Favouritism
FAVOURITISM AS A FORM OF INJUSTICE IN CYPRUS: UBIQUITOUS AND ETERNAL?
(http://dcbhm58xdznta.cloudfront.net/files/cyreview_2006_-_vol_18_no_2.pdf#page=105)
(Savvas Daniel Georgiades)
The findings of this study provide strong support to previous anecdotal evidence suggesting that favouritism (as reflected in hiring, promotion, privileged employment transfers, and access to services) is highly present in Cyprus (for example, like Russia, e.g. Clarke, 1999; Yakubovich and Kozina, 2000), particularly within the government, the semi-public sector (including public television, electricity, and telephone companies, etc.), and banks. The study also suggests that the citizens of Cyprus are very frustrated with favouritism on the island, yet very pessimistic about its prevention potential. Ironically, despite the bleak picture that public assessment of favouritism paints in Cyprus, the Cyprus public does not seem to judge Greek-Cypriot society at large as extremely, or even very unjust. The latter observation could be insinuating mitigating strengths within Cypriot communities (such as perhaps cultural characteristics, e.g. collectivity) that could partially dismantle the negative impacts of favouritism and lead its citizenry to assess society more favourably than expected. Another explanation of the latter finding could be cultural denial. Greeks tend to be very fervent about their ethnic identity. They may, therefore, deliberately refuse to accept injustice labels for their society due to the negative connotations that such admission could bear on their sense of ethnic pride. The very few study respondents (29 per cent) who acclaimed the potential of favouritism prevention in Cyprus, saw light at the end of the tunnel in the form of public mentality change (70 per cent), stricter enforcement of merit requirements and better training of administrators to circumvent situations of favouritism (53 percent), legislative change (30 per cent) and public protest against
(http://dcbhm58xdznta.cloudfront.net/files/cyreview_2006_-_vol_18_no_2.pdf#page=105)
(Savvas Daniel Georgiades)
The findings of this study provide strong support to previous anecdotal evidence suggesting that favouritism (as reflected in hiring, promotion, privileged employment transfers, and access to services) is highly present in Cyprus (for example, like Russia, e.g. Clarke, 1999; Yakubovich and Kozina, 2000), particularly within the government, the semi-public sector (including public television, electricity, and telephone companies, etc.), and banks. The study also suggests that the citizens of Cyprus are very frustrated with favouritism on the island, yet very pessimistic about its prevention potential. Ironically, despite the bleak picture that public assessment of favouritism paints in Cyprus, the Cyprus public does not seem to judge Greek-Cypriot society at large as extremely, or even very unjust. The latter observation could be insinuating mitigating strengths within Cypriot communities (such as perhaps cultural characteristics, e.g. collectivity) that could partially dismantle the negative impacts of favouritism and lead its citizenry to assess society more favourably than expected. Another explanation of the latter finding could be cultural denial. Greeks tend to be very fervent about their ethnic identity. They may, therefore, deliberately refuse to accept injustice labels for their society due to the negative connotations that such admission could bear on their sense of ethnic pride. The very few study respondents (29 per cent) who acclaimed the potential of favouritism prevention in Cyprus, saw light at the end of the tunnel in the form of public mentality change (70 per cent), stricter enforcement of merit requirements and better training of administrators to circumvent situations of favouritism (53 percent), legislative change (30 per cent) and public protest against