Politics and Politicking

Any strategy of gaining power can be unethical if practiced in the extreme and with negative intentions. Some of them include:

6.1 Backstabbing

This requires that one pretends to be nice, but all the while plan someone's demise. A frequent form of backstabbing is to initiate a conversation with a rival about the weakness of a common boss, thus encouraging negative comments and making careful mental notes of what the person says. When these comments are passed along to the boss, the rival appears disloyal and foolish

6.2 Purge all but Loyalists

The ancient strategy of purge those you have conquered suggests that you remove from the organization rivals who suffered past hurts through your efforts. However, the wounded rivals might retaliate at a vulnerable moment

6.3 Set a Person Up for Failure

To set up is to place a person in a position where she or he will either fail out rightly or look ineffective.

6.4 Exert Undue Pressure

It is unethical if used to further leaders' interests at the expense of others. It may have long-term repercussions.

6.5 Divide and Conquer

The objective is to have peers struggle among themselves, therefore yielding the balance of power to another person. One way of getting subordinates to fight with one another is to place them in intense competition for resources.

6.6 Play Territorial Games/ Turf wars

These involve protecting and boarding resources that give one power, such as information, relationship and decision–making authority. Examples of territorial games include relationship hoarding, blocking a high performer from getting promotion or transfer, monopolizing time with important stakeholders, scheduling meetings at odd time for someone not to attend, shutting out co-staff from joining the leader on an important assignment.