Researcher interest in OP grew in the middle of the 20th century when Burns (1961, p.257) described it as a case when ‘others (individuals) are made use of as resources in competitive situations’. This reflects on the further perception of OP by various researchers as a rather ‘unfortunate fact of life’ (Ferris et al., 1989, p. 143), as well as an aspect that is illegitimate and contributes to promotion of self-interest, manipulation and ‘harmful work consequences including higher stress and turnover intentions, and lower worker satisfaction, commitment, and worker productivity’ (Ferris …show more content…
This suggests that Individual Level of organizational change is of utmost importance for further research in the field of OP and resistance to change.
Hiatt and Creasey (2003) agree that change is successful when an individual embraces it. Returning to organization’s life cycles, the third life cycle involves power struggles between those who want to preserve the status quo and those who want to reorient the organization’s strategy. Hence, the third cycle is then OP revolve around overcoming resistance to (strategic) change.
Harrison (1991) uses four facets to identify how a change agent could become involved in OP (p.94-97). He offers a model of political styles best-suited to their ‘personal and professional orientations’ (p.102). However, Buchanan and Badham (1999) opine that ‘the change agent becomes engaged of necessity in the exercise of power, politics, and interpersonal influence’. They also challenged the dichotomies between ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ political