective team meetings
16%
Interpersonal conflict
13%
Remote work
12%
Role confusion
9%
Discrimination (i.e., racial & gender)
8%
Overdependence on the office leader
5%
Other challenges
3%
None of these
11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
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Office Politics is Prevalent and Negative Is there a right amount of office politics? While most people look down on office politics and acknowledge its harmful effects are tough to discount, some see advantages in playing the game from time to time, especially when it comes to distinguishing themselves from their colleagues in the eyes of upper management. However, as shown in the chart below, the majority of respondents (59 percent) say office politics is somewhat negative or very negative. Of those surveyed, more than two in five (42 percent) say “none” is the right amount of office politics while two in five (42 percent) say “a little every now and then” is acceptable. One percent indicated office politics was one of the more enjoyable parts of their job.
When it comes to office politics, what is closest to your opinion?
21%
6%
It is a very positive thing
9%
It is a somewhat positive thing It is neither positive nor negative
25% 38%
It is a somewhat negative thing It is a very negative thing
How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact office politics? When factoring in the effects of the pandemic on the office dynamic, over the past two years, about half of office workers (49 percent) say problems with office politics have stayed the same while another 25 percent say they expect things to get worse before they get better.
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Rumor Spreading, Sucking Up, Blame Gaming, Backstabbing Office politics can manifest itself in many different ways in an office setting. They can involve relationships and influence as ways for employees to try and get ahead. When asked about which form of office politics was most pervasive in their job, one-third of office workers say they see rumor spreading (34 percent) and sucking up (34 percent) as the most common forms of office politics. Blame gaming was almost as high. These damaging workplace tactics have the power to not only erode trust and morale, but also create divisiveness among employees and hurt feelings and reputations.
What types of office politics do you see most in your office? While you may see all of these, please select the two that are most prevalent. *Respondents were able to select more than one option
Rumor spreading
34%
Sucking up
34%
Blame gaming
29%
Backstabbing
27%
Credit snatching
17%
Bullying
9%
Sabotaging
8%
Flattering
8%
Something else
2%
None of these
16%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
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Office Politics and Office Pressure Workers reported feeling the pressure that comes from office politics. They also worry about whether or not it would be beneficial to participate. Half of the workers (49 percent) surveyed say they feel pressured to engage in office politics, while over two in five (42 percent) say engaging in office politics is just part of the job. In addition, onethird of office workers (32 percent) say engaging in office politics makes them feel like part of a group at work. Regardless of the response, whether office workers see office politics as negative or positive, workers feel the brute force of the “foot on their neck.” So is there an acceptable level of office politics? Are there any positives at all to the office workers? According to survey results, one-third of office workers (33 percent) say there are no positive aspects of office politics. Many workers feel office politics negatively impact their relationships with colleagues, discourage collaboration, and ultimately hurt their career goals by often making it difficult to find a mentor. Office politics also have a different impact on subsets of workers.. What might help is some education as four in five office workers (79%) say advanced skills in management, leadership and/or interpersonal skills would help them navigate office politics.
What would you say are the negative aspects of office politics? Please select all that apply. *Respondents were able to select more than one option
Hurts relationships with colleagues
66%
Discourages collaboration
53%
Hurts relationships with decision-makers
49%
Hurts career goals
33%
Keeps you from knowing what is happening
26%
Makes new opportunities hard to find
25%
Can stop you from finding new resources
23%
Can stop you from finding a mentor
19%
Some other aspects
1%
There are no negative aspects
6%
0%
25%
50%
75%
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Office Politics For Good? Of those who chose to focus on the positive elements of office politics, one in five (21 percent) said a positive aspect is office politics help build relationships with decision-makers and actually help them when looking for new opportunities and achieving their career goals. About a third (31 percent) said they felt a positive aspect of office politics is that it lets them know what’s going on behind the scenes.
What would you say are the positive aspects of office politics? Please select all that apply. *Respondents were able to select more than one option
Lets you know what is going on behind the scenes
66%
Builds relationships with colleagues
53%
Can encourage collaboration
49%
Builds relationships with decision-makers
33%
Helps find new opportunities
26%
Helps advance career goals
25%
Can provide new resources
23%
Allows you to find a mentor at work
19%
Some other aspects
1%
There are no positive aspects
6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
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Office Politics: Who it harms In all walks of life, actions have consequences, and the same can be said about office politics. Office politics weigh heavily on today’s workforce. Though workers clearly stated they feel pressure to participate in some capacity in their place of employment, they also clearly stated their belief that office politics have dire consequences for their place of employment. Let’s start with workers - two in five office workers (39 percent) say office politics caused them to think about leaving an employer completely, while one-quarter (25 percent) say it caused them to leave an employer. Others gave indications that office politics caused them to think about changing positions within an employer and less than one in five (16 percent) say it actually caused them to change positions within an employer. Even more alarming, women are more likely than men to say office politics has caused them to leave an employer (29 percent vs. 19 percent) while men are more likely to say office politics has never caused them to do any of these (39 percent vs. 31 percent).
Did office politics in a job ever cause you to do any of the following? Please select all that apply. *Respondents were able to select more than one option
Think about leaving an employer completely
39%
Think about changing positions within an employer
26%
Actually leave an employer
25%
Change positions within an employer
16%
None of these
34% 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Workers surveyed went on to point out additional threats to their organization if office politics are allowed to flourish. More than nine in ten (94 percent) say too much office politics can cause ethical issues for companies and too much can create a toxic culture (93 percent). Nine in ten (89 percent) say too much office politics can cause legal issues for companies.
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Office Politics by Generation Different generations are known to look at the world of work through contrasting lenses. Younger workers tend to focus on the long future ahead. Middle-age workers focus on succeeding in the present. Older workers are considering their life’s work and legacy. It’s logical that Millennials are more likely to say office politics is negative and that they have been impacted. For Gen X, office politics can go either way. Boomers are more likely to be nonplussed by office politics. Here are some of the key data:
Who has the most influence over the level of office politics? Millennials and Gen X are more likely than Boomers to say the CEO and/or other C-Suite executives have the most influence over the level of negative office politics (21% and 18% vs. 12%).
What behaviors are seen the most often? Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say they see bullying (13% vs. 7% and 7%) and flattering (13% vs. 6% and 5%) the most. Boomers are more likely than Millennials and Gen X to say they don’t see any of these (24% vs. 13% and 11%).
Are there positive aspects? Millennials and Gen X are more likely than Boomers to say office politics builds relationships with colleagues (38% and 27% vs. 16%) and encourages collaboration (28% and 25% vs. 16%) are positive aspects of office politics. Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say positive aspects of office politics are it builds relationships with decision-makers (32% vs. 18% and 11%), it helps find new opportunities (22% vs. 11% an 11%), it helps advance career goals (24% vs. 13% and 6%), it can provide new resources (20% vs. 13% and 8%) and it allows them to find a mentor at work (18% vs. 9% and 4%). Boomers are more likely than Millennials and Gen X to say there are no positive aspects of office politics (49% vs. 18% and 33%).
Are there negative aspects? Gen X and Boomers are more likely than Millennials to say a negative aspect of office politics is it hurts relationships with colleagues (69% and 72% vs. 58%). Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say a negative aspect of office politics is it can stop them from finding new resources (28% vs. 21% and 18%).
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Office Politics by Generation Cont. Will office politics get better in the next two years? Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say office politics will get better in the next two years (44% vs. 19% and 13%) while Gen X and Boomers are more likely than Millennials to say it will stay the same (60% and 64% vs. 40%).
Achieving success in the workplace? Millennials and Gen X are more likely than Boomers to say office politics prevented them from moving up the ladder (32% and 36% vs. 24%) and being exposed to new opportunities (28% and 24% vs. 15%). Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomers to say office politics prevented them from accessing resources (24% vs. 15% and 7%) and securing mentoring opportunities (16% vs. 5% and 4%). Boomers are more likely than Millennials and Gen X to say office politics has never prevented any of these from happening (59% vs. 33% and 43%).
Thought about leaving an employer? Millennials and Gen X are more likely than Boomers to say office politics caused them to think about leaving an employer (44% and 42% vs. 31%), think about changing positions within an employer (32% and 29% vs. 14%) and actually changing positions within an employer (23% and 17% vs. 8%). Boomers are more likely than Millennials and Gen X to say office politics has never caused them to do any of these (50% vs. 22% and 31%).
Did office politics cause you to leave an employer? Millennial
31%
GenX
24%
Boomer
19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
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Office Politics by Gender/Ethnicity The survey results suggest men have greater awareness of the forces behind office politics. Three in five office workers (59 percent) say it is likely that women and ethnic minorities benefit less from office politics. More research is needed in the areas of gender and racism in office politics but the survey results spark interesting dialogue. Here are some of the key data:
Who has influence over the level of office politics? Women are more likely than men to say support staff have the most influence (10% vs. 5%).
What behaviors do they see most often? Men are more likely than women to say they see rumor spreading the most often (39% vs. 30%).
Are there positive aspects? Men are more likely than women to say a positive aspect of office politics is it can encourage collaboration (27% vs. 20%).
Are there negative aspects? Men are more likely than women to say negative aspects of office politics discourages collaboration (59% vs. 49%) and makes new opportunities hard to find (30% vs. 21%).
Achieving success in the workplace? Men are more likely than women to say office politics prevented them from being exposed to new opportunities (27% vs. 20%) and securing mentoring opportunities (11% vs. 6%).
Thought about leaving an employer? Women are more likely than men to say office politics has caused them to leave an employer (29% vs. 19%) while men are more likely to say office politics has never caused them to do any of these (39% vs. 31%).
Did office politics cause you to leave an employer? Total
25%
Female
29%
Male
19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
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Managers and Senior Management Hold the Keys If office politics are alive and well, who’s to blame? According to the survey results: management. Overall, survey respondents said managers and senior management hold the most sway and responsibility over office politics. More than nine in ten office workers (94 percent) say senior management have an obligation to make sure office politics is not allowed to get out of hand. Specifically, one-third say managers (33 percent) and senior management (32 percent) have the most influence over the level of negative office politics in an organization, and almost one in five (17 percent) say the CEO and/or other CSuite executives do.
Who do you believe has the most influence over the level of negative office politics in an organization?
5% 5%
Managers
8%
Senior management
33% 17%
CEO and/or other C-Suite executives Support staff Direct reports None of these
32%
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Conclusion Office politics is a full-contact sport. As the data and our analysis suggest, it is survivable if there are rules and a referee. Management and training, communications loops, and an ethical framework play a part in making office politics survivable. Workers need to feel empowered to change the office dynamic. Management can support workers by instituting better internal communications efforts and employee recognition programs. By enacting these changes, management can do a better job of seeing and recognizing the contributions of staff so there is a decreased need for office politics. Workers want the opportunity to change the detrimental nature of office politics. This should be embraced by leadership in any business - especially those looking to maintain their most valuable asset - their employees. Many workers continue to work a hybrid work schedule, with those surveyed saying this schedule allows for decreased levels of office politics. Businesses increasingly see value in allowing their employees this flexibility as long as productivity doesn’t decrease. Training and tools - either in-person or virtually - can help address difficult work situations and reset the course. These are even more important when considering a fair number of respondents are less frequently in a traditional office setting post-Covid, with hybrid work schedules increasingly accepted as today’s norm. This can provide opportunities for office politics to rear their ugly head, as staff will have less supervision from management. Dark days lie ahead for organizations that permit a toxic work culture due to office politics. For managers and employees who address the adverse behaviors of office politics, it could be the dawn of a new era.
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Methodology Pepperdine Graziadio Business School worked with Regina Corso Consulting to create the survey as a basis for this study. An online survey was conducted between November 16 and 21, 2022 among 800 office workers - 400 who manage people and 400 who do not manage people. The survey was conducted to gauge the thoughts of office workers and managers regarding their perception of office politics.
Survey Notes Some percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding or because the question was a multipleresponse allowed item. An “*” indicates a response of less than 0.5 percent. Unless otherwise indicated, bases for all slides are of the total of 800 office workers. For the sub-group on company size, small indicates a company of fewer than 250 employees; medium, is one of 250-999; and large, is one of 1,000 or more employees.
About the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School For more than 50 years, the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing Best for the World Leaders, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. Follow Pepperdine Graziadio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thought leaders:
Dana Sumpter, PhD
Kurt Motamedi, PhD
Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management
Professor of Strategy and Leadership
Dr. Sumpter is an expert in workplace power dynamics, people management, and work relationships.
Dr. Motamedi works with seniorlevel executives to develop corporate strategies for growth, leadership and trust.
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