The Psychology of Offering Wasta: Inferences from Narratives

Al‐Twal, Arwa

doi:10.1111/soc4.13006

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This second kind of wasta is, therefore, more powerful. However, a recent study by Al-Twal (2022) revealed that offering wasta sometimes depends on the type of network with the receiver, arguing that it is affected by three conditions: (1) willingness to offer wasta as a simple act of kindness (as in helping others) and in which there are no restrictions to doing so (e.g. institutional factors such as rules preventing the use of wasta); (2) willingness to offer wasta because of potential future returns; thus, if a provider expects something back from the receiver, regardless of the strength of their tie, he will be more inclined to offer wasta and (3) unwillingness to offer wasta regardless of the type of the network or the existence of barriers to its use, because of a personal conviction that the act (i.e.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Wasta Culture and Economic Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards understanding the relationships between economics, tribalism and the use of thewastainformal network in the workplace

Alsarhan

Al‐Twal

2023

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PurposeThe aim of this study is to understand the relationship between economic challenges, tribalism and the use of the wasta informal network in the workplace across Middle East and North Africa (MENA) organizations, with Jordanian public organizations taken as an illustrative case.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was applied, and a total of 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with human resource (HR) officials working in different public organizations such as state-owned enterprises (SOEs), ministries, government agencies (GAs) the military forces and security agencies.FindingsThe authors' findings show that employees who live in rural areas are more likely to use wasta in public organizations than the counterparts living in the capital Amman. This contrast is accounted for by major differences between mentalities, the strength of tribalism, norms and living standards among residents of urban and rural areas. The authors argue that these differences play a pivotal role on the use of wasta informal networks in the workplace.Originality/valueThe outcomes obtained in this study have proven to be unique and important due to the authors' holistic theoretical understanding of wasta, which offers important insights into its emergence, evolution and use in the workplace. The outcomes of this study also serve as guidance for organizations in understanding the “hidden force” of wasta and the extent to which the organizations' businesses may be impacted by this, based on the type of employees the organizations already have or intend to hire and employees' tribal ties. This study accounts for the wide use of informal networks in managerial activities, based on important social and economic realities that have not been previously explored in the literature.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Wasta Culture and Economic Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards understanding the relationships between economics, tribalism and the use of thewastainformal network in the workplace

Alsarhan

Al‐Twal

2023

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“…The need for wasta is present in many aspects of people's lives in these collectivist cultures and its use is vital in a range of situations, from obtaining access to privileged and classified information to arranging marriages and resolving family and communal conflicts (Ali & Weir, 2020; Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993), from bypassing the long red tape of governmental procedures to securing business deals, jobs, and promotions (Abosag & Ghauri, 2022; Ali & Weir, 2019; Al‐Twal, 2021; Al‐Twal, 2022). Using one's wasta eludes to a sense of pride while pity is shown towards people who lack this privilege (Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993).…”

Section: Theoretical Foundation Of Wasta Informal Network and The Ins...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A few researchers have highlighted some positive outcomes of using wasta. On the micro level these include obtaining access to privileged and classified information (Ali & Weir, 2020; Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993), reducing transactional costs and increasing access to services (Alhussan & AL‐Husan., 2022), and gaining employment and promotions (Ali & Weir, 2019; Al‐Twal, 2021; Al‐Twal, 2022). On the miso and macro levels wasta's benefits to organizations range from bypassing the long red tape of governmental procedures to securing business deals (Alhussan & AL‐Husan., 2022; Ali & Weir, 2019).…”

Section: Theoretical Foundation Of Wasta Informal Network and The Ins...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating wasta in business practices in Lebanon

Helal,

Ali,

Strecker

et al. 2023

Thunderbird Intl Bus Rev

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Faced with severe social, political, and economic challenges, Lebanon is described as a weak state. Argued to be a key factor weakening the formal institutions there, is the prevalent practice of wasta. This article seeks to answer two questions: (1) Why is wasta prevalent in a business environment characterised by weak formal institutions, such as Lebanon? (2) How can managers navigate the use of wasta in the Lebanese business context where it prevails, avoiding its negative outcomes while utilizing its positive outcomes? Fourteen semi‐structured interviews were conducted of managers from the Lebanese industrial sector. The findings highlight that wasta is used due to the networked nature of Lebanese society, economic hardship, widespread corruption and to maintain power. It was found that wasta could be beneficial in securing jobs, removing red tape, and gaining employment for humanitarian reasons. Finally, the negative outcomes of using wasta were found to include the employment of unqualified individuals, a reduction of organizations' productivity and a further weakening of formal institutions.

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“…To mitigate and reduce the effects of Wasta , Al-Twal (2022) suggests that solid governance and value systems need to be established, as well as fostering the creation of professional networks within organizations. On the other hand, Alsarhan (2022) proposed a roadmap for containing and combating Wasta in the various areas where this practice is developing.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informal interorganizational business relationships, satisfaction, and firm performance: Case of Arab Maghreb countries

Toumi

2023

Int'l Jnl of Cross Cultural Management

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Understanding how informal relationships such as Wasta operate in different cultures is necessary for multinationals to thrive. However, studies on the effect of such networks on multinationals' activities in Arab countries remain limited. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of informal inter-organizational business relationships on the satisfaction and performance of firms in Arab Maghreb countries. This study examines the effect of informal interorganizational business relationships on satisfaction and firm performance in Arab Maghreb countries. This research is based on a self-administered survey with 534 procurement managers from Morocco ( n = 220), Algeria ( n = 148) and Tunisia ( n = 166). We used structural equations to test our hypotheses. The results showed that Wasta has almost the same effect on interorganizational relationship in the three Maghreb countries. Specifically, Mojamala (affection) does not influence the satisfaction of the B2B relationship within the three counties under study, while Hamola (reciprocity) and Somah (trust) positively influence this relationship. The analysis showed that the negative side of Somah has a negative influence on satisfaction only in Algeria. The results also showed that satisfaction positively influences the performance of Maghrebian B2B partners. These results show that the phenomenon of Wasta is rooted in the cultures of the Maghreb countries and underscore the need to conduct further studies to understand it and to raise awareness among multinationals that plan to do business with the local partners or those who are planning to relocate. Implications for IB, theory and policy are discussed together with the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research. Through this study, we contribute to the development of research on cross-culture management by showing the effect of Wasta as a cultural phenomenon on business relations in the Maghreb countries. Our research is the first to investigate the effect of the informal interorganizational relationship on the satisfaction and performance of B2B partners.

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The Psychology of Offering Wasta: Inferences from Narratives

Cited by 7 publications

References 42 publications

Towards understanding the relationships between economics, tribalism and the use of thewastainformal network in the workplace

Towards understanding the relationships between economics, tribalism and the use of thewastainformal network in the workplace

Navigating wasta in business practices in Lebanon

Informal interorganizational business relationships, satisfaction, and firm performance: Case of Arab Maghreb countries

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