This study examines how wasta, as a form of informal networking, operates across socio-politically distinct contexts in the Middle East and how these variations shape human resource management (HRM) practices.
This study draws on qualitative interview data from 31 professionals in Jordan and Lebanon, adopting a comparative design grounded in social capital theory to analyze how informal networks function across different socio-political environments.
The findings show that wasta is not a culturally uniform practice, but a context-dependent mechanism shaped by political and institutional arrangements. In Jordan, wasta operates primarily as bonding social capital, reinforcing in-group cohesion within relatively homogeneous and tribal structures. In Lebanon, wasta takes on a more complex and politically mediated form, exhibiting bridging characteristics by enabling connections across sectarian and political divides, while also reflecting elements of strategic brokerage within patronage-based systems. These variations lead to distinct implications for recruitment, promotion and access to opportunities.
This study challenges the dominant view of wasta as a culturally homogeneous practice by demonstrating that bonding and bridging social capital are not inherent properties of ties, but outcomes shaped by the socio-political context. It advances social capital theory by offering a context-sensitive reconceptualization of informal networks and contributes to HRM scholarship by showing how contextually embedded informal practices shape organizational processes in different ways.
