Nepotism Practices in the United States and Saudi Arabia: A literature Review
Abstract
Nepotism is a cultural concept that has permeated all societies in history. However, some cultures are more tolerant toward nepotism because care of the family is considered a moral obligation. For example, the United States and Saudi Arabia possess different cultural viewpoints about nepotism. While in the United States, organizations and policy makers are still trying to make sense of how to manage nepotism, in Saudi Arabia it is a common practice part of the culture and lifestyle. However, dealing with the eradication of nepotism in the United States continues to be a challenge because of the existence of considerable number of family businesses; in these, nepotism is often seen as an important factor for the survival of the business. In the meantime, both the United States and Saudi Arabia continue to demonstrate nepotistic practices. This paper has the purpose of presenting causes and consequences of nepotism, theoretical background and definition of the term, and a brief story of modern nepotism, from the medieval times to the twentieth century in Europe and the United States. This paper also presents a comparison of nepotistic practices in the United States and Saudi Arabia and critical views against and in favor of nepotism as social practice.
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