Politics and religion are two topics that tend to be as divisive as they are unifying, as people seldom change their minds on either. It’s perhaps reasonable to assume, therefore, that politics is a topic best avoided in the workplace, and yet a growing number of employers are tackling social and political issues head-on.

Research from City, University of London, suggests that the best performers at work often steer clear of such combustible topics.

Safer ground

The researchers examined the sporting world via MotoGP motorbike racing. They explored races between 2004 and 20020 and found that riders would adjust the overtakes they made based on the threats and opportunities faced by their team at the time, and also the resources available to the rival teams.

“This study suggests that ambitious workers tend to modify those behaviors when the standing of their organization is about to deteriorate or improve,” the researchers explain. “Why? Because they see the standing of their firm as an important factor in deciding who to compete with to advance their career.”

If a company has a shot at doing better than bigger rivals, employees will try to show they’re a big part of that success. Like a salesperson might try to get clients from their coworkers.

Choosing the battle

But when a company is in trouble, like losing to smaller competitors, workers think fighting inside the company is a bad idea. They focus on competing with other firms. And when the company is having a tough time, people might just want to stay out of the spotlight.

The research shows that bosses can influence how their employees act in competition. They can point out threats from smaller companies or show the chances against bigger rivals.

The study also found that in MotoGP, riders’ attempts to pass others were influenced by their contract with the team. For example, temporary riders (like agency workers) try to pass their teammates more when the team is doing well and try to pass all riders more when the team is struggling.

“It may be that replacement riders are keen to signal their skills relative to incumbents, hoping to secure a permanent contract,” the authors explain.

Riders whose contracts won’t be extended compete more aggressively with their teammates on the track and are less inclined to pass riders from other teams. This indicates they feel distant or dissatisfied with the team. These discoveries offer a unique glimpse into how employees on different types of contracts act.