Signature Research Program


https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6607700

Abdelrahim, Y. (2026). Wasta as a Cognitive Model: Rethinking Justice, Responsibility, and Decision-Making. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention, Barcelona, Spain. "Wasta as Informal Governance: A Componential and Institutional Theory for Emerging Market Economies ranks above 92% of research items published in 2026 on ResearchGate by Research Interest Score." 

The "Wasta as Informal Governance: A Componential and Institutional Theory for Emerging Market Economies ranks above 92% of research items published in 2026 on ResearchGate by Research Interest Score." 

Abdelrahim, Y. (2026). Wasta as a Cognitive Model: Rethinking Justice, Responsibility, and Decision-Making. Poster presented at the 2026 Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), Barcelona, Spain.  The poster presentation   is especially interesting because it extends the  Wasta research beyond:

into:

That helps support the author's broader positioning of Wasta as a multidisciplinary research program.his research advances the argument that wasta is not merely a cultural practice, but an ingrained cognitive and institutional model that shapes perceptions of justice, responsibility, trust, and moral action in relational societies. The presentation reframes wasta from a localised social phenomenon into a broader interdisciplinary framework connecting cultural cognition, institutional behaviour, organisational decision-making, and informal governance.

The broader research program is organised around five interconnected themes:

Wasta as Informal Governance

Wasta as Informal Governance: A Componential and Institutional Theory for Emerging Market Economies 

Wasta is often described as a form of social networking, favouritism, or personal influence in Arab societies. My research advances a broader perspective by conceptualising Wasta as a system of informal governance that shapes decision-making, resource allocation, organisational behaviour, and institutional performance in emerging economies.

This research program develops a componential and institutional theory of Wasta, examining how informal social mechanisms interact with formal institutions across public, private, and educational sectors. The objective is not merely to explain Wasta as a cultural phenomenon but to understand its role as a governance mechanism that influences organisational effectiveness, social equity, leadership, and development outcomes.

Research Vision

My work seeks to answer a central question:

How do informal governance systems influence organisational and societal outcomes when formal institutions are weak, evolving, or unevenly enforced? How can researchers who study Wasta use a unified theory to conceptualise it?  

May I ask you, as a reader and a researcher, something?

 

1)  If informal systems like Wasta persist because they fulfil governance gaps, should the goal be to eliminate them—or to understand and integrate them into institutional reform?

2)  Can anti-corruption efforts succeed without addressing the socio-cultural logic that sustains informal networks?

3)  Where does the line lie between social obligation and systemic inequality in emerging market governance?

By addressing this question, the research extends beyond Wasta itself to contribute to broader debates concerning informal institutions, social capital, organisational behaviour, governance, and development.

Core Theoretical Contribution

Wasta as Informal Governance

My research proposes that Wasta operates as an informal governance system characterised by:


The framework moves beyond traditional interpretations of Wasta as merely favouritism or nepotism and positions it within a broader institutional context.

Interdisciplinary Contributions

Management

The research examines how Wasta influences:


Organizational Behavior

The research explores:


Sociology

The research investigates:


Institutional Theory

The research contributes to understanding:


Public Administration

The research addresses:


Development Studies

The research examines:


Key Publications

Wasta as Informal Governance: A Componential and Institutional Theory for Emerging Market Economies (2026)

This work introduces a theoretical framework that conceptualises Wasta as a multidimensional informal governance mechanism operating within organisational and societal contexts.

Themes:

Informal governance

Institutional theory

Social capital

Organizational performance

Emerging economies

Current Research Agenda

The research program continues to explore:

Informal Governance and Organisational Performance

How informal governance mechanisms influence effectiveness, innovation, and competitiveness.

Wasta and Leadership

The role of social influence and networks in leadership emergence and effectiveness.

Wasta and Higher Education

Informal governance processes within universities and educational institutions.

Wasta and Public Governance

The interaction between formal administrative systems and informal social structures.

Comparative Informal Governance

Comparing Wasta with similar phenomena across different regions and cultures.

Broader Impact

This research seeks to bridge theory and practice by providing insights relevant to:


The ultimate goal is to advance understanding of how informal governance systems shape organisational and societal outcomes in emerging economies.  From an informal governance perspective, wasta cannot be effectively addressed through legal reforms and anti-corruption regulations alone. While laws are essential for establishing formal standards of accountability, they often fail to eliminate the underlying social, cultural, and institutional conditions that sustain wasta practices. Wasta persists not simply because formal rules are weak, but because it performs functions that formal institutions often fail to provide, such as facilitating access to resources, reducing uncertainty, and generating trust in environments characterised by institutional deficiencies. Moreover, wasta is deeply embedded in social relationships, norms of reciprocity, obligations to family and kinship networks, and perceptions of fairness and opportunity. Consequently, meaningful efforts to reduce reliance on wasta must go beyond legal prohibition and address the structural conditions that create demand for informal governance. This requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach involving educational initiatives that promote meritocracy, integrity, and civic responsibility; public policies that strengthen institutional trust, transparency, and equal opportunity; organisational reforms that enhance procedural fairness and accountability; and leadership development and public awareness efforts that encourage ethical decision-making. Ultimately, reducing dependence on wasta requires long-term investments in education, institutional capacity, administrative reform, cultural transformation, and social development. As formal institutions become more effective, accessible, transparent, and trusted, the functional need for wasta as an alternative governance mechanism is likely to diminish.