The impact of organizational politics on the work of the internal human resource professional

Abstract

The coveted epicenter for the contemporary human resource professional is partnering with other internal business leaders to fulfill the organization’s mission through sound and ethical business principles and human resource practices. Over three decades, the discipline has matured into one that includes transactional practices along side the more sophisticated organizational development and consultative work. In contemporary business, it is customary for organizations to partner with either internal or external human resource professionals to assist with the people management or strategic elements of the business. The evolution of the discipline over more than thirty years is appropriate and attests to the contributions that can be made by individuals skilled in the human resource and organizational development competencies. Excellence in the discipline centers on the ability to communicate with and influence diverse groups. The activities of the discipline live side by side the phenomena of organizational politics which impacts every aspect of contemporary business life. Organizational politics has been discussed in earnest in the literature over the last two decades. The concept of organizational politics and the perceptions of organizational politics in the work place evolved during the 1990’s and are considered to be a primary component in contemporary business practices. Therefore, it is appropriate to explore the relationships that exist between the discipline of human resources and the environmental phenomenon of organizational politics in contemporary business settings. The two are unavoidably linked through common work place actors, settings, and scripts. The examination of the resulting impact on human resources is the focus of this study. The purpose of this study is to determine to what extend and how organizational politics impacts the work of the internal human resource professional. The qualitative research methodology includes a focus group and interviews of senior human resource professionals holding positions in financial services and professional services firms in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois. The research interpretation follows methodology proposed by Clive (1999). The study extends the existing research in this area by focusing on the impact of organizational politics on practicing human resource professionals. The suggested implications for the future of the human resource discipline will also be provided.