Preface: Challenges and new frontiers for organizational politics in modern worksites Eran Vigoda-Gadot and Amos Drory Studies in organizational politics: past, present and future Organizational politics has been a fruitful field of academic writing and research for more than three decades. Dozens of papers, book chapters, and other publications as well as numerous conference presentations and symposia have been devoted to what was once considered the hidden dynamics of power and influence in organizations, those that create the politicized worksite. In the past decade, the flow of studies has intensified, reflecting the growing interest in this arena. More than 150 studies have been published in profes- sional academic journals that have explored the meaning of this phenomenon, its antecedents, implications, and significance for managers and employees in various fields and sectors and across cultures. This book is an attempt to provide a comprehensive understanding of a field that for many years seemed interesting, but almost impossible to study empirically. As with other handbooks, we seek to paint the broad picture. Therefore, we have approached most of the scholars who have written about this phenomenon in recent decades and offered them the opportunity to contribute their unique perspectives. Many have agreed to join our journey and have contributed original papers, pre-published works, or updated versions of previ- ously published papers. In sum, approximately thirty chapters were considered for possi- ble inclusion in this volume, of which 19 were finally selected. These articles were carefully chosen for their quality, their clarity and their ability to provide the reader with an inte- grative look at workplace politics from various perspectives. The result is 19 chapters of what we see as a thoughtful and lucid analysis written by the leading researchers in the field. The Handbook of Organizational Politics is therefore designed to offer a broad per- spective on the fascinating phenomenon of power, influence and politics in modern worksites. This phenomenon has proven meaningful for individuals, groups and other organizational stakeholders, as it is related to various aspects of organizational out- comes andperformances. However, politics in organizations is difficult to study because employees, middle managers and corporate leaders are not eager to reveal the political secrets and dynamics that help them get ahead in the workplace and advance their per- sonal agendas. Organizational politics has many definitions, but all of them relate to the use of personal or aggregate power to influence others and achieve one’s goals in the workplace. Throughout the years, scholars have studied not only the positive and nega- tive aspects of politics and its internal structure, but also its antecedents and poten- tial outcomes. The book discusses most, if not all, of these themes, as detailed in the partial list below. The book is intended as a comprehensive collection of original or re-workedstudies that together comprise a current picture of our knowledge about this area. This portrait is based on both theoretical ideas and empirical findings from around the globe. ix Eran Vigoda-Gadot and Amos Drory - 9781847201874 Downloaded from Elgar Online at 06/03/2019 02:31:51AM via free access