Wasta and its relationship to employment status and income in the Arab Middle East

Abstract

Wasta is an Arabic concept that describes the use of close friends and family members, rather than formal means, to resolve conflicts and gain access to resources. An overwhelming majority of people in the Arab Middle East report that wasta is essential for navigating their careers. Despite these claims, the relationships between wasta, employment status, and income have not yet been empirically tested. In the current study, the authors examine 5,622 participant responses across five Arab countries (Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Algeria) to examine the relationships between the tendency to use wasta and employment status, individual income, and family income. As expected, the tendency to use wasta was related to individual income, family income, and employment status. The relationship between the tendency to use wasta and family income was moderated by education, such that there was a stronger relationship among participants reporting lower educational levels. Education did not moderate the relationship between wasta and individual income or employment status.