values that provides the foundation for many of our activities and efforts . If you grew up in the OD field , as I did , & quot ; manipulation & quot ; is a dirty word . Most of us are more comfortable with the term & quot ; influence .& quot ; All in all , I believe our value set sometimes keeps us from seeing things as they really are . Secondly , we lack the concepts and tools required to develop a political perspective in our field . The conceptual frameworks , the models we use to help us manage human resources in organizations , do not explicitly include power and politics as integral elements in the process . And finally , I believe that many of us lack political will and skill . We are either unwilling or unable to play politics , even though it is the name of the game in many of our organizations . So instead of denying that politics exist , I propose three objectives : First , 1 would like to present a conceptual model that puts the spotlight on the political aspects of an organization and integrates them with its technology , its management systems , its people , and its culture . Hopefully , this will provide us with some & quot ; fresh eyes ,& quot ; or a way of POWER , POLITICS , AND THE HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL 2 0 1 looking at organizations which incorporates a political perspective . Second , I would like to further develop the concept of power and politics in organizations in the hope that we will add to our knowledge and theory base . And third , I would like to provide a partial list of quidelines and suggestions to get you thinking about the implications of some of these ideas for you and for your organizations .