Are You Willing and Able? Roles of Motivation, Power, and Politics in Career Growth

A comprehensive model of political behavior and its influence on career growth was presented and tested via a Chinese sample of 283 employee—supervisor dyads. Need for achievement and need for power were found to be positively related to political behavior, and perceptions of organizational politics strengthened the relationship between these personal needs and political behavior. Furthermore, for individuals high in political skill, increases in political behavior were associated with greater career growth potential rated by supervisors, whereas for individuals low in political skill, increases in political behavior were associated with lower ratings of career growth potential. Personal power mediated the moderated relationships among political behavior, political skill, and career growth potential ratings. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.