Saturday 29 March 2008

Politics

I am interested to learn the actual meaning of 'politics' as this term is widely used and corporate management have actually reminded employee not to play politics among colleagues. So, I refer to wikipedia;

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions.

Politics consists of "social relations involving authority or power" and refers to the regulation of a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.

Political science (also political studies) is the study of political behavior and examines the acquisition and application of power. Related areas of study include political philosophy, which seeks a rationale for politics and an ethic of public behavior, and public administration, which examines the practices of governance.



Hmm...it is purely just a process of making decision by a group of people in consensus. If it is just a methodology, then why in corporate management or among people, people are discouraged from playing politics ?

Politics itself is just a method or process in making decision and it did not mention about its understanding or belief . Corporate management is actually more concern about the way belief or influence are worked out certain individual or group by to lead or change or unite the bigger group to against the management's belief, cultures and values.

So, the corporate management has also been playing politics to ensure the whole team stay united to the same culture, belief and values. Hence, the end in mind of the leaders is utmost important.

Then we need to know what sort of politics (way of making decision) are practised by various group when approaching a challenges, issues, opportunities or problem. Once we are cleared, we will be able to to pick our choice.

More confused ? I think so and I believe many others are also confused. Many may be lead to support due to belief that they shall gain benefits from the strong association of one group of same political mind. These people just do not know that actual values of politics and they would not care for the larger group of society other than their own preferences.

Sincerely, how many are actually educated to know what is politics ? other than listen from hearsay, newspaper, coffeeshops...any of us study this topic like we are trained doctors, engineers, lawyers etc ? Other thans those political study graduates and handful of self learned leaders, most people, I mean majority just do not know what is politics all about.

May be we could say...politics is a logic or common sense...may be it is true but still if most people do not have common sense as what we have experienced in other areas, we do find a lot of people just do not have the common knowledge.

Where am I getting to ?...I am just trying to share that if more people are educated just like how we were taught to read ABC and to evaluate facts...may be the maturity of politics will be there and elected government will better be real for their jobs....(political leaders must work harder to explain to the people...this one way how the majority start learning...)

It is just my 5cents thoughts .....(inset photo is Aristotle)

1 comment:

William said...

Apart from the interest to the company or organization that we worked for, there area also interest to a particular individual.

In terms of interest to the company, it is visible in a project that involve different companies e.g, clients, contractors, sub contractors and joint venture partners. Each company has their own interest to protect. Hence somtime we could not work towards a common goal due to the so called politic. In this case our ethic is governing us. Our work ethic will guide us in the right direction.

For individual interest, it will be more obvious and it is our expectation on what we could gain in a company decision e.g. promotion, knowledge, increment etc. Decision that is of interest to a company might not take care of the interest of certain employee. That is why we have company or work politic which is sometime very tricky.