When Politics Undermine Goodwill: How Tenacity and Passion Keep Employees Helping

What is it about?

This study examines how organizational politics—the perception that decisions favor self-interest over fairness—affect employees’ willingness to help others, a key form of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Based on Conservation of Resources theory, it argues that political environments drain emotional energy and weaken affective commitment, reducing motivation to assist colleagues. Using survey data from employees in the United States, the study finds that perceptions of organizational politics reduce affective commitment, mediating the negative link between politics and helping behavior. When employees perceive strong politics, they feel less emotionally connected and less inclined to go beyond formal duties. However, high tenacity and passion for work act as psychological resources, helping employees stay engaged and cooperative despite political stress. The findings highlight that workplace politics can quietly undermine collaboration and goodwill but that resilience and inner motivation can buffer these effects. Organizations can limit the damage by promoting transparent decision-making, recognizing effort fairly, and fostering an environment where persistence and passion are supported. Such efforts help maintain cooperation and morale even when political pressures arise.

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Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in uncovering how organizational politics diminish helping behavior through their effect on affective commitment, while also demonstrating the resource-preserving roles of tenacity and passion for work. By applying COR theory, the study integrates both contextual and personal factors to explain how emotional resource loss translates into behavioral withdrawal—and how individual strengths can offset this effect. The study is particularly timely as organizations navigate growing internal competition and stress in performance-driven climates. Conducted in the United States, it underscores how cultivating perseverance and passion can sustain prosocial conduct even when fairness perceptions falter. The findings offer clear guidance for leaders: create fair, transparent environments that channel employees’ tenacity and passion toward collective success, ensuring that motivation endures even when politics cannot be fully eliminated.