Wasta: A Scourge or a Useful Management and Business Practice?

Weir, David; Sultan, Nabil; Bunt, Sylvia van de

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-22201-1_2

Cited by 14 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…As a noun, it denotes a person who mediates or intercedes to achieve gain (Ali, 2016; Ali & Weir, 2019; Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993). The process of wasta consists of three parties: the person in need (e.g., someone seeking a job), the provider (i.e., a person in a position of power, such as an HR manager), and an intermediary between them (i.e., a person with the ability to influence the provider) (Aldossari & Robertson, 2015; Ali & Weir, 2020; Alsarhan & Valax, 2020; Tucker & Bucton‐Tucker, 2014; Weir et al, 2016). However, the third party is needed only when the first two parties are not strongly acquainted or related and the third party is strongly related to both of them.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understanding how wasta pervades business activities also is relevant, for both managers and researchers (Iles, Almhedie, & Baruch, 2012), considering the growing economic significance of the Arab world, which offers investors and exporters lucrative opportunities across many business sectors and markets (Hutchings & Weir, 2006b; Weir, Sultan, & Van De Bunt, 2016). To ensure the effectiveness of their subsidiary operations in the region, international managers need to understand its mechanisms (Ali & Weir, 2020; Weir et al, 2016). In a recent systematic review of peer‐reviewed journals, Ali and Weir (2020) demonstrate that despite studies of wasta in various contexts and according to different aspects and theoretical lenses, a research gap remains with regard to factors that affect its use, especially by human resources management (HRM) practitioners.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of gender on use of wasta among human resources management practitioners

Alsarhan

Ali

Weir

et al. 2020

Thunderbird Intl Bus Rev

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The practice of wasta dominates all aspects of Arabs' lives; it is a parallel inegalitarian system that categorizes people according to their connections. One of the epicenters of wasta is human resources management (HRM). This article studies the concept of wasta in the Arab world by examining its use in HRM according to gender, in the case of the Jordanian public sector. Results obtained from 27 semi‐structured interviews of HR managers indicate that though wasta is an important feature of HRM in general, there is a notable discrepancy between male and female employees, with the former displaying higher tendencies for using wasta than the latter. An explanation for this finding is the prevalent masculine nature of Jordanian society, which entails social caveats related to the traditional role of women. Professional determinants, such as gendered job segregation and variance in qualifications, also affect men's and women's access to wasta.

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Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of gender on use of wasta among human resources management practitioners

Alsarhan

Ali

Weir

et al. 2020

Thunderbird Intl Bus Rev

Self Cite

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“…The traditional notions of wasta (personal conflicts being solved by a powerful person such as a tribal leader) are changing, whereby now wasta can be aligned with the ability to secure benefits because of connection, rather than merit (Mohamed and Mohamad, 2011; Tlaiss and Kauser, 2011; Weir et al , 2016). Accordingly, most existing definitions describe wasta as providing access through connection to a more powerful individual (for a specific task) by an inferior, and always serving a specific purpose (Al-Fasial and Abdulellah, 1993; Smith et al , 2011).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scholars (Cunningham et al , 1994; Hutchings and Weir, 2006b; Weir et al , 2016) suggest that using wasta can have a positive impact (as an intermediary) for solving conflict, or negative (intercessory) impact through increasing an individual’s interest regardless of others. For example, wasta can cause conflict within teams when unqualified team members are assigned to the team only because of their wasta (Kilani et al , 2015).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The importance of developing and utilizing business relationships has long been recognized (Levine and White, 1961; Newman and Berg, 1963). They are particularly important in societies, such as the Arab world, that rely significantly on relationships and networks for conducting business (AlHussan et al , 2017; Hofstede, 1984), and/or suffer from weak or absent formal institutions (Weir et al , 2016). Yet, the extant research focuses generally on developed economies (Jiang et al , 2011; Mysen and Svensson, 2010) and on specific emerging economies (mainly China).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arabic business relationship characteristics: a social capital perspective

Shaikh

Purchase

Brush

2019

JBIM

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the development of social capital in an Arab business environment, and provide an in-depth description of the nature and role of three key Arabic business relationship characteristics (ehsan, et-moone and wasta), their impact on each other and key influencing factors. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design was used, in which face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with innovation teams (22 team members) at six industrial small and medium-sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed (thematic coding) through NVivo. Findings The findings suggest that wasta, ehsan and et-moone align closely with the three social capital dimensions (structural, cognitive and relational); thus, developing these three relationship characteristics most likely results in developing social capital. The findings also expand the description of the three business relationship characteristics. Moreover, ehsan, et-moone and wasta appear to influence each other, and are affected by other factors such as an individual’s age and position, and the duration of the relationship. Ehsan has a positive influence on the development of et-moone, while the existence of et-moone appears to be necessary for the establishment of wasta-capital. A high level of ehsan might influence the relationship between et-moone and wasta-use and limit the negative usage of wasta. Practical implications International managers can improve the level of ehsan in their organizational and business relationships through assigning incentives and playing the role of moral champion to encourage ehsan behavior. Managers aiming to increase et-moone may choose team members with a high level of ehsan, emphasizing the development of personal relationships, and providing opportunities for socialization both inside and outside the workplace. A high level of ehsan and et-moone will assist managers to develop and use wasta. Originality/value This study makes a threefold contribution to the literature. First, it provides an expanded description of the three Arabic business relationship characteristics and how they align closely with the dimensions of social capital. Wasta aligns with the structural dimension and ehsan aligns with the cognitive dimension, while et-moone aligns closely with the relational dimension. Second, it suggests and shows how the three relationship characteristics might interact with each other. Ehsan appears to influence et-moone, and also the relationship between et-moone and wasta. Et-moone appears to have a positive influence on wasta use. Third, the findings also indicate that there might be other factors (e.g. age and position) that influence the interactions between the three business relationship characteristics.

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Perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness within multinational corporations in Saudi Arabia: The role of Islamic and Wasta values

Hamlin,

Alhejji,

Patel

2023

Human Resource Dev Quarterly

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) presents a promising yet volatile environment for international business. US‐centric models dominate management/leadership studies in the Arab Gulf Region, while emic, indigenous, and context‐specific studies remain scarce. To rectify this epistemic injustice, we have conducted a qualitative Type 3 (emic‐as‐emic) indigenous ‘critical incident' study of managerial behavior exhibited by expat and local managers within MNCs operating in Saudi Arabia. This has led to an emergent KSA‐related two‐factor taxonomy comprised of 15 behavioral dimensions (BDs) that differentiate effective managers from ineffective managers, as perceived by their Saudi colleague managers and staff. The positive (effective), and most of the negative (ineffective) BDs are endorsed by Islamic and tribal Wasta values, thus lending support to literature on culturally endorsed implicit leadership theories, while simultaneously calling for increased attention toward proximal cultural factors rather than distal national cultural dimensions. Comparing our findings against those of an equivalent study in the United Arab Emirates reveals significant similarities and interesting differences, thus challenging the notion of a homogenous ‘Arab culture'. The derived taxonomy offers an insightful, contextually relevant, and richly described understanding of specific types of managerial behavior that managers within MNCs in Saudi Arabia, and perhaps in other Arab Gulf desert countries, should strive to emulate or conversely avoid if they are to be perceived effective by their respective superiors, peers, and subordinates. After discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, we outline the limitations of the study and suggest several directions for future research.

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Wasta: A Scourge or a Useful Management and Business Practice?

Cited by 14 publications

References 27 publications

Impact of gender on use of wasta among human resources management practitioners

Impact of gender on use of wasta among human resources management practitioners

Arabic business relationship characteristics: a social capital perspective

Perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness within multinational corporations in Saudi Arabia: The role of Islamic and Wasta values

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