Every company or organizations has political players

            Every company or organizations has political players, whether they occupy a key position or not. A common employee may have to power of persuasion even though he/she doesn’t have to make important decisions for the company. On the other hand, an individual may be the president of the company, but he/she may lack the ability to influence other people to conform with his/her ideas. We oftentimes relate the concept of political power to the governmental politics and the people that run the country, but politics plays a role also within the business organizational setting.

            Politics is defined as the art or science of government. This definition encompasses all things that need the government of certain individuals skilled at this kind of endeavor. Certainly, good governance is also needed to run a business organization like the one where Roger Allen works for. Otherwise stated, this takes the form of strategic management.

Politics is an art or a science; therefore, there are certain basic rules and techniques one should be skilled at in order to hold control of the government of an organization. In a managerial setting, a manager needs to know the key management theories in order to effectively and efficiently manage the operations and processes of a company. Hence, in this case, Roger Allen should have both the skills of a manager and the brilliance of a politician to get what he wanted.

Within the organization where Roger Allen works, two individuals who directly hold the power to influence the upholding or rejection of Roger Allen’s desire to take part in the international sales of the company are Harry Walden, the current marketing vice-president, and the woman marketing president. However, we can surmise eventually that the one who used political power at its highest potential was Harry Walden. The vice-president used the Machiavellian way of attaining his objective, and that is preventing Roger to leave for the international sales scene by employing a questionable machination. The end justifies the means used. What Harry had done, although unethical, effectively persuaded the selection committee to vote against Roger’s intention. In essence, Harry Walden had the power in this organization at this particular case. He employed the political power of manipulation and scheming. Politics is a double-edged sword; it can be used for a good purpose, or for a bad intention.

To point out, Roger did not play company politics well. He let himself go with the flow. He just let his supervisors do the things necessary in order for his hope of working for the international sales to be put into motion. Roger Allen lacks the power of persuasion, which is a very important tool in organizational politics. At the same time that he intimated his intention to the vice-president and the president, he should have coupled his action by pressing the matter extensively that he can work best if he is allowed to do international sales. The powers of influencing and persuasion are important implements of politics. Without these, politicians would be rendered helpless in advocating there policies. This is true in the case at hand. Roger Allen failed to advocate his plan with the help of other factors.

            In addition, Roger’s trust was mislaid. The fact that Harry Walden influenced the selection committee against Roger Allen, there was manipulation employed. A department, in order to function effectively, must be well founded on trust between the subordinates and the department head. Harry Walden’s acts constituted a breach of trust. It is normal for a subordinate to trust and ask the opinion of the supervisor on matters involving company tasks and functions; hence, this given trust is not a sanction for the supervisor to do whatever, in his opinion, he wants in behalf of the subordinate. Harry should have told Roger what he wants to do in the committee hearing. In the first place, he intimated his support for Roger Allen’s plan. This factor contributed to Roger’s failure to get the international job.

            There are many things that could have been done by Roger Allen in order to get what he wanted. If I am in Roger’s shoes, the first thing that I have to do is to place personally before the selection committee my application to work for the international sales of the organization. I’ll request a personal interview so that I can intimate before the committee all the factors surrounding my plan. In this way, other individual’s plans and motivations could not interfere with my intention.

            I will further state, that being the #1 salesperson, it is in my position to help the company spread out its grasp on the international market. Eventually, if permitted, my efforts would help in the expansion of the company, not just in Europe, but in other areas as well.

            But political strategies would not be fully effective if the ones employed tend to lean on the negative side. Negative strategies tend to produce bad outcomes; therefore, the political strategies that I will use should be limited up to the extent that they will not encroach upon the unethical aspects of corporate strategy and management.