A Profile of managers Active in Office Politics

This study sought to develop a profile of individuals active in office politics. A sample of 225 managers responded anonymously to a questionnaire on their political activities. Whereas managerial level, job function, and sex were unrelated to level of political activity, personality measures correlated significantly. The profile that emerged characterizes the "political player" as a highly self-monitoring man with external-type beliefs in a difficult world, or a woman with a high need for power. Several clues to grasping the motivations underlying political behavior were revealed.