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

• Published date: 01 March 2021
• Author: Fadi Alsarhan,David Weir,Marc Valax,Sa'ad Ali
• Date: 01 March 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/tie.22186

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Impact of gender on use of wasta among human resources

management practitioners

Fadi Alsarhan

1

| Sa'ad Ali

2

| David Weir

3

| Marc Valax

4

1

Université de Lyon, Jean Moulin, iaelyon,

Magellan, Lyon, France

2

University of Derby, Derby, UK

3

Huddersfield University and York St John

University, York, UK

4

IAE Nice, Nice, France

Correspondence

Fadi Alsarhan, Université de Lyon, Jean

Moulin, iaelyon, Magellan, 1C avenue des

Frères Lumière, CS 78242, 69372 Lyon Cedex

08, France.

Email: fadi.alsarhan1@univ-lyon3.fr

Abstract

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 gen-

eral, 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.

KEYWORDS

gender, HRM, informal networks, social exclusion, wasta

1|INTRODUCTION

The word wasta in Arab countries refers to the practice of receiving

preferential treatment from relatives, friends, or other acquaintances

who are in positions of power or authority, to achieve gains such as

getting a job or promotion (Loewe, Blume, Schönleber, Seibert, &

Voss, 2007). Although wasta depends on the reciprocity of mutual

benefits (Sidani & Thornberry, 2013; Smith et al., 2012), providers do

not necessarily receive favors immediately from their beneficiaries;

rather, they help others without being certain they will receive recip-

rocal favors (Ali & Weir, 2020). Moreover, reciprocal favors do not

have to be extended to providers themselves; they can be delivered

to any members of their families, friends, or acquaintances

(Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993; Hutchings & Weir, 2006a). Accord-

ingly, wasta providers may never receive direct reciprocal benefits.

However, like other forms of favor exchanges around the world,

wasta transactions can produce social, political, or even economic

returns (Ali & Weir, 2019; Teagarden & Schotter, 2013).

It is essential to study wasta because of its influential role in

social, economic, and political spheres (Tlaiss & Kauser, 2011). In Arab

countries, wasta is a key aspect of decision-making processes and a

widespread cultural phenomenon and way of life (Al-Ramahi, 2008;

Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993; Hutchings & Weir, 2006b), as well as

deeply entrenched as a normal feature of society and culture

(Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993; Hutchings & Weir, 2006a; Weir, Sul-

tan, & Bunt, 2019). It is similar to guanxi in China (Chen, 2016; Chen,

Chen, & Huang, 2013; Hutchings & Weir, 2006a), compadrazgo in

Latin America (Velez-Calle, Robledo-Ardila, & Rodriguez-Rios, 2015),

blat in former Soviet countries (Ledeneva, 2006; Onoshchenko &

Williams, 2013), “pulling strings”in the United Kingdom (Smith

et al., 2012), yongo,yonjul, and inmaek in South Korea (Horak, 2014,

2017), and jinmyaku in Japan (Horak, 2020). The importance of study-

ing cultural phenomena such as wasta lies in their potential to influ-

ence decision-making processes and determine the outcomes of

business relationships (Velez-Calle et al., 2015).

Understanding how wasta pervades business activities also is rel-

evant, for both managers and researchers (Iles, Almhedie, &

Baruch, 2012), considering the growing economic significance of the

Arab world, which offers investors and exporters lucrative opportuni-

ties across many business sectors and markets (Hutchings &

DOI: 10.1002/tie.22186

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