Nepotism in the workplace is a type of favoritism in which people in positions of control assign relatives or friends to various positions. This abuse of power is a common occurrence, not only in Malaysia but in every country in the world. Surprisingly, nepotism even occurs in every workplace, not just in the entertainment industry but even in prestigious and respected fields such as academy of family physician in malaysia. People in positions of power choosing those closest to them over more qualified people is a serious problem that should be prevented at all costs. Here’s why:

Toxic Work Environment

When there’s clear favoritism going on in the workplace, it creates a less than ideal environment for employees. Negative feelings such as resentment, jealousy, anger and bitterness starts to fester between colleagues, harming employee relationships. Moreover, when employees see clear nepotism occuring at work, they will constantly feel devalued and uneasy. This is due to favoritism being in play, which makes them unhappy no matter how much they love their jobs or how well they work. Furthermore, employees are continually concerned that whatever action they do would be reported to the management without their knowledge. This toxic work environment is very detrimental to the organization as a whole.

Decreased Productivity

When employees fester in a toxic work environment caused by nepotism, their productivity also drops significantly. This is due to how employees tend to work less when they suspect nepotism is present. One explanation for this is that employees are aware that no matter how hard they work, they will never be recognised over their colleagues who are relatives or friends of their superiors. Productivity amongst employees declines dramatically when there is no recognition or acknowledgement, which can have a detrimental influence on the entire employee experience of the workforce. In the long term, organizational performance will suffer, reducing the company’s chances of success.

Ruins Company Reputation

When a company obtains favorable feedback from their employees, it contributes to the creation of a great reputation. Potential employees will always flock to companies that are known to have a healthy work culture. However, when nepotism occurs for a lengthy period of time within a firm, it provides a poor name to the organization. There is a high possibility that present or former employees no longer trust upper management and would not promote the firm to others. This may be problematic for the company when they attempt to hire new, skilled people as they now have a reputation of upholding nepotism. The long term impact of a company with a damaged reputation is monumental.

Final Thoughts

The solution to this issue in the workplace is that nepotism should and must be addressed. The problem with nepotism is that educated people embrace the practice like the aforementioned academy of family physician in malaysia. It is impossible to handle such a delicate topic unless the leaders are aware of it. In the long term, it will become a part of the organizational structure and will hamper the employees and even the business.