ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter we dealt with the power bases of individuals holding different positions and performing various jobs in organizations, as well as with the political uses they make of this power in their interpersonal relation ships for the gain of more and better benefits. This chapter addresses the phe nomenon of intergroup politics, namely, the ways in which various groups of people accumulate power and exercise it against other groups in organizations. The ongoing competition between groups over their share of the organiza tional pie is well described by Bacharach and Lawler, as follows:
All organizations are networks of interest groups, whether professional groupings, work groups, or other divisions. In turn, organizational politics involve the efforts of interest groups to influence decisions that affect their positions in the organization. In each political struggle, interest groups must decide whether to pursue their political goals in isolation from other interest groups or to form a coalition of interest groups in their pursuit of a common goal.1
