In this contemporary era, it has been observed that the state of the global economy shifts over the course of a few years. This shift is not only the reason why our organisations have failed, but it is also the reason why the economy of our country is getting worse. In today’s world, there is a great deal of challenges to be found in relation to the employment process in both the public and private sectors. However, favouritism, cronyism, and nepotism are the primary obstacles in the way of well-qualified employees, as public sector organisations prefer to hire individuals who are referred by family members, friends, or coworkers.
These three forms of corruption are the primary obstacles in the way of well-qualified employees. Therefore, in developing nations, a person’s tastes and preferences are more important than his or her real competence, abilities, knowledge, and qualifications for a specific career. This is because people in these countries have less access to a wider variety of options. In contrast, positions are filled in industrialised nations according to merit, credentials, and experience. These are the factors that are taken into consideration. It makes it easier for employees to integrate their work with their professional goals.
Nepotism and cronyism are both terms that refer to the practice of assigning someone to a post or employment based on their familial or social connections with other people. This behaviour is not beneficial and should be avoided because the evaluation is not based on a person’s actual qualifications and capabilities, which can have a detrimental impact on the structure of society. This behaviour is forbidden in Islam and must be avoided at all costs since it violates the rights of other people.
The definition of nepotism given by Merriam-dictionary Webster’s is “a bias toward persons or groups with blood links,” and it is most commonly seen in the practice of nominating people to jobs. Nepotism is defined as “an act or habit that cares or overestimates one’s own family and friends” in the Malay language dictionary published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. The English word “nepotism” originates from the Greek terms “nepos” and “otis,” which can be translated as “grandson,” “descendant,” or “cousin.” The phrase “nepotism” eventually evolved into a term that is understood to mean the following: behaviour that demonstrates an excessive tendency toward relatives; a tendency to prioritise or benefit one’s own relatives in a position, rank, or another capacity; and the act of choosing relatives or relatives to hold the reins of government related to society (public service)
Understanding of Nepotism, Favouritism and Cronyism
Nepotism arises when personal relationships are given more weight than other factors, such as qualifications, competencies, skills, or experience, and it has a negative impact not only on the performance of individual employees but also on the performance of the business as a whole. It requires bringing in new workers and letting some of the old ones go so that they can prioritise the work of their favourites. This problem is widespread not only in underdeveloped countries but also in developed countries as well. Therefore, this issue has not only afflicted developing nations like Pakistan and India, but it has also kept rich nations like those in Europe in the hot soap, and it has affected the performance of businesses. According to the research that has been conducted in the past, the employees of firms are unable to perform well because of the practice of nepotism. This is because they have become dissatisfied with the way things now stand.
To show a personal preference for one individual over another who is more qualified and experienced is an example of favouritism, which is defined as “because of personal involvement.” There is a culture of favouritism that permeates every organisation, regardless of its size. It is normal practice in some societies of this period to prioritise and attach to their favourite people when hiring and firing employees. In addition to this, it is a leading phenomenon in all areas, particularly in the administration of public affairs. In order to do so, public servants have the option of showing favouritism in situations such as when colleagues or political expectations are involved. The political leanings of an individual are not the only factor that might play a role in favouritism; citizenship can also be a factor, as can connections to long-lost acquaintances and coworkers, as well as to former classmates or fellows in certain instances. Additionally, it spreads from family to family, and as a result, the performance of the nation as a whole as well as the performance of the particular business, is negatively impacted by this problem.
Cronyism is a sort of favouritism in which the employer’s objective is to develop a group of employees who can be handled easily and can be prejudiced in decision making power for the reason that they have ‘not any dispute among people (Khatri & Tsang, 2003). (Khatri & Tsang, 2003). Because individuals are treated based on their cronyism rather than their talent, skills, abilities, competency, and experience, cronyism has a negative impact not just on the performance of employees but also on the performance of businesses. The success of a particular kind of cronyism in a given culture is contingent on the manner in which the dimensions of verticality and horizontality are applied to the two widely acknowledged necessary cultural characteristics of individualism and collectivism.
Nepotism in Islamic Perspective
Nepotism has several corresponding words in the Quran, such as al-mahabbah (love of something) and al-ghil (tend to treachery). There are some sayings of Allah SWT that can be taken into account regarding this nepotism. Among them:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَٰنَكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ إِنِ ٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْكُفْرَ عَلَى ٱلْإِيمَٰنِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ
It means: “O you who believe! Do not make your fathers and your brothers the people you accompany if they choose disbelief by abandoning faith; and whoever among you makes them companions, then they are the wrongdoers.”
(Surah At Taubah verse 23)
According to Imam al-Qurtubi, this verse is a command from Allah SWT to all believers, and a small part of it is the laws that must be held until the Day of Judgment regarding the limits between believers and non-believers. Imam al-interpretation Qurtubi’s is supported by the fact that Allah SWT has revealed this verse to us in the Quran. The event described in this verse is directed primarily toward the believers who were living in Mecca and other Arab countries at the time. At that time, the believers were being instructed not to abandon their families and relatives and to serve as the pillar of the family. Because the relationship with religion (truth) is more important than family bonds, Allah SWT urges His devoted servants not to follow the acts and instructions of their parents if those actions and instructions go against the order of Allah SWT.
Even if it means forsaking one’s family, one must be constant in pursuit of truth and justice, as demonstrated in the poem above. This is the case because the objective and reality of truth and justice are more important than the reality of familial ties, even in the context of hiring someone else.
Conclusion
According to the academic definition of the terms, it is apparent that nepotism and cronyism refer to the act of assigning someone to a position or power based on the relationship of relatives or friends. Based on the following explanation, it is clear that this is a form of cronyism. This behaviour is extremely detrimental because the evaluation of a person is not based on the capabilities and qualities of that individual. Because it violates the rights of other people, this behaviour is prohibited in Islam and should be avoided at all costs.