When Lacking Political Skill Drains You: How Unforgiving Workplaces Make Things Worse

What is it about?

This study examines how politically inept employees—those who struggle to influence others—perform poorly because they feel emotionally drained by their organization. This problem worsens in workplaces where leaders are viewed as unforgiving of mistakes. Lacking political skills, such employees feel their employer depletes their emotional energy, leading to disengagement and low performance. When supervisors are also seen as intolerant of errors, this downward spiral intensifies. Using three-wave survey data from employees and supervisors across multiple industries in Pakistan, the study finds that political ineptness lowers job performance through organization-induced emotional exhaustion. This effect intensifies when employees perceive low organizational forgiveness. Politically inept workers, already insecure about managing relationships, are especially vulnerable in punitive settings. When leaders seem harsh or intolerant of mistakes, these employees withdraw effort, worsening their performance. For organizations, these findings highlight a critical risk: employees who cannot effectively manage workplace relationships may become emotionally depleted and less productive, particularly in environments that are perceived as cold or unforgiving. To mitigate this, managers should promote a culture that balances accountability with forgiveness—one that treats mistakes as learning opportunities rather than grounds for punishment. Training programs that build political and interpersonal skills can also help employees feel more confident in navigating organizational dynamics and maintaining engagement.

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Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique because it highlights the overlooked costs of political ineptness in the workplace. It identifies organization-induced emotional exhaustion as a key mechanism linking low political skill to weaker performance and shows that perceived organizational unforgiveness amplifies this harm. By combining insights on emotional resources, political skill, and organizational climate, the study clarifies how employees’ difficulty in managing influence can interact with rigid environments to drain motivation and effort. The study is timely as modern organizations face growing emotional strain and reduced tolerance for mistakes. In Pakistan and similar contexts, where authority hierarchies are strong, forgiveness and empathy remain undervalued yet crucial. These findings urge leaders to balance accountability with compassion and recognize that emotionally supportive workplaces preserve engagement and trust. Promoting forgiveness and building interpersonal skills are practical ways to maintain performance and protect employees from the emotional toll of unforgiving environments.