If we can interpret personal agendas better then we may better comprehend power processes in organisations. Such agendas significantly shape decision-making scripts and occupational motivation theory fails to explain how work commitments and efforts are channelled by personal concerns. As employees, rivals and agents in our own right we all act as observers interpreters and commentors. Asking questions and making comment can have dramatically pwerful effects. Timing and place are important as well as who the speaker is.
The grape vine and organisational tittle-tattle resound with voices in a closed space. The voices may sing a song which may be concrete and objective. the song may be fluid, unattributed and subjective. The voices project imagery - shadows on the wall and the messages may be given more or less credibility. Personal goals, jealousies and gamits are injected into meetings with others and decisions are made to include or exclude others interests.
Managerial theorising again tends to underplay personal psychology. Berne in his work "The Games People Play" rightly describes the cross-transactions of the rebellious child to the evaluative parent. His &Now I've got you you son of a bitch" and &I'm a macho fire-fighter" scripts are two amongst many interpersonal games played in meetings and in decision making in relation to others. In the 1970's transactional analysis was thought to offer some explanation and guidance for managerial relationships - but interest died and another flavour of the the month became unfashionable.
Functional, bureaucratic or technological views of organisation inadequately account for interpersonal networks and personal agendas. Political perspectives on management should give more attention to these concerns so that choices in career building, game playing, performance commitment, flexibility of response, protection of job "rights", involvement/detachment can be explained.
