Political Beliefs and Their Implications for Interpersonal Relations at Work

Abstract: Political polarization increasingly impacts how individuals perceive and ultimately interact with each other at work and elsewhere. Interactions where political beliefs become salient seep into everyday interactions, causing tension and conflict. Because interactions in organizational settings bear consequences for individuals’ workplace relationships, it is paramount to examine the extent to which political beliefs can impact the course of interpersonal relations at work. Across four complimentary presentations, this symposium demonstrates the impact of political beliefs on interpersonal relations at work via two primary themes – racial allyship and information sharing behaviors with others. Ultimately, these presentations each add to the growing literature examining the interpersonal impacts of political polarization. They elucidate how people’s own political beliefs or perceptions of other’s political beliefs can have consequences as explicit as supporting diversity initiatives or self-censoring an opinion, to actions as subtle as changing language in an introduction or withholding task-based information from a colleague. These outcomes not only demonstrate the extent to which political beliefs impact social interactions at work, but present concrete outcomes that can be addressed in future interventions aimed at depolarization in work environments and otherwise.

Keywords: polarization, communication, diversity, survey