Abstract:

The structures of the modern world are a dynamic playground in which organizations are made up of informal communities and each worker enters the power struggle as a political player (actor) at various levels (Erol, 2015). Therefore, the fact that each employee, regardless of the role or status, competes with each other as an actor in the political games (Vecchio, 1988) is a situation reality (Mintzberg, 1983; Pfeffer, 1992) while the efforts of the employee towards power are understood in the form of organizational (organic) policy (Koçel, 2003; Islamoglu and Börü, 2007). Political behavior, which is the form of implementation of organizational policy, is all the behavior which is based on the power that can bring itself to a more advantageous position within the organization (Mintzberg, 1985; Pfeffer, 1992; Kacmar and Ferris, 1993). Political tactics, which is the strategic aspect of political behavior, covers the employee’s every type of influence attempt, despite the others, designed to maximize their individual profits (Bolman and Deal, 2017). Although different classifications were made in the field to define the political tactics used in organizations, this study was based on the political tactical classification of Robert P. Vecchio (1988) which consists of the dimensions: “(A) Work to Love Yourself, (B) Creating the Environment, (C) Information Management, (D) Implementation/Effect Management, (E) Creating the Coalition, (F) Searching for Criminals, (G) Increasing the Addiction”. In this study, the aim is to develop the "Political Tactics Scale - University / Faculty Version (PTÖ-U/F)" which will allow to determine the structure of political tactics considered to be widely used in the universities by collecting data from 772 teachers working in state universities in Turkey. For this purpose, in the framework of the work, a material pool was first created in the framework of the theoretical structure established by Vecchio. Then with Lawshe analysis, cover validity, structural validity with AFA and DFA, CR, alpha and AVE values with the DFA derived factor loads, approximate validity, MSV and ASV values with the DFA derived factors interrelation ratings, also the separation validity tested and the measurement model developed. The internal consistency of this last-developed measurement model with the Cronbach Alfa values, the structure reliability with the CR values, and subsequently material analysis with the model. The results of the analysis have shown that the scale of political tactics has given quite valid and reliable results in these samples.