Executive values and the ethics of company politics: Some preliminary findings

A model of correlates of executives' views of organizational politics was presented. The model incorporated three sets of variables: executives' background, values and attitudes. Data collected from 302 managers were used to validate the model. The results showed that precursors of executive perceptions of the ethics and effect of company politics were different. Values were stronger than background variables in explaining executives' views of company politics.Dr. Shaker A. Zahra is Associate Professor of Strategic Management, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. His research centers on the role of boards of directors in the strategic process, determinants of innovation in large corporations, and ethical issues associated with strategic choices. His research received several awards.