Adaptation of the Perception of Organizational Policy Scale (POPS) M. Kacmar and D. Carlson: Analysis of Internal Structure

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Abstract

Objective. The first stage in adapting the Organizational Policy Perception Scale (POPS) by M. Kacmar and D. Carlson in a Russian-speaking sample: analysis of the internal structure and reliability of the questionnaire.
Background. The political nature of the organization is obvious. There are practically no tools that allow you to assess how “politicized” organization is. We need to measure to what extent people are targets of intrigues and informal influence or of unfair distribution of resources in the organization. Can they express their opinion without negative consequences or get a transparent and fair career path? All these questions is of great importance for both the individual and the organization. The best-known tool for studying the subjective assessment of organizational politics is the Organizational Policy Perception Scale (POPS) by M. Kacmar and D. Carlson. This scale was not adapted to the Russian-speaking sample.
Study design. The study was carried out in the form of a survey of two samples of people using the “Perceptions of Organizational Politics” (POPS) scale by M. Kacmar and D. Carlson, which was translated into Russian.
Participants. The study was conducted on two samples: 407 (52% women) and 575 (100% women) subjects.
Measurements. To process and analyze the data, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and correlation analysis, and a criterion for comparing mean values were used in the Rstudio statistic environment.
Results. In the first sample, it was shown that the scale has good indicators of reliability and model data fit. And, as a result of the exploratory analysis, it was suggested that the exclusion of reverse questions from the scale would improve the internal structure of the questionnaire, the model data fit. It was shown in the analysis of second independent sample data. Scale reliability scores were found to be high, 0,91-0,93 (Cronbach's alpha).
Conclusions. As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, we were able to confirm the original three-factor model of the questionnaire. Adaptation of the POPS methodology on a Russian-speaking sample will allow us to study the organizational culture and perception of the organization by the employee in Russian companies.

General Information

Keywords: perception of politics; organizational climate and culture; manipulation; networking; conciliation; informal influence; self-censorship; justice; career; pay and promotion; nepotism

Journal rubric: Methodological Tools

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2024150111

Funding. The reported study was funded by Russian Science Foundation, project number 22-18-00452, https://rscf.ru/prjcard_int?22-18-00452 at the St-Petersburg State University.

Acknowledgements. The authors would like to thank Anastasia Postanina for assistance in the preparation of the research review, and Tatiana Kazantseva, Ekaterina Aleksandrova and Ulyana Udavikhina for their participation in the translation of the methodology and organization of data collection.

Received: 10.11.2023

Accepted:

For citation: Mararitsa L.V., Kinunen T.A., Gurieva S.D., Yanicheva T.G., Yumkina E.A. Adaptation of the Perception of Organizational Policy Scale (POPS) M. Kacmar and D. Carlson: Analysis of Internal Structure. Sotsial'naya psikhologiya i obshchestvo = Social Psychology and Society, 2024. Vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 190–208. DOI: 10.17759/sps.2024150111. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Larisa V. Mararitsa, PhD in Psychology, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3858-5369, e-mail: larisamararitsa@mail.ru

Tamara A. Kinunen, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher, Department of Social Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7107-099X, e-mail: kinunen@yandex.ru

Svetlana D. Gurieva, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Head of Social Psychology Department, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4305-432X, e-mail: gurievasv@gmail.com

Tatiana G. Yanicheva, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor at the Department of Social Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0613-7353, e-mail: yanicheva@ourfuture.ru

Ekaterina A. Yumkina, PhD in Psychology, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4539-7235, e-mail: katerinayum@mail.ru

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