I know it isn't really great in a voluntary organisation, and it has something to do with favourtism, and people seem to refer to it as "playing the game"..
Its hard to explain. Its basically all the bullshit you have to deal with in an office work environment. Who is who, who sucks the bosses dick and has his favor, who is the sarcastic jerk who calls the bosses out on their bullshit. Who lived down the street from the CEO cousins nephews brother when they were kids. Its knowing all this shit and knowing who to talk to and who not to get to buddy buddy with.
It's crap I had to deal with all bloody day which I got fired for. My productivity was great, but they fired me based on office politics. Which is total crap. Check out ROWE. Needless to say, they hired me back, and forced me to conform to idiotic office politics that do nothing but get in my way of progress.
