Executive Summary

Main points and takeaways from this report:

Office politics is prolific The majority of workers surveyed (68 percent) say office politics is very or somewhat prevalent in their office

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

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.

Office politics is ugly Rumor spreading, sucking up, blame gaming, and backstabbing are the most commonly displayed behaviors in office politics

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

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.

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