The potential effects of political ideology on the working environment are examined in the paper by Johnson and Roberto (2018) titled “How Does Political Ideology Affect the Workplace?”. Political ideology is a set of beliefs supported by principles, ideals, and moral truths that explicitly conduct toward a particular social order. According to Johnson and Roberto, political ideology is not now recognized as a protected class for most Americans because it can have a number of implications and effects in the workplace.
According to Johnson and Roberto, political ideology is one of the key contributing causes of conflict. Stating Hunters notes the division between Catholics and protestants during the Reformation and how it resulted in a political difference in Western history. The article also considers how difficult it is to distinguish between religious and political ideas (Johnson & Roberto,2018). When workers with different political perspectives come together, it can cause polarization and disputes since political ideology frequently reflects deeply held values and beliefs. These conflicts, which can interfere with collaboration, teamwork, and general productivity, may be contentious debates, arguments, or even animosity.
Different political ideas might make collaborating and communicating effectively at work challenging. Employees may be reluctant to voice their thoughts or participate in open discussions out of concern for criticism or retaliation. Similar to the African-American professor whose employment at Grand University was terminated due to his remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement in the article (Krafft, 2017). This lack of open communication can hamper the exchange of ideas required for organizational growth.
The article discusses moral truth and hypocrisy and how politics frequently derives from religious teaching and arbitrary moral standards. Explaining how specific policy concerns, including the death penalty and civil rights, can be assessed and determined based on facts gives rise to arbitrary judgments about what is good or wrong (Johnson & Roberto, 2018). Although political ideology is generally not explicitly protected, political ideas can still give rise to biases and prejudices.
Johnson and Roberto highlighted that PI could impact hiring decisions, particularly selection judgments. Some managers would prefer to hire people with the same PI than those with a different PI(Myors et al.,2008). If an employee’s political perspective differs from the organization’s dominant viewpoints, they may experience bias or discrimination. Employees with different political ideas may experience marginalization, exclusion, or even retaliation as a result of this.
I think that political ideologies should not be protected at work. I believe enforcing rights for all imaginable political viewpoints will be both impractical and harmful. It is not uncommon for political debate to be contentious and packed with passion. There will be more dispute, distraction, and disruption among employees if political ideologies are given express safeguards at work (Johnson & Roberto,2019). This may reduce productivity and foster a hostile work atmosphere, ultimately affecting the organization’s overall effectiveness and harmony. In addition, openly defending political ideology can unintentionally result in prejudice and discrimination at work. People may feel empowered to share their opinions in a way that disregards the views of others when they are aware of the protected status of specific political beliefs.
Employees with different viewpoints may feel marginalized or subjected to discrimination, which can foster a hostile work environment. I believe that employees should concentrate on their work-related activities rather than having political discussions at their places of employment. Maintaining professionalism, preventing bias, and ensuring that employees are judged primarily on their skills and performance rather than their political convictions are all made possible by encouraging a neutral workplace. Lastly, extreme viewpoints could be shielded if political ideology is protected in the workplace (Johnson & Roberto, 2019). Revolutionary political ideas can be disruptive and encourage prejudice, intolerance, and hate speech. Organizations can lessen the risk of such radical beliefs establishing themselves in the workplace by forgoing explicit protections for political ideology.
References
Johnson, A. F., & Roberto, K. J. (2018). Right versus left: How does political ideology affect the workplace? Journal of Organizational Behavior
Johnson, A. F., & Roberto, K. J. (2019). Elections and selection: The role of political ideology in selection decisions. Human Resource Management Review, 29(1), 14–27.
Krafft, S. (2017, Aug 25). GCU professor suspended after controversial comments about Black Lives Matter. Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona‐news/276169760‐story.
Myors, B., Lievens, F., Schollaert, E., Van Hoye, G., Cronshaw, S. F., Mladinic, A., & Schuler, H. (2008). International perspectives on the legal environment for selection. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(2), 206-246.
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