Which actor defines NEPOTISM?

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return_to_hades

@return_to_hades

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 7 years ago

#51

I wanted to throw in my two cents on the 'Nepotism' (or rather cronyism) vs 'Networking Connections'

In cronyism, someone says this is my son/daughter/friend/relative give them a job/launch them in films. Or someone says I want to launch your son/daughter/friend/relative or give them a job.

With connections, someone says this is my colleague they are an excellent salesperson/engineer/designer. I have worked with them or seen their work and know they are good at what they do. I would highly recommend them for your job opening. Or someone says we have a new job opening do you my trusted industry colleagues know someone who would be good for it.

In cronyism, there is an obligation to fulfill requests/demands. You risk being cast into an outgroup if you don't cater to the crony circles. If you refuse to launch someone's son/daughter/friend/relative you risk being outcast. If you don't think of your crony's son/daughter/friend/relative first you risk being outcast.

With connections, there is no obligation to your connections. Your obligation is to productivity, client satisfaction, performance, and such things. If you say thanks for the recommendation but we found a better fit who impressed the team - no harm no foul. If you open a position and don't ask your network for recommendations - no one is offended. If people are getting offended and such then its not networking its cronyism.

In cronyism, someone gets a job simply because they know someone. With connections, people get jobs or interview opportunities because they have proven themselves. They have impressed their connections with their qualifications and performance.

When Karan Johar launched Alia Bhatt in SOTY it was extreme cronyism. Alia Bhatt got a movie simply because of her father. That was unethical.

But today if Mahesh Bhatt tells KJO you're launching a new film, I think Alia is looking for something give her an audition. That would be fair because 1) Alia has established herself 2) She still has to prove herself fit for the role in an audition

Quote

Titanium-Girl

@Titanium-Girl

Beginner

Posted: 7 years ago

#52

Originally posted by: Justmoi

Whenever there is a discussion on nepotism, the thing that surprises me the most is @Bold. No, I have not got any jobs through networking. I've had to study my ass off, do a degree, take several courses, certifications, post my resume on several sites and attend several before I got a job. I had to move away from my parents because I was prepared to go where the jobs were. I had to set up a household and learn to run it. So no @Bold is not my experience. Not in the USA. Not unless your father has a business you can jump right in.

Is it like @Bold in India ? So a peon's kid can only be a peon ? What if he is educated ? Will that not make a difference ? I just don't get the "but all of us use connections". I just go huh.

I think @return_to_hades described it best. And I did try to point out the distinction myself ("Yes, you'd probably need the degree, talent, intelligence, skillset, etc. But a lot of times people land interviews at the least, because "so and so recommended me to him/her"). But if you need further clarification on what I meant by connections, you can look @return_to_hades' post.

And what may be true for you may not be true for someone else. I'm not sure how it is in India, as I also live in the USA... but there have been MANY people around me who have achieved high positions in life (Director, VP, etc) because of a connection that let them start out in the company. And yes, there have also been others who achieved these positions despite not even thinking about such a career path before, but they seized their opportunity and went for it. I didn't just say that out of thin air.

How was this possible? Because someone who they have previously worked with referred him/her to an individual or company. And you should take note that I said they have the chance to land an interview... at the very least. Yes, you may meet all the qualifications but someone may have those same qualifications but they have one more asset. What is that? A reference. So the hiring body decides to call in that person for an interview, and not you ("you" is general). Or you may meet minimum qualifications, still, the individual has an excellent reference and they still get an opportunity to be interviewed.

Why do you think people network with others, attend networking events, etc? So they can be like "hey, I remember so and so was good at this. Maybe I can refer her to my friend". That is just a very general statement. It happens countless of ways... and not just through entering your father's business.

And I have said in India, Bollywood specifically, it's to the extreme. I don't know if you missed that part or didn't read my post entirely. But I understand why there is debate on this. What I DON'T understand is blaming the star kids for it. They want to act, they want to be a star... whatever their reason... but they have the opportunity to do so. It may seem unfair but they took advantage of their opportunities, and that is what gets you ahead in life. I don't think we should be blaming star kids but the system that encourages this.

Edited by Titanium-Girl - 7 years ago