Abstract
Wasta is defined as achieving goals through key individuals and focuses on using close friends and family members, rather than formal means, to resolve conflicts and gain access to resources. Often viewed as a form of nepotism and cronyism, wasta is prevalent in the Arab Middle East, with the vast majority of Arabs reporting that wasta is essential for securing a job and for career success. Despite these claims, the relationship between wasta and career success has not yet been empirically tested. In the current study, we examine 3,705 participant responses across five Arab countries (Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Algeria) to examine the relationship between wasta and career success. As expected, wasta was positively related to income and individuals who reported using wasta were more likely to be employed than individuals not reporting wasta use. The relationship between wasta and income was moderated by education level, such that there was a stronger relationship among participants reporting lower education levels.
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