POLITICAL BEHAVIOR:

Organizations are social entities that involve a struggle for resources, personal conicts, and a variety of inuence tactics executed by individuals and groups to obtain benets and goals in different way. Political behavior refer to those activities that are not required as a part of ones formal role in the organization but that influence, or attempt to influence the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization. Political Behavior explores the various ways citizens can influence government. Voting, joining interest groups and political parties, and running for political office are all forms of political participation, one of the fundamental necessities of democracy.

Politics will always be a part of organizations so long as people are involved. Organizations that are overrun with politics, however, will sooner or later take their place among the also-rans. Political decisions encourage hypocrisy, secrecy, deal making, rumors, power brokers, selfinterests, image building, self-promotion, and cliques -- not a receipt for effective teamwork. Not all groups or organizations are equally political. In some organizations, for instance politicking is overt and rampant, while in others, politics plays only a small role in influencing outcomes. Why is there this variation? Recent research and observation have identified a number of factors that appear to encourage political behavior. Some are individual characteristics, derived from the unique qualities of the people the organization employs; others are a result of the organizations culture or internal environment.

POLITICAL ANALYSIS OF PRIVATE BANK:

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ASKARI COMMERCIAL BANK:

Askari Bank Ltd (formerly Askari Commercial Bank) was incorporated in Pakistan on October 9, 1991, as a Public Limited Company. It started its operations during April 1 1992. The bank principally deals with mainly banking, as defined in the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962. The Bank is listed on the Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad Stock Exchanges and its shares are currently the highest quoted from among the new private sector banks in Pakistan. Askari Bank has expanded into a nation wide presence of 136 branches, and an offshore banking Unit in Bahrain. A shared network of over 1,100 online ATM covering all major cities in Pakistan supports the delivery channels for customer service. As on December 31, 2005, the bank had equity of PKR 8.6 billion and total assets of PKR 145.1 billion, with over 600,000 banking customers, serviced by our 2,754 employees.

Askari Bank Limited is a Pakistan-based commercial bank engaged in the provision of general banking services. Its segments include corporate financing, which includes corporate and investment banking activities; trading and sales, which includes the Bank's treasury and money market activities; retail banking, which provides services to small borrowers and includes loans; commercial banking, which provides services related to project finance, trade finance, lending, bills of exchange and deposits from corporate customers; payment and settlement, which includes income from payments and collections; agency service, which includes income from rent of lockers provided to customers, and subordinated loans, which represents term finance certificates issued by the Bank. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Bank operated 226 branches/sub-branches, including 31 Islamic banking branches and a wholesale bank branch in Bahrain. Askari Bank continues its success in competition. Recently we have once again been given the Best Retail Bank in Pakistan by The Asian Banker for the 2nd consecutive year. Askari Bank has been given the 1st Consumer Choice Award 2004 for the Commercial Banking Category by the Consumer Association of Pakistan. We have also received the Corporate Excellence Award for the financial sector from the Management Association of Pakistan (MAP) for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004.

FACTORS INFLUENCING POLITICAL BEHAVIOR IN ASKARI BANK:

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Askari Bank is operating in one of the worlds most volatile political environment. On one side there is a very week and unpopular government and on the other there is war against terror going on. Since Askari bank is part of Askari Welfare Trust which is run by Pakistan Army so it has the advantage of not being interfered directly by the government but political forces impact Askaris business through consumers and businesses which are affected directly by political instability. The factors that influence the political behavior in the askari bank are as follows:

High Self Monitor: In askari bank employees are high self monitors possess an internal locus of control and have a high need for power are more likely to engage in political behavior. Employees closely monitor themselves and often behave in a manner that is highly responsive to social cues and is more likely to be skilled in political behavior because they think that they can handle the situation easily and manipulate the situation in their favor.

High performance pressure: In askari bank more pressure is forced on the employees to get better results or completion of task on the specific deadlines. On the performance of employees extra pay is granted to them but employees are remained in high level of stress for the completion of task. Employees in askari bank play politics when they are enforced with high performance pressure. The politics playing in the organization becomes measure to pressurize authority to withdraw control and lower the performance target. Due to this high pressure on the performance employees in askari bank become engaged in the political behavior.

Decision-making culture: Askari bank have democratic and participative decision-making culture in the organization is also liable to organizational politics as every individual wants to enhance his/ her importance and thereafter give opinion on crucial and important matters. Power of control:
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In askari bank empolyees needs are like to gain power for control and to influence decision-making process of the organization. Their aim is to increase the area of their influence. They try to sustain power as it helps to obtain personal needs and fulfill desires. Employees starts playing politics as they have great desire and high need of gaining power.

Reallocation of resources: In many organizations its happen that organization to obtain better results or to improve the efficiency of their organizations starts reallocation of the organizational resources. Askari bank starts downsizing to improve the efficiency which leads towards the political behavior of the employees. They fell fear to lose their job and to overcome it they involves in the political behavior.

EMPLOYEES RESPONSES TO ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS IN ASKARI BANK:

It is a fact that employees in the organizations response negatively towards the organizational politics because the superiors enjoy the politics by getting what they want and the lower level employees have to suffer with that. It become the threatening aspect of organizational environment. Employees in askari banks responds in different ways towards the politics.

Reduces employees performance: Organizational politics violate the balance of exchange relationship between the organization and the employees and thus reduce the instrumentality of employees performance. As a result in askari bank employees likely interpret organizational politics as a threat to achieving expeted and desired rewards and may lead to the development of negative attitudes and decrease performance.

Decreased job satisfaction:

There are supervisors, co-workers, and other factors in the organization, which together generate overall job satisfaction. But when a political organizational climate may suppress unfair and unjust activities that are easily observed by employees. When an employee feels deprived and unfairly treated because of political considerations, he/she will be inclined to react initially by reducing voluntary obligation and attachment to the organization. These spontaneous attitudes and reactions are not directly controlled by the organization and are expected to change more easily in response to disappointment with the workplace. This leads to the job dissatisfaction.

Increase stress and anxiety:

In askari bank due to organizational politics employees feel more stress and anxiety because employees more thinks about to not involve in the politics and dont want to be a part of politics. Employees feel more stress by working in the political environment due to this overall performance of employees decline.

Increased turnover: It has been notice that in the askari bank employees turnover is increased due political behavior. Employees start quitting their jobs to get rid of from the politicking.

TYPES OF DEFENSIVE BEHAVIORS IN ASKARI BANK:

Simply, being defensive is when a person's thinking becomes rigid. It is not about protecting yourself from other people, but protecting yourself from experiencing uncomfortable feelings within you. A defensive reaction will temporarily block the underlying feeling that you don't want to experience. Everyone gets defensive at some time or another. It's a natural reaction to any
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number of circumstances. But by becoming defensive, you delay or deflect any chance of resolving the issue that made you defensive in the first place. Therefore, it's important to understand the types of defensive behavior and be aware of how you can overcome your defensive reactions when you're placed in difficult situations at work. Different people also use different forms of defensive behavior. Some people react with fight behaviors such as attacking, yelling, throwing something, arguing, criticizing, or blaming. Others use flight behaviors, like avoidance, procrastination, leaving, complaining, making excuses, sulking, silence, or justifying.

Blaming others or blaming yourself:

When in askari bank employees feel threatened, it's common in them to retaliate by blaming someone else. However, if the other person refuses to let you blame him or her then the employee could easily feel threatened enough to start blaming himself instead of the other person. By placing the blame on himself, he is still reacting defensively. His this response is calculated to deflect further blows from the other person and elicit sympathy as well.

Buck passing: In askari bank Buck passing or passing the buck is a normal defensive behavior adopt by the employees to prevent themselves from the blame. In this action employees who are involved in the political behavior starts attributing another person or group with responsibility for one's own actions. It is also used as a strategy in askari bank to power politics when the actions of one persons is blamed on another, providing an opportunity for war. Justifying: Justifying is a more sophisticated way of being defensive in askari bank, because it looks so rational, it sounds intelligent, and employee can be so cool and calm while doing it. Employees justify them by giving extra or illogical explanations by making others responsible for such a negative outcome.

IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES USED IN ASKARI BANK:

Impression management is a process people use to control the perceptions or impressions about themselves, a bit like personal branding. Individuals may believe they are being judged or perceived based on their outward appearance, personality or other subjective opinions by other people. Impression management attempts to control these perceptions from other people through the development of self presentation methods and techniques used to control outward perceptions or impressions. Common self presentation methods include authentic, ideal or tactical styles of impression management. In askari bank the IM techniques that have been used to control the impression other forms on them are as follows:

Conformity:

In askari bank employee control the others impression by agreeing with someone elses opinion in order to gain his or her approval. The need for this conformity is the desire to go along with the norms of a group of people, so they will be accepted as an in-group person (and not rejected as an out-group undesirable person).

Self promotion: Employees in askari bank also self promote themselves by highlighting theirs best qualities by doing so they downplaying their deficits and calling attention to their achievements. This kind of attitude is adopted by the employees, where they are showing their boss that their job means more than just money.

Flattery: In askari bank employees complementing others about their virtues in an effort to make one self appear perceptive and likeable in front of their boss. They believe that flattery could get them promotions and favors from their bosses. It may be true at times, but may not work
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always. However, flattery does work. Numerous surveys conducted in the past confirms that flattery of bosses would help you to get to places, which otherwise, is not possible.

Association: Another technique used by the employees of askari bank is association. In this technique employee starts enhancing or protecting his image by managing information about people and things with which the other person is associated. Its a simple way in which the employees build a relation with their superiors by giving some reference of a common person.

POLITICAL ANAYSIS OF GOVERNMENT BANK: NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN:

National Bank of Pakistan is the largest commercial bank operating in Pakistan. It has redefined its role and has moved from a public sector organization into a modern commercial bank. While it continues to act as trustee of public funds and as the agent to the State Bank of Pakistan (in places where SBP does not have a presence) it has diversified its business portfolio and is today a major lead player in the debt equity market, corporate investment banking, retail and consumer banking, agricultural financing, treasury services and is showing growing interest in promoting and developing the country's small and medium enterprises and at the same time fulfilling its social
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responsibilities, NBP headquarters in Karachi, Pakistan with over 1,200 branches country wide. The bank provides both commercial and public sector banking services. It has assets worth USD 12.293 billion in 2007. National Bank of Pakistan maintains its position as Pakistan's premier bank determined to set higher standards of achievements. It is the major business partner for the Government of Pakistan with special emphasis on fostering Pakistan's economic growth through aggressive and balanced lending policies, technologically oriented products and services offered through its large network of branches locally, internationally and representative offices. NBP holds 24.6% share of time and demand deposits in the country. Local currency deposits comprise 67% of bank's total deposits while foreign currency deposits account for the rest.

NBP's total assets stood at PKR350 billion on December 1999. This included total earning assets of about PKR268 billion with gross loan portfolio of PKR140 billion. The bank also has an investment portfolio of PKR91 billion, which comprises treasury securities, corporate bonds, shares and other securities. As of December 1999 NBP had a paid-up capital of PKR1.46 billion divided into 146 million shares of 10 rupees each. Total shareholders' equity was PKR10 billion, however, revaluation reserve has increased shareholders' funds to PKR16 billion. NBP has, however, increased its paid up capital from PKR Rs. 1.46 billion to Rs. 3.73 billion through issuance of bonus shares (subject to corporate and shareholder approvals). FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE POLITICAL BEHAVIOR IN NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN:

National bank of Pakistan is one of the bank in the government sector who faces high number of political interference.

Low trust:

The major factor in the national bank of Pakistan that influence political behavior is the low trust. When the superiors dont trust their employees about their working skills or abilities to perform better, this will result in the high level of political behavior. High trust will be suppress the level of political behavior.

Unclear performance evaluation system: The individuals tend to play politics in the organization when performance evaluation and its outcome are subjective, qualitative and unclear. National bank of Pakistan has unclear performance evaluation system in the organization. In national bank there is no specific criteria for measuring the performance and dont have any performance appraisal system. Employees are not evaluated on the basis of their performance mostly they use personal references to promote the employees in the bank. Due this unfair performance evaluation system even those employees who deserve the promotion get involved in the political behavior.

Democratic decision making: Democratic and participative decision-making culture of the organization is also liable to organizational politics as every individual wants to enhance his/ her importance and thereafter give opinion on crucial and important matters. The national bank behaves more democratic in decision making. Democratic decisions are the bedrock of political process in national bank. In this workplace this leads to anger and frustration of employees. Mangers to achieve the power they move towards the democracy this enforces the employees to involve in organizational politics.

Internal locus of control: Internal locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them. In national bank individuals believes that they can better control the environment and take proactive stance and attempt to manipulate situations in their favor. In national bank employees with a high internal locus of control have better control of their behavior, tend to exhibit more political behaviors, and are more likely to attempt to influence other people than those with a high external (or low internal respectively) locus of control. Those with a high internal locus of control are more likely to assume that their efforts will be successful. They are more active in seeking information and knowledge concerning their situation.
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Perceived job alternatives: The employees of national bank have many alternatives job opportunities due to the personal relations or by involving in the government organization. As they spend more time in the organization due to seniority they have many job opportunities. They take advantage of this perceived job alternatives and more likely that employees is to risk illegitimate political actions.

EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TO ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS:

There are certain ways in which the employees response when they face a great level of politics in the organization.

Decreased Job satisfaction: Job satisfaction describes how happy an individual is with his/her job. Although job satisfaction and motivation are clearly linked with each other but they are not same. National bank of Pakistan have high degree of internal politics that are playing by the its employees, managers and superiors. This decrease the morale of the coworkers. They are not more satisfied with their job. Increase anxiety and stress: Its common in the human nature that if something wrong is going around him, he may start worried about that. Same happens in the national bank where due to political behavior around the employees, employees have fear that they maybe blame in the future for loss and unfair work. This increases the anxiety and stress.

Reduce performance: In national bank of Pakistan the politics leads towards the decline in the employee performance. Because they think that due to political behavior de motivating them by treating unfairly, having unfair performance appraisal system and due to democratic decision making the over morale of the employees reduces which results in the reduction in the performance of employees.
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So these are the certain ways in which the employees responses in the national bank of Pakistan towards the organizational politics.

TYPES OF DEFENSIVE BEHAVIORS DISPLAY IN THE NBP:

Different people also use different forms of defensive behavior in their workplace. When people perceive politics as a threat rather than as an opportunity, they often respond with defensive behaviors.

Scapegoating: The major defensive behavior in NBP is Scapegoating in which employees move blame and responsibility away from themselves and towards a target person or group. The target feels wrongly persecuted and receives misplaced vilification, blame and criticism. This is only done to avoid the blames. Buffing: Another way to avoid blame used in the national bank of Pakistan is buffing. This is the nice way to cover their rear. It is only done by the employees to avoid the blames and protect them.

Misrepresenting: In national bank the manipulation of information is very common. The employees start giving an incorrect or misleading representation their mistake, misleading others. By doing so they can avoid the blame of any mistake.

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Stretching: Another very common defensive behavior that has been observed in the national bank of Pakistan is stretching. To avoiding the actions of superiors employees who play politics in the organization starts prolonging the completion of task. If any task can be completed in four weeks, they stretch it to four months just to avoid the actions of others on it.

Self protection:

Another defensive behavior that display in the national bank of Pakistan is self protecting. When the employees feel fear of change they starts to protect them. For that purpose they starts guarding the information that must be kept in secret and other resources to protect their self interest.

IMPRESSION USED IN NBP:

MANAGEMENT

TECHNIQUES

Flattery Its a common in the NBP to complementing others about their virtues in an effort to make one self appear perceptive in front of his boss. Like If you know a friend of your boss, and comment good on your boss to his friend in a spontaneous manner, without making it look deliberate, then the word would fly back to your boss. Making your boss feel important is one of the best ways to flatter your bosses. Ask him, and hear him attentively, ask advice humbly, and make him realize that his answers are priceless. It works, and it definitely impacts your boss. Your boss begins to believe that you are the person who could be trusted.

Apologies: Apology is also one of the impression management technique used in NBP. If unfortunately anyone caught by doing something wrong he starts by admitting his mistake and saying sorry for his act. By doing so he may be face less punishment.
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Favor: In NBP to get the personal approval superiors used the impression management technique of favor by doing something nice or granted out of goodwill. They act friendly or well disposed regard show them good will to win the favor of other. Self promotion: Another technique used in NBP is self promotion. Employees highlighted their best qualities in front of their bosses or others. By showing that only they are sincere with their work in the bank.

Excuses: Excuses are also very common in NBP. Employees give the explanations of predicament event in the hope of being forgiven or understood.

HOW TO MANAGE POLITICAL BEHAVIOR:

It is easy to blame the system. It is easy to blame others for your faults. Lets not do that and create a competitive and challenging workplace environment. Generally people who don't have any work to do, they get indulged in "Workplace politics". Try to avoid high profile, closed-door meetings whenever possible as they can lead to unhealthy atmosphere. Instead, try to keep your employees abreast with the latest happenings. The more you can remove any sense of mystery from office the better it would be. Avoid comparisons: Unnecessary comparisons with co-workers sitting at the same level can be divisive at job. A level of competition which can discourage your employees should not be undertaken though in some cases it can be a strong motivator. Try to know the people better through active communication.

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Team spirit: Praising the team as a whole and rewarding not just a single person but the entire team can boost the morale of the employees. A feeling of team spirit should be always encouraged in employees.

Non-partial behavior: Favoring just a particular person intentionally or unintentionally can corrupt the office atmosphere. Make sure the rules of business ethics are followed by one and all. When it comes to work, make sure that the team gets all your support. Do not be partial in giving your support.

Equal distribution: Keep your employees workload at reasonable levels to ensure that assignments are evenly distributed. This will not only speed up the work but also help meet the deadlines.

The humorous touch:

Try to break down complex situations into simpler ones by incorporating an element of humor in it. Beating stress by cracking non-personal jokes can change the mood significantly.

Effective communication:

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Clear cut two-way communication can help identify and diffuse potentially serious conflicts. Understanding the problems of employees and helping them in times of need can ultimately lead to higher staff productivity and commitment.

Thus, this type of awareness will help you take action to reduce workplace tensions, while you probably wont be able to eliminate internal struggles entirely; you can open lines of communication and create a more supportive work environment. This cannot happen by just ignoring the presence of politics, but by being keenly aware of it and in some instance being a part of it.

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