The informal mode of management: neo-patriarchy and <i>wasta</i> in a Saudi organisation

Adham, Ayman

doi:10.1080/14759551.2022.2029443

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Wasta , which is the informal network style pervasive in the Arab world (Minbaeva, Ledeneva, Muratbekova‐Touron, & Horak, 2022; Zhang, Hartley, Al‐Husan, & ALHussan, 2021), is cultivated to the degree that it has become an institution which seems irreplaceable and invincible across Arab organizations (Adham, 2022; Ali & Weir, 2020; Al‐Ma'aitah, Soltani, & Liao, 2021; Al‐Ramahi, 2008; Alsarhan, Ali, Weir, & Valax, 2021; Al‐Twal, 2021; Berger, Silbiger, Herstein, & Barnes, 2015; Huang, Gao, Fan, & Hassan, 2022; Hutchings & Weir, 2006a; Khakhar & Rammal, 2013; Mohamed & Mohamad, 2011; Tlaiss & Kauser, 2011; Weir, Sultan, & Bunt, 2016; Whiteoak, Crawford, & Mapstone, 2006). Scholars point to the fact that this phenomenon is not likely to vanish as long as the dissatisfaction of those disadvantaged by wasta remains an insignificant political issue, or the concern for declining societal productivity resulting from wasta is not regarded as a national priority (Cunningham & Sarayrah, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A change management roadmap for wasta‐free managerial practices in Arab organizations

Alsarhan

2022

Thunderbird Intl Bus Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wasta, which is the typical informal network style pervasive in the Arab world, has long been believed to constitute an intrinsic feature of managerial activities and practices in Arab organizations. With a long and intertwined history on one side, and a large widespread on the other, this practice seems near impossible to dissociate from the social and professional landscape of this part of the world. While more and more studies are emerging in order to understand the mechanisms of this practice, the conditions of its emergences, the factors which stand behind its widespread, and the consequences it brings forth, less attention has been directed towards proposing a solution for this problem. Some scholars have nonetheless attempted to offer practical indications on dealing with wasta in order to limit its spread and disintegrate its operational systems. This paper, which falls in line with these works, proposes a roadmap towards a wasta‐free management system in Arab organizations. Through formulating holistic and comprehensive measures in different levels and areas, this study hopes to contribute a clear roadmap, ready for use by global business leaders, managers, HR practitioners, and government executives alike.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A change management roadmap for wasta‐free managerial practices in Arab organizations

Alsarhan

2022

Thunderbird Intl Bus Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Neo-patriarchal relationships include other aspects than women being subordinated (Habiba, Ali, & Ashfaq 2016). This specific social formation spans from the macro-societal level to the household and workplace levels (Adham, 2022). The foundation of the neo-patriarchal structure is made up of the patriarch's authority, the individual's submission, and the patronage system that secures the material interests of the individual through the use of the wasta (nepotism) mechanism (Sharabi, 1988).…”

Section: Neo-patriarchal Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our contribution to the labour process literature is through exploring and defining 'the informal mode of management', in 'neo-patriarchal' societies of the Arab world. This mode of management has a set of managerial techniques that are a direct result of the capitalist logic of wealth accumulation that is pervasive in Arab Societies (see Adham, 2022). With this kind of management, the management best maintains strong control over labour, takes use of the indeterminacy of labour power, and maintains the 'suitability' of the gender of the labour needed.…”

Section: Neo-patriarchal Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Significance of Labour Process Theory to the Arab Gulf Countries: Developing A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Consent and Conflict in the Workplace

Adham¹

2022

IJBM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reviews the literature on the main concepts of labour process theory to highlight its significance for analysing workers-managers struggles in workplaces of the Arab Gulf countries. The paper builds on the core principles of the labour process theory and engages the dimensions of neo-patriarchy and mobility power to build a conceptual framework for the analysis of workplace relations in the Arab Gulf context. Previous research show that the dialectics of control-consent-resistance and the concept of mobility power, are effective tools for analysing how work is organised in commercial organisations. Nevertheless, this paper argues that acknowledging the nature of ‘neo-patriarchal managerial control’, which is an ‘informal mode of management’, is vital for analysing the nature of power relations between the management and labour in workplaces of the Arab Gulf countries. Moreover, since the majority of the labour force in the Arab Gulf countries are migrants, the concept of mobility power has a critical role in explaining struggles between the management and migrant labour.

show abstract

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

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

The informal mode of management: neo-patriarchy and wasta in a Saudi organisation

Cited by 9 publications

References 35 publications

A change management roadmap for wasta‐free managerial practices in Arab organizations

A change management roadmap for wasta‐free managerial practices in Arab organizations

The Significance of Labour Process Theory to the Arab Gulf Countries: Developing A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Consent and Conflict in the Workplace

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

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About