Explain how organizational politics may lead to behaviours which are potentially functional and ...

Exhibit 12.4 in the text nicely summarizes the potential for functional and dysfunctional behaviours along the basic dimensions of organizational politics. Political behaviour involving sanctioned ends but not-sanctioned means may result in functional consequences to the organization (e.g., bribing a foreign official to help win a large export contract for your company). Political behaviour involving either sanctioned means and not-sanctioned ends, or not-sanctioned means and not-sanctioned ends, both result in dysfunctional consequences to the organization. An example of the former might involve a manager who agrees to promote an employee in exchange for the employee's cooperation in concealing some fraudulent expense reports he submitted. Examples of the latter might involve any manager who violates rules or squanders organizational resources in order to enhance his or her own personal power.