Using social connections for employment purposes [electronic resource] : a U.S. / Middle East comparison of networking and nepotism
Keywords: Psychology.

Both in the U.S. and Turkey, social connections are widely used for employment purposes, and in both countries, the prospect of finding a job is greatly increased through the use of social connections. Yet, how social connections are used significantly differs based on the larger cultural context. Independent cultures are often viewed as meritocratic whereas interdependent cultures are criticized as nepotistic. While significant evidence for differences in employment practices between independent and interdependent cultures exists, it is not clear what differentiates networking from nepotism. A framework that can explain the underlying reasons and mechanisms of cultural differences in employment practices is currently lacking. In the present dissertation, the use of social connections for employment purposes is analyzed in a novel framework of Free Agent vs. Committed Agent Models. These models situate the differences between employment practices in independent Western and interdependent Middle Eastern contexts. In the Free Agent Model, self is construed as autonomous and separate from others, and self-realization motives are emphasized. As Free Agents do not have strong influence over each other, the only way to ensure success is through individual merit. On the other hand, in the Committed Agent Model, self is construed as fundamentally connected with others, and group achievement motives are emphasized. As a result, people feel morally obliged to help ingroup members; not sharing one's resources is seen as selfish and insincere. In return, even after employment, benefactors have influence over job seekers. Thus, success is a collective action and individual merit is not central in the employment process. In this dissertation, hypotheses derived from specific subsections of the Free Agent vs. Committed Agent Models were tested to determine whether they adequately explained differences in employment practices between the U.S. (a Western sample) and Turkey (a Middle Eastern sample). Importantly, the models predict that when individual merit and professional principles clash with family obligations and interpersonal relations, participants in these two cultures will respond differently. Taken together, studies conducted in the present dissertation provide strong empirical support for the framework of the Free Agent vs. Committed Agent Models to understand differences between employment practices in independent and interdependent cultures, namely networking and nepotism. Results indicate that Committed Agents ensure the group outcome through mutual obligations and influence over each other, while Free Agents ensure self-realization through individual merit. Given these models, networking and nepotism can be seen as functional equivalents with certain differences stemming from the relative levels of importance given to independence and interdependence in different cultural contexts as well as socioeconomic environments. These differences can be systematically understood, analyzed, and even manipulated through the lens of the Free Agent vs. Committed Agent Models.