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The strategic actor in French organizational context: initial development of the French political engagement inventory

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Abstract

The examination of cultural differences between French and American organizations allowed us to better understand people’s political engagement in the French organizational context. This paper examines the political engagement construct within the French organizational context and reports a research that aimed at validating the French Political Engagement Inventory (FPEI). Two studies examined the consistency of the factorial structure and the construct validity of the FPEI across three French samples. These procedures resulted in coming up with 18 items measuring French political engagement through four dimensions: Interpersonal influence skill, engagement in formal structure knowledge, engagement in continuous training, and engagement in strategic (informal) relationships knowledge. Results showed that the political engagement construct was: (a) positively related to self-monitoring, coalition, upward appeal, assertiveness, rationality, exchange influence tactics; (b) negatively related to trait anxiety; and (c) unrelated to ingratiation influence tactic. This research helped better understand how actors strategically engage in their organizations when they attempt to serve self-interests at work. Implications for the research of French political engagement are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Paris 8, 2 rue de la liberté, 93526, Saint-Denis, France

    Anne Rudelle Astié & Lionel Dagot

  2. Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale (LAPPS)-EA 4386, 93526, Saint-Denis, France

    Anne Rudelle Astié & Lionel Dagot

  3. Université Paris Descartes, 71 Avenue Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

    Xabi Borteyrou

  4. Laboratoire Adaptations Travail-Individu, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

    Xabi Borteyrou

  5. College of Education, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Walid Briki

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  1. Anne Rudelle Astié
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Correspondence to Anne Rudelle Astié.

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

French Political Engagement Inventory.

Using the following 7-point scale, please mark the item which describes best how much which you agree with each statement about yourself.

1 = strongly disagree.

2 = disagree.

3 = slightly disagree.

4 = neutral.

5 = slightly agree.

6 = agree.

7 = strongly agree.

Dimension of FPEI

Item

ENGAGEMENT IN FORMAL STRUCTURE KNOWLEGE

[FSS1] Au travail, il est. important pour moi de connaître le nom des personnes qui appartiennent à des groupes influents (syndicats, association des cadres, comité d’entreprise, conseil d’administration).

At work, it is important for me to know the names of people who belong to influent groups.

[FSS4] Il est. important pour moi de connaître le nom des actionnaires/associés/investisseurs/financeurs de mon entreprise.

It is important for me to know the names of investors of my company.

[POLICY1] Il est. important pour moi de connaître des données chiffrées du bilan social de mon entreprise.

It is important for me to know the statement of a firm’s policies toward his employees.

[POLICY2] Je connais les statuts qui déterminent le fonctionnement de mon entreprise/association.

I know the rules which regulate the functioning of my company.

[POLICY5] J’ai une connaissance suffisante du contenu de la convention ou de l’accord collectif appliqué dans mon entreprise.

I have enough knowledge of the content of the collective agreement used within my company.

INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE SKILL

[INFLUENCE1] Au travail, j’arrive à communiquer facilement et efficacement avec les autres.

I am able to communicate easily and effectively with others.

[INFLUENCE2] Au travail, je suis capable de faire que les gens autour de moi se sentent bien, à l’aise.

I am able to make most people feel comfortable and at ease around me.

[INFLUENCE3] J’arrive facilement à m’attirer la sympathie des autres.

I am good at getting people to like me.

[INFLUENCE6] Professionnellement, il est. facile pour moi de développer de bons rapports avec la plupart des gens.

It is easy for me to develop good rapport with most people.

ENGAGEMENT IN STRATEGIC (INFORMAL) RELATIONSHIPS KNOWLEGE

[POWER3] J’arrive à découvrir l’intérêt qu’ont les autres de détenir telle ou telle information.

I am good at discovering the interest others have in holding information.

[POWER4] J’arrive à découvrir l’intérêt qu’ont les autres de détenir telle ou telle compétence.

I am good at finding out the interest others have in acquiring certain skills.

[RELATION2] Au travail, il est. important pour moi de savoir qui a rendu service à qui.

It is important for me to know who has helped who.

[RELATION3] Au travail, il est. important pour moi de savoir qui compte sur qui.

At work, it is important for me to know who relies on who.

[RELATION4] J’arrive assez facilement à savoir qui mange avec qui à la pause déjeuner.

I can easily find out who is eating with whom at the lunch break.

ENGAGEMENT IN CONTINUOUS TRAINING

[TRAIN2] Je tiens à développer un savoir-faire propre à mon travail.

It is important for me to develop skills that are specific to my work.

[TRAIN3] Je suis capable de faire évoluer mes pratiques dans le sens attendu.

I am able to make my method evolve in the expected way.

[TRAIN4] Il est. important pour moi d’acquérir des compétences extérieures à mon domaine d’expertise.

It is important for me to acquire skills outside of my area of expertise.

[TRAIN5] Il est. important pour moi d’acquérir de nouvelles compétences utiles pour mon travail.

It is important for me to acquire new skills which are useful for my work.

  1. Note. Influence = Interpersonal influence; FSS = Formal social structure; Policy = Organization policy; Train = Engagement in continuous training; Relation = Relationship intuition; Power = Powerful others

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Rudelle Astié, A., Dagot, L., Borteyrou, X. et al. The strategic actor in French organizational context: initial development of the French political engagement inventory. Curr Psychol 42, 9028–9046 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02154-z

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