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Editorial verdict
Theoretically grounded qualitative study with a small, single-sector sample — the emic reframing of Wasta is the genuine contribution, but the 17-interview dataset from one country limits generalisability; treat the conceptual framework as useful, the managerial recommendations as provisional.
Executive summary
This article addresses the impact of Wasta — informal networks rooted in tribal, familial, and friendship ties — on human resource management (HRM) practices, specifically recruitment and selection, in Arab countries of the MENA region. The authors argue that prior research has predominantly adopted an etic (outsider) perspective, framing Wasta reductively as nepotism or corruption, and that an emic (insider) perspective reveals a more complex, socially embedded practice involving trust, power, and exchange. Drawing on 17 semi-structured interviews with HR, recruitment, and line managers across 14 Jordanian banks, the study finds that Wasta operates simultaneously as a socio-economic exchange mechanism and a cultural institution. At the micro level, it can facilitate employment for qualified candidates and strengthen social capital; at the macro level, it can entrench exclusion, reduce workplace diversity, and undermine formal institutional trust. The interplay of trust and power in Wasta transactions is identified as the critical determinant of whether outcomes are perceived as beneficial or harmful. The authors conclude that Wasta is neither inherently positive nor negative but context-dependent, and call for practitioners operating in MENA contexts to engage with rather than ignore its prevalence.
Key insights
- 1Wasta functions as a socio-economic exchange mechanism — not merely a transactional bribe or favour — in which trust and power dynamics among multiple actors (job seeker, intermediary 'Waseet', and decision-maker) determine whether outcomes are broadly beneficial or exclusionary.
- 2The authors argue that most earlier research takes an outsider (etic) view that often treats Wasta simply as nepotism or corruption, while their insiders' (emic) accounts present it as a culturally embedded practice, sometimes used to reach scarce jobs, with positive and negative consequences for different stakeholders.
- 3Power asymmetry within Wasta transactions is a key differentiator: when Wasta operates as recommendation through proper processes it may benefit qualified candidates, but when deployed coercively by senior figures it overrides merit-based selection; the authors link this with unqualified hires, lost productivity and less diversity, outcomes described rather than measured.
Practical takeaways
- The authors recommend that HR practitioners in MENA contexts acknowledge and manage Wasta within legal and 'shared ethical' boundaries — accepting it as a recommendation, never as forced selection — rather than ignoring it; the study does not test whether this works better than trying to eliminate it.
- Understanding the trust and power dimensions of Wasta transactions may help HR and line managers to differentiate between instances where informal network mediation supports legitimate hiring outcomes and those where it bypasses merit criteria entirely, informing how recruitment policies are designed and enforced.
References
- Praeger Publishers (1993).Wasta: The Hidden Force in Middle Eastern Society.
- Thunderbird International Business Review (2006).Guanxi and wasta: A comparison.
- Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (2012).How distinctive are indigenous ways of achieving influence? A comparative study of guanxi, wasta, jeitinho, and 'pulling strings'.
- Journal of European Industrial Training (2011).The importance of wasta in the career success of Middle Eastern managers.
- German Development Institute (DIE) (2007).The Impact of Favouritism on the Business Climate: A Study on Wasta in Jordan.
- Middle East Journal (2008).How Favouritism Affects the Business Climate: Empirical Evidence from Jordan.
- Management and Organization Review (2020).Wasta: Advancing a Holistic Model to Bridge the Micro-Macro Divide.
- Asia Pacific Journal of Management (2019).The state of HRM in the Middle East: Challenges and future research agenda.
- Academy of Management Review (2023).Explaining the persistence of informal institutions: The role of informal networks.
- Qualitative Research in Psychology (2006).Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.
- Thunderbird International Business Review (2021).Impact of gender on use of Wasta among human resources management practitioners.
- Thunderbird International Business Review (2023).Navigating Wasta in Business Practices in Lebanon.
- Management and Organization Review (2020).Informal networks: Dark sides, bright sides, and unexplored dimensions.
- Human Resource Management (2024).Managing upward and downward through informal networks in Jordan: The contested terrain of performance management.
- Thunderbird International Business Review (2015).On the influence of interpersonal relations on business practices in Latin America: A comparison with the Chinese guanxi and the Arab wasta.
- Thunderbird International Business Review (2022).A change management roadmap for Wasta-free managerial practices in Arab organizations.
Source & Provenance
admsci
Sa’ad Ali, David Weir, Munirah Sarhan AlQahtani, Mansour Mrabet
September 26, 2024
Research Study
Middle East
Original source metadata is preserved. AI analysis is generated separately.
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