“Wasta” and women’s careers in the Arab Gulf States

Abstract

PurposeWomen are under-represented in senior positions across the world, and this paper aims to explore the impact ofwastaon women’s careers in the Arab Gulf States. This paper has two main objectives: to understand the phenomenon ofwastaand how it manifests itself within public organisations in the Gulf region; and to examine howwastais impacting on women’s career advancement.Design/methodology/approachQualitative interviews were conducted with 18 female managers working in public organisations in the Arab Gulf region.FindingsThe findings indicate thatwastarefers to a social network of interpersonal connections, rooted in family and kinship ties, and linked to family affairs as well as work. In addition, the findings demonstrate that, as a result ofwasta, social networks in the workplace, in the Arab Gulf Region, include family connections, and this is different to workplace networks in Western societies which are frequently limited to professional contacts and separate from family or friendship networks. In addition, the findings show thatwastamay be used to support women’s career progression, providing they have access to appropriatewasta. Furthermore, the findings revealed that women, in the Arab Gulf Region, rely directly on their male family member’s connections, as career facilitators, to gain access to organisational opportunities.Practical implicationsThe paper provides some practical suggestions for helping to overcome the potential negative effects ofwastaand to ensure that organisations make the best use of their talent. Hence, this research could potentially inform national policy and organisational policymakers and, in particular, influence recruitment and selection practices to ensure that they are based on competence rather than personal connections.Originality/valueThe paper is based on empirical work in an under-researched, non-Western context. There is extensive literature on gender and management and leadership in Western cultures, and this paper contributes to the developing body of research on women in the Arab cultures. It provides a better understanding of the phenomenon ofwasta, and it highlights the long-term consequences ofwastaon employees, particularly women, working in public organisations. Also, it contributes to theory on the culture of organisations by highlighting the often neglected influences of the broader social and cultural systems, including patriarchal practices, on women’s positions in the organisational hierarchy.