My cultural anthropology's text book was talking about nepotism... It used a project done in Nairobi, Kenya, where they tested how particularism affected two companies. They had employees where most were of the same ethnic group and even related. Compared against how things were before and after, "the turnover rates fell to less than half, customer complaints declined while the number of written commendations of workers by customers more than doubled, damage to company property was reduced by 27 percent, and the number of poor performance warnings fell by 63 percent. Working with friends, relatives, or "people from home" enabled workers to cope more effectively with the alienation and loneliness so prevalent in cities." (from "Cultural Anthropology" by Gary Ferraro, before my teacher comes and finds me, and gives me an F for missing a reference) etc etc

so what's your opinion on hiring your relatives (particularism) over people more qualified (universalism)?