The relationship between nepotism and disengagement: the case of institutions in Ethiopia

Abstract

Purpose-This article examines the relationship between nepotism and employee disengagement across Ethiopian organizations. In organizations where nepotism is widely experienced, employee recruitment and promotion cannot be performed fairly. Therefore, individual and organizational competence would be under question which in turn may result in an unfair work environment. Consequently, employees may be alienated from work. The purpose of this study was hence to examine the relationship between the constructs of nepotism and disengagement in the organizations of Ethiopia as a developing country. Methodology-A total of 255 employees were (M=202 and F=53) conveniently selected and made to fill the questionnaire in a face to face and online fashion. Nepotism and Disengagement scales were used to measure the variables. All of the variables were measured by scales with six-point intervals.Findings -The factor analyses revealed that nepotism has two factors: nepotistic relationships and preferential policy. Disengagement turned out to be a uni-directional construct. The regression analysis revealed that nepotistic relationships significantly and positively contributed to disengagement whereas preferential policy did not significantly contribute to disengagement. Conclusion-Since the participants perceived nepotistic relationships at work, the resulting employee disengagement is a potential threat for the future of organizations in terms of interpersonal relationships and performance. For preventing possible multi-faceted organizational problems that can affect the efficiency of business activities, managerial intervention seems to be required.

The Effect of Nepotism and Knowledge Sharing on the Performance of Academic Staff in Jordan: The Mediating Role of Trust

“…Nepotism or also known as Wasta has affected negatively the performance and job satisfaction of employees (Büte, 2011). Nepotism was also found to be directly and positively related to disengagement (Kawo & Torun, 2020), and negatively related to KS, satisfaction, and employee performance (Sfeir, 2019).…”

“…A study conducted by Büte (2011) found that nepotism has a negative impact on employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and HRM practices among employees working in banks in Turkey. Nepotism was also found to be positively associated with disengagement of employees in public organization in Ethiopia (Kawo & Torun, 2020). Nepotism (Wasta) in the Middle East affects the relationship in the organization as well as KS, satisfaction and performance (Sfeir, 2019).…”

Nepotism in Post-Soviet States: The Quantitative Assessment on Socio-Demographic Factors and the Corruption Perceptions Index

“…This phenomenon is viewed as a form of discrimination through which friends or family members are recruited or promoted not because of their qualifications but because they have blood ties or other relationships with the leadership. As evidenced by a survey of 255 respondents in 26 public and private institutions in Ethiopia, nepotism, as a part of the societal culture, has become widespread in organizations of many developing collective societies (Kawo & Torun, 2020;Shchankina, 2019).…”

“…This means that the individual can ensure his own survival and prosperity without the involvement of relatives, friends, support networks, etc. The second condition is also the dominance of the free market and free competition, which guarantee the victory and survival of the best and not "relatives" (Gjinovci, 2016a;Karpov, 2018;Kawo & Torun, 2020). Nepotism, by its nature, is a reflection of the feudal type of production and the guild system, which does not imply the existence of a free capitalist market and competition.…”

The Perspectives of Teachers on Nepotism

“…For instance, privileges and wasted budgets are some of the biggest obstacles to the expected development (Meriç & Erdem, 2013). In organizations where nepotism is broadly faced, member employment and promotion cannot be acted reasonably (Kawo & Torun, 2020). Also, clientelism results in system degeneration, bad recognition of institutions, and even the collapse of institutions.…”