Office politics -- Unspoken rules in office buildings: Unspoken rules in office buildings

Author: Zhang Chao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: "Office politics" is not politics in the academic sense of the term, nor is it a generalization of politics. Rather, it is a metaphorical, descriptive, and colloquial of workplace interpersonal relationships, which is both subtle and profound. The term "office politics" cannot be found in dictionaries, and it is difficult to trace who first coined it. However, it has at least gained widespread circulation on the internet. Typing "office politics" into a search engine yields 1.76 million related results. The person who first coined this term truly captured the essence of office relationships: it is indeed "politics." The meaning can be interpreted in two ways: a negative interpretation includes backstabbing, rumors, scheming, forming cliques, flattery, etc.; a positive interpretation suggests that it can bring unexpected benefits to business and career.