The informal mode of management: neo-patriarchy and wasta in a Saudi organisation

ABSTRACT Using the labour process theory as an analytical lens, this research revisits the concept of neo-patriarchy with the aim of exploring what it means for manager-worker relations in male-only workplaces. The empirical findings from the in-depth qualitative case study show that neo-patriarchal societal structure is reinforced at the workplace level as the firm deliberately excludes hiring females, eliminates most formal regulations, and managers rely on informal practices to recruit, reward and control labour. This has resulted in workers solidifying personal relationships ‘wasta’ to reduce effort and receive extra benefits. This article makes two contributions: first, it brings the capitalist logic of profit generation into the analysis of manager-worker relations in neo-patriarchal societies. Second, it contributes to the literature on workplace relations in the Arab Middle East by exploring the material base of excluding female labour (i.e. patriarchy) and the use of informal managerial tactics to subordinate male labour (i.e. neo-patriarchy).