Corporate Politics! (Looking for a bit of help please)

[#1 Disney Fan]

<font color=navy>Hi everyone,

Most of you know by know I'm an Engineering student.... but I'm also now going for a Management Minor. So for one of my management courses this sememster I have an assignment where I need to gather information from people in industry (epecially but certainly not limited to managers) about incidents of corporate politics. Where better to ask a large group of knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful (sucking up works right? ) group of people than my friends here. So if you're still with me as I ramble on...

What I'm looking for are summaries of corporate politics incidents that you've encountered.

If you could help me out by sharing one or more incidents that would be WONDERFUL. If you'd prefer not to post here, feel free to send me a PM. Thank you so very much in advance. I appreciate any responses!

Thank you!!!

<i>
And for anybody who was wondering what I'm talking about... a brief summary...

"Organizational Politics refers to the activities individuals pursue in organizations to develop and exercise power to achieve their own desired outcomes. Some common examples are: image building (engaging in activities designed to create and maintain good image), selective use of information to further one's career, scapegoating (blaming someone else for failure), forming alliances, networking, compromise (giving in on an important issue to gain an ally for future), and rule manipulation (granting requests of an ally on the basis of "special circumstances" but denying the same request to an opponent)." </i> </font>

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

Just my first bump for this.

 

[oldkicker]

Oh my!! I need to decide which to send along to you, #1!

Let me think on this one and I'll be back!

 

[mickey65]

I'll check around at work today ther might be something!

 

[figmentvi]

Oh my #1, there isn't enough bandwidth to tell you about the corporate politics that occur around where I work. I work as a Contracts Administrator for a VERY large oil refinery. Some of the "poli-tricks" that go on around here are enough to curl your hair. Being female in a predominently male industry, I have been the victim of many political ploys.

I'll put some of my thoughts to paper throughout the day today and will post them later.

 

[newmousecateer]

A little bump...

 

[newmousecateer]

An official bumper here.

 

[#1 Disney Fan]

Thanks for the bumps, Marilyn, I appreciate it.

A huge thank you to you Oldkicker, and hope to hear from you later Mickey65, figmentvi and anyone else with an example for me.

THANK YOU!

 

[lilboo]

...also would looking at case studies be of use? I'm not sure what you need to do for your class but mergers & acquisitions always yield "interesting" dynamics. Maybe the AOL/TimeWarner case-there should be alot of current stuff about that. Just a suggestion and a BUMP!

 

[Disney Doll]

Many years ago, I worked for an insurance company as a claims and utilization reviewer. At the beginning of my 5th year of employment, I got a new supervisor. I had qualms about her from the beginning, as the director who hired her relayed a story of how, during her interview, she asked the director if the company had any problem with minorities in management positions(she was African-American). The director replied "No, they hire women all the time", and left it at that. The director then chose to relay that story to us, her soon-to-be employees, as a way to show what a great sense of humor our new supervisor had. I had a lot of misgivings after hearing that story, not because the woman was African-American, but because it seemed to be somewhat of an issue with her.

Anyhow, she arrives, and soon decides that I am the biggest threat since I have the longest time in the department. Of course, I didn't want her job, because had I wanted it, I'd have applied for it when it was available. Anyhow, she started a campaign to try and make me look bad, which escalated to the point that any directive she gave me I would write down in memeo form and make her initial, so that she wouldn't come back later and say "I never told you to do that."

While I was away on my honeymoon(about 2 months into her tenure as supervisor), she made an entry into our computer system that indicated that I had approved something that I never would have, and she put my initials to it. She didn't realize, though, that no matter whose initials were on the actual entry, the initials of the person who was logged in appeared in the corner of the screen. A couple of days after my return, she called me into her office and starts taking me to task for approving this item. It took me a couple of minutes to figure it out, but I knew I hadn't done it. Finally, I noticed the date and the initials in the corner. She was busted. I told her that I knew what she had done, I knew what she was trying to do, and it wasn't going to work because I was 7 months away from being vested in my pension, and I wasn't leaving before that. I told her that the next 7 months could be pleasant or unpleasant, and that would be up to her.

She got all nasty with me, and threatened to go to the director and tell her I was being insubordinate. I suggested we go right then, and I would show the director the bogus approval she had entered in an effort to make me look bad. That changed her tune quickly, and then she tried to get the printout back from me! Of course, seeing as how that was my evidence, that didn't happen.

We spent the next 7 months warily "dancing" around each other, with me getting written documentation of everything I did and was instructed to do, which aggravated the heck out of her. I did go to Personnel several times when she got out of control, but that did very little good. Their response was always "Well, she's very well qualified. She has a Master's degree from Yale." When I handed in my resignation, I handed it in to the director of the department, told her an earful, and worked out my notice.

A week after I left, they demoted her from supervisor to peon.

 

[Kama89]

Bump for Lynne.