Abdul Aziz Al-Simari

Al-Jazeera

 

Nepotism at work can be the most frustrating thing for those who believe that hard work is the only way to achieve success. Nepotism is widespread all over the globe but I believe that it is rampant in Saudi work environments and is particularly prevalent in some organizations. Nothing has a more negative impact on production than nepotism.



There are two types of nepotism at work. The first, which is very common around the world, occurs when the chief executive officer (CEO) prefers one employee to another for unprofessional reasons. Forbes Magazine published a study on this practice conducted by Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. The study showed that 92 percent of CEOs polled admitted that they were guilty of nepotism and had promoted some employees over others.



Usually, management experts give advice to both the victims and beneficiaries of nepotism and show them how nepotism can have a negative impact on employee interrelationships and the work environment. For example, a management expert will explain to the beneficiary of nepotism how this negative practice can make his colleagues angry with him. The expert will urge the employee to ask his superior why he has favored him while there were other employees who were better suited for a job or task. I doubt that a Saudi employee would act on such advice. The reason is because Saudi employees view nepotism as a gift from Allah. Eligibility and professional skills are not rewarded in a work environment that regards nepotism as a gift from Allah.



The second type of nepotism is related to the productivity of the holder of a higher position. For example, some people who hold high positions remain in these positions for quite some time despite the fact that their productivity levels are very low and have cost their companies dearly in terms of quality of services. Strangely enough, these people somehow manage to stay in these positions. This contradiction makes one wonder how they do it. Although some of them might have achievements that the public does not know about, others have caused their departments heavy losses. Yet, it does not seem that they are ever penalized for their lack of productivity. 



Let me tell you the secrets some of these people use to maintain their positions. When they get promoted to a high position, they start searching for ways to stay in that position as long as possible. They use a different type of nepotism called Saudi nepotism.



The first thing they do is learn the names of employees one by one and study their files to see who is influential and who is not. The next step is to mobilize the influential ones, those who are close to decision-makers, and help these employees achieve their goals.



In order to please these influential employees, the managers will resort to nepotism. They will employ the relatives of influential employees because they believe that by doing so it will ensure that they remain in their own position.



Over time, this type of nepotism becomes evident to everyone and employees discover that hard work and productivity is not a yardstick for success. Who one knows and how well one knows them is the most important thing. One should have closer ties with influential people in order to get favors and one should try hard to develop good relationships, no matter what.



Nothing is more surprising and shocking than seeing managers without any ethics continuing to hold their positions while their company’s performance has slumped.