ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Political skill has been increasingly recognized as a pivotal determinant of workplace effectiveness, yet its influence on job performance remains conceptually and empirically fragmented. While numerous empirical studies have examined the relationship between political skill and employee performance, there remains a lack of cumulative knowledge on when political skill is most beneficial and how it enhances various dimensions of job performance. To address this gap, this paper conducts a systematic narrative review to synthesize theoretical and empirical insights, offering a more holistic perspective on the role of political skill in workplace settings. Specifically, this study explores (1) the unidimensional direct influences of political skill on different aspects of employee performance, (2) its relevance across diverse occupational and organizational contexts, and (3) the distinct contributions of its sub-dimensions in shaping employee effectiveness. By identifying critical theoretical gaps and empirical inconsistencies, this paper outlines a forward-looking research agenda to refine the conceptualization of political skill and its practical significance in contemporary work environments.
Ain, N. U., Azeem, M. U., Sial, M. H., & Arshad, M. A. (2022). Linking knowledge hiding to extra role performance: The role of emotional exhaustion and political skills. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 20(3), 367-380.
Bing, M. N., Davison, H. K., Minor, I., Novicevic, M. M., & Frink, D. D. (2011). The prediction of task and contextual performance by political skill: A meta-analysis and moderator test. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(2), 563-577.
Blickle, G., Kramer, J., Schneider, P. B., Meurs, J. A., Ferris, G. R., Mierke, J., ... & Momm, T. D. (2011). Role of Political Skill in Job Performance Prediction Beyond General Mental Ability and Personality in Cross?Sectional and Predictive Studies 1. Journal of applied social psychology, 41(2), 488-514.
Blickle, G., Kückelhaus, B. P., Kranefeld, I., Schütte, N., Genau, H. A., Gansen-Ammann, D. N., & Wihler, A. (2020). Political skill camouflages Machiavellianism: Career role performance and organizational misbehavior at short and long tenure. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 118, 103401.
Chang, H., & Pak, J. (2024). When HRM meets politics: interactive effects of high performance work systems, organizational politics, and political skill on job performance. Human Resource Management Journal, 34(4), 1112-1133.
Chen, H. C., Ng, C. T. S., Chen, I. H., Chen, Y. T., Polacek, M., & Liang, Y. L. (2025). Employee demand–ability fit and promotability ratings: a moderated mediation model oftask performance and political skill. International Journal of Organization Theory &Behavior.
Chong, V. K., Wang, I. Z., Monroe, G. S., Strike, L., & Zhang, F. (2023). The effect of non financial performance measures, organisational politics and political skill on job performance: Evidence from China. Accounting & Finance, 63(2), 2557-2595.
De Clercq, D., & Belausteguigoitia, I. (2022). Political skill and organizational identification: Preventing role ambiguity from hindering organizational citizenship behaviour. Journal of Management & Organization, 28(5), 973-992.
Ferris, G.R., Berkson, H.M., Kaplan, D.M., Gilmore, D.C., Buckley, M.R., Hochwarter, W.A.,& Witt, L.A. (1999). Development and initial validation of the political skill inventory.Paper presented at the Academy of Management, 59th Annual National Meeting, Chicago.
Ferris, G. R., Blickle, G., Schneider, P.B., Kramer, J., Zettler, I., Solga, J., Noethen, D., & Meurs, J. A. (2008). Political skill construct and criterion-related validation: A two study investigation. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23, 744-771.
Frieder, R. E., Ellen III, B. P., & Kapoutsis, I. (2023). The contingent nature of the political skill-employee performance relationship. Journal of Applied Psychology.
Good, M. C., & Schwepker Jr, C. H. (2022). Business-to-business salespeople and political skill: Relationship building, deviance, and performance. Journal of Business Research, 139, 32-43.
Good, M. C., & Schwepker, C. (2024). Empathy and political skill: Improving salespeople’s value enhancing behavior performance. Journal of Applied Marketing Theory, 11(1),1-18.
Hung, T. K., Lee, S. C., Wu, Y. S., & Hsieh, H. M. (2022). Compulsory citizenship behavior and employees' contextual performance: Roles of perceived psychological safety and political skill. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 50(11), 1-13.
Kaur, N., & Kang, L. S. (2023). Perception of organizational politics, knowledge hiding and organizational citizenship behavior: the moderating effect of political skill. Personnel Review, 52(3), 649-670.
Kimura, T. (2015). A review of political skill: Current research trend and directions for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 17(3), 312-332.
Kranefeld, I., & Blickle, G. (2022). The good, the bad, and the ugly? A triarchic perspective on psychopathy at work. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 66(15), 1498-1522.
Kückelhaus, B. P., Meurs, J. A., & Blickle, G. (2024). Resolving the equivocal relationship of Machiavellianism and job performance: A socioanalytic perspective employing reputation, political skill, and five-factor Machiavellianism. Personality and Individual Differences, 228, 112728.
Kwon, H. W. (2020). Performance appraisal politics in the public sector: The effects of political skill and social similarity on performance rating. Public Personnel Management, 49(2),239-261.
Liu, J., Yao, L., Cai, D., & Liu, S. (2022). Do newcomers with high political skill benefit more from the formal mentoring program?. Career Development International, 27(6/7), 616 633.
Lvina, E., Johns, G., Treadway, D. C., Blickle, G., Liu, Y., Liu, J., ... & Ferris, G. R. (2012). Measure invariance of the Political Skill Inventory (PSI) across five cultures. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 12(2), 171-191.
Maher, L. P., Ejaz, A., Jordan, S. L., Hochwarter, W. A., & Ferris, G. R. (2021). Thirty years and growing: Review and identification of theory/research challenges in perceptions of organizational politics. Emerging trends in global organizational science phenomena: Critical roles of politics, leadership, stress, and context, 111-148.
Manggor, E. M., Ismail, I. R., Martin, F. F., Nahar, N. F., & Zafrizal, M. (2025). Political Skill in the Workplace: Unveiling its Impact on Stress through Emotional Reactivity and Resilience. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(1), 1269–1285.
Mintzberg, H. (1983). Power in and around organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Munyon, T. P., Frieder, R. E., Satornino, C. B., Carnes, A. M., Bolander, W., & Ferris, G. R. (2021). Selling your network: how political skill builds social capital and enhances salesperson performance. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 41(3), 233 249.
Munyon, T. P., Summers, J. K., Thompson, K. M., & Ferris, G. R. (2015). Political skill and work outcomes: A theoretical extension, meta?analytic investigation, and agenda for the future. Personnel psychology, 68(1), 143-184.
Ohlsson, A., Lindfors, P., Larsson, G., & Sverke, M. (2022). Political skill in higher military staff: Measurement properties and latent profile analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 63(2), 144-154.
Saleem, S., Shaheen, K., Rafiq, A., & Arslan, A. (2024). Political skill and personal reputation: An analysis of workplace and entrepreneurial outcomes. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, (ahead-of-print).
Shi, J., & Chen, Z. (2012). Psychometric properties of a Chinese translation of the political skill inventory. Psychological Reports, 110(1), 233-246.
Tiwari, S., Jain, V., & Anis, S. (2021). Variation of political skill dimensions across different industries. Vision, 09722629211065601.
Manggor, E. M., Ismail, I. R., Morshidi, A., Zafrizal, M., & Shofiyuddin, M. (2025). Revisiting Political Skill: When and How it Matters for Employee Performance Across Different Work Contexts. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(3), 730–744.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode