Workplace politics and its impact on employees’ mental well-being in Academia
Becoming a better colleague would be very beneficial for many people in higher education, but what does being a better colleague actually entail?
Fifteen years have passed since I started as an assistant professor at a private university. My commitment to my work is maintained by my ability to disseminate ideas. Integrity still matters in academia; it is the responsibility of academics to transfer knowledge to the following generation so that they can create a more compassionate society. Even in the face of many obstacles, academics continue to be the only arena in which free speech can be used to defend basic principles that are vital to the functioning of human society.
While it is a fact that academics are not above engaging in self-serving and backstabbing, they like to boast about their superior purity when compared to the general public. Colleges and universities still have far too much racism and misogyny, even though they are strongholds of liberalism. In many facets of their careers, minorities and women are underrepresented and receive unfair treatment. People are so proud of the concept of academic freedom that they practically go crazy whenever someone tells them what to do. It has a very “don’t tread on me” feeling to it. You’re not qualified to give me advice! The lack of an arbitrage and escalation culture is another related issue. There is no decision culture, and even among those who are generally sympathetic to the cause, things can drag on indefinitely because they are not in the habit of resolving minor issues in order to advance a major goal.
Large-scale objectives are hardly ever stated in academia, which means that each person sets their own objectives and that it is difficult to determine what the team’s objectives are. As a team, they never really want anything together unless it’s an emergency. Given these facts, it is imperative to examine the ways in which academics and employees have been impacted.
Though there are many factors that contribute to academic work environment stress, none are as detrimental as workplace politics. Furthermore, power structures within the university’s various schools, including those pertaining to deans, area heads, and inter-faculty seniority, all significantly contribute to the root causes of the problem. Dealing with people is a necessary part of every job, and whether we like to acknowledge it or not, people are emotional creatures with competing needs and wants as well as ingrained prejudices and insecurities. Therefore, politics is nearly always inevitable, even in the academic environment.
Unfortunately, there are occasions when coworkers take advantage of their influence to get special treatment or to disparage one another. Workplace politics can have detrimental effects on employees’ welfare and mental health, from approaching growth and promotions carelessly to prioritizing one’s own interests over team objectives in an effort to succeed more quickly. It’s critical for employees to focus on their personal and professional development, but when they do so carelessly, it undermines the well-being of their coworkers and the work environment as a whole. An excellent illustration of this is when employees attempt to gain attention without putting in a significant amount of effort. In an attempt to advance, they begin to project an improved image and, in the process, tend to disparage their coworkers. This results in gossip, manipulation, blame games, and a lack of trust, all of which worsen the emotional health of coworkers and personal relationships.
The most typical outcome of workplace or office politics is this: When employees start concentrating less on their work and more on backbiting, leg pulling, and criticizing their colleagues, both productivity and the work environment suffer. When workplace politics are prevalent in an organization, employees typically fall short of deadlines and produce significantly less overall. When internal politics are prevalent, it is usually hard for individuals or employees to concentrate on their work. Instead of encouraging each other’s growth, they start to show a greater interest in harming their colleagues’ reputations.
An atmosphere of negativity permeates the entire university as a result of ongoing political conflict and internal strife. This damages the working relationships of the employees who engage in such behavior as well as the mental health of those who prefer to avoid such situations. Moreover, these problems impair an organization’s external perception of society in addition to its internal image. It is a proven fact that a hostile work environment brought on by politics can significantly impact employees’ attitudes. Even the most hardworking workers may become disinterested in their work as a result, which could cause significant losses for the university, college, or organization. Workers are prevented from giving their all by a politically charged environment because, even when they do put in the necessary effort, it is mostly disregarded.
Office politics and internal conflict are the main sources of stress in any corporation; this is also true in academic settings. As I’ve already indicated, it discourages candid and innovative communication among the staff members, in addition to making them reluctant to confide in one another. Their performance and mental health are impacted as a result of the evident rise in stress levels that result from this.
Thus, work/office politics can be seen as an internal enemy that, if allowed to run amok, has the power to bring down any organization—and academia is no exception!
