The Role of Organizational Politics in Shaping Faculty Outcomes: A Comparative Study of Public and Private Universities in Pakistan

Purpose - This study examines how organizational politics influence university faculty outcomes, specifically burnout, absenteeism, and turnover intentions. It also explores how the university, public or private, affects these relationships. Design/Methodology/Approach- Data were collected from 376 faculty members across public and private universities in Pakistan using a structured survey. The study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses and analyze the impact of organizational politics on faculty outcomes. Findings- The results indicate that perceptions of organizational politics significantly increase absenteeism and turnover intentions among faculty, with more potent effects observed in public universities. However, no direct relationship was found between organizational politics and burnout. This suggests that factors such as institutional support may help mitigate the negative impact of organizational politics on burnout. Research Limitations/Implications- The cross-sectional design of this study limits the ability to draw causal conclusions. Future research could benefit from longitudinal data to better understand these dynamics. Exploring other potential moderating or mediating factors, such as institutional support mechanisms, could provide further insights. Practical Implications- The findings emphasize the need to address organizational politics in higher education institutions, particularly public universities, to reduce faculty absenteeism and turnover intentions. Improving support systems and enhancing institutional governance could help alleviate the adverse effects of organizational politics on faculty outcomes. Originality/Value- This study provides new insights into the role of organizational politics in shaping faculty outcomes within higher education. It highlights the significance of institutional support in moderating the relationship between organizational politics and burnout while demonstrating the more substantial impact of politics in public universities.