ABSTRACT
Nepotism refers to the preferential treatment provided to others (e.g., relatives, friends, acquaintances) by an agent in a position of power when such preferential treatment is motivated by the beneficiary’s relationship with the agent rather than by merit (Conway, 2004; Jones, 2006; Padgett & Morris, 2005; Singell & Thomton, 1997). The benefits of nepotism range from favorable evaluations leading to wage increases to preferential hiring. From a merit-based perspective, this practice may be regarded as unethical since it involves the abuse of one’s position in the interest of one’s family or one’s in-group, thereby leading to transgressions of both procedural and distributive justice (Colquitt, Greenberg, & Zapata-Phelan, 2005). Such transgressions may provoke withdrawal or, possibly worse, incite counterproductive behavior among the least favored employees.
