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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2024

Arwa Al-Twal, Fadi Alsarhan, Leen Nabulsi and Christina Horani

Wasta, the prevailing form of informal networks in the Arab region, exerts a significant controversial influence on organisations in this region. Despite the pervasive negative…

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Abstract

Purpose

Wasta, the prevailing form of informal networks in the Arab region, exerts a significant controversial influence on organisations in this region. Despite the pervasive negative perceptions and alleged detrimental effects of Wasta, it remains a frequently employed practice. This research aims to comprehensively explore the influence of Wasta on organisational justice across organisations in the Arab world, with Jordanian organisations taken as an illustrative case.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 employees from various industries in Jordan.

Findings

The study reveals that Wasta significantly affects distributive, procedural and interactional justice within organisations, eliciting feelings of unfairness and hopelessness among employees.

Practical implications

This study recommends that HR departments focus on implementing ethical policies and standards to enhance transparency in organisational decision-making processes. By understanding and addressing the implications of Wasta, organisations can foster a more just and equitable workplace environment.

Originality/value

This study advances our understanding of informal network theories in the Arab world by highlighting the interconnectedness between Wasta and organisational justice, and its profound impact on the work environment and employees. This study also explains how Wasta directly influences decision-making processes, at high managerial levels.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. 46 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

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Article
Publication date: 21 March 2023

Fadi Alsarhan and Arwa Al-Twal

The 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…

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Abstract

Purpose

The 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/approach

A 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.

Findings

The 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/value

The 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.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. 45 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

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Article
Publication date: 17 August 2020

Fadi Alsarhan and Marc Valax

This paper aims to offer a review of the concept of wasta, as a form of social capital in Arab societies. Furthermore, this paper seeks to elucidate the main implications of the…

684

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to offer a review of the concept of wasta, as a form of social capital in Arab societies. Furthermore, this paper seeks to elucidate the main implications of the use of wasta among human resource management (HRM) practices on the workplace environment and the overall performance of institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors embraced a qualitative approach in this paper. A total of 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HR officials from different levels in a number of Jordanian public organizations.

Findings

The results obtained indicate that wasta has negative consequences on the overall performance of organizations, through the influence it exerts on employee motivation, morale and job satisfaction, frustration, workplace diversity, turnover, brain drain, as well as its effect on the image and reputation of the individuals and organizations alike.

Originality/value

In this paper, the authors attempted to illustrate the concept of wasta as a form of social capital and to analyze its links with the features of the Jordanian culture through two of Hofstede’s dimensions. Furthermore, this paper is based both on the available literature and on data obtained through the semi-structured interviews. The findings through this process not only corroborate what we already know in the literature but they also generate an understanding of the hidden mechanisms that link the different implications of wasta together, creating the actual known consequences of this practice.

Details

International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8394

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