AI for Breakfast

Chris Witham • June 5, 2024

Post 140 - Word Wednesday - Cronyism


As we are running up to an election here in the UK I thought this word would be fitting for Perplexity to explain!



ChatGPT created the image, still has a hand problem!


Cronyism is the practice of showing favouritism to friends and associates, especially by appointing them to positions of authority without proper regard to their qualifications. It is often seen in political and business settings. Here is a summary based on the provided search results:

Definition of cronyism:


  • Partiality to cronies especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications [7]
  • The practice of favouring one's close friends, especially in political appointments [5] [9]
  • Giving preference to friends, relatives or other acquaintances in political and business appointments regardless of their qualifications [6]


Key characteristics of cronyism:


  • Favouring friends and associates based on personal connections rather than merit or performance [2] [6]
  • Often involves political appointments and awarding of government contracts [4] [5]
  • Can occur at both vertical levels (favoured by superiors) and horizontal levels (favoured by colleagues) [6]
  • Stems from cultural values of particularism (in-group bias) and paternalism (unreserved personal loyalty) [6]
  • Considered unethical as it violates principles of fairness, meritocracy and equal opportunity [11]


Examples of cronyism in use:


  • A mayor appointing an unqualified friend to an important city position [7]
  • A CEO hiring an old college roommate for an executive role despite lack of experience [2]
  • Politicians filling their cabinets with friends and loyalists rather than the most qualified candidates [2] [5]
  • Procurement managers altering contract criteria to favor companies owned by friends [6]
  • Governments awarding infrastructure projects to cronies' firms without a proper bidding process [4]


In summary, cronyism is a form of favouritism where personal connections take precedence over qualifications and merit in doling out positions, contracts and advantages. While not always illegal, it is widely seen as unethical and damaging to organisational performance and morale. Cronyism thrives where there is lack of transparency and objective criteria in decision-making processes.

Citations:
[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cronyism
[2] https://study.com/learn/lesson/cronyism-concept-forms-examples.html
[3] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/cronyism
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronyism
[6] https://www.azeusconvene.com/articles/cronyism
[7] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cronyism
[8] https://www.scu.edu/government-ethics/resources/what-is-government-ethics/favoritism-cronyism-and-nepotism/
[9] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/cronyism
[10] https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cronyism
[11] https://www.onboardmeetings.com/blog/cronyism/
[12] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cronyism

Lines of colorful computer code on a dark background.
By Chris Witham December 11, 2025
Where AI really helps your Business If you spend any time on LinkedIn or X, you’ll have seen bold claims about how AI can help you build software in a matter of days. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of big promises, and a fair bit of confusion for business owners trying to work out what’s real. A new term doing the rounds is “Vibe Coding” —the idea of describing what you want to an AI assistant and having it generate the code for you. It’s becoming popular because it can move things forward quickly and help people explore ideas they wouldn’t have been able to create alone. And the truth is, it does have its place. The challenge isn’t the technique. It’s the expectation that AI will automatically deliver finished, reliable, production-ready tools without any real design or thinking behind them. AI accelerates the work you already do well Used properly, AI can: • Remove huge amounts of repetitive work • Speed up drafting and iteration • Generate working prototypes in hours • Help non-technical people explore ideas • Improve documentation, planning and communication This is where it shines. But it still needs clarity, structure, and well-designed processes around it. It’s like having a very fast assistant rather than a fully formed development team. Why many AI projects don’t deliver what people expect Independent research this year showed a clear pattern: • Many early AI initiatives failed to produce measurable business value • Companies abandoned AI ideas because they couldn’t scale or integrate them • The gap between an impressive demo and a reliable tool is larger than people thought This doesn’t mean AI is overhyped. It means teams jumped straight to execution without the groundwork. The technology isn’t the issue. It’s the approach. Small businesses don’t need Enterprise Platforms Most UK small businesses don’t need to build a full software product. What they actually need is: • Better workflows • Faster content generation • Clearer communication • Improved customer support • Tools that reflect the way they work • Consistency and repeatability AI is perfect for this. A custom GPT trained on your tone, your documents and your processes can become: • A writing assistant • A customer support helper • A knowledge base navigator • An internal guide for staff • A quality-control layer • A process automator No engineering team needed. No complex infrastructure. No stress. Where AI builds real value right now AI works best when it’s part of a thoughtful, guided approach: • Define the outcome you want • Build a lightweight prototype (AI helps here) • Add structure, rules and guardrails • Connect it to your real workflow • Test it with real users or staff • Iterate until it feels natural You can still move fast. You just avoid building something brittle that breaks the moment it’s needed. The key insight: AI doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it AI is at its strongest when someone knowledgeable decides: • What it should do • What it shouldn’t do • How it should behave • What tone it should use • How it fits into the business • What checks and constraints matter That’s where tools like custom GPTs genuinely shine. They’re not software products in the traditional sense. They’re flexible assistants shaped around your business. With the right design, they can save huge amounts of time and deliver consistent, practical value without any of the complexity of building a full system. A more useful way to think about AI in 2026 Instead of “AI will build everything for you”, a healthier mindset is: AI speeds up the work, but you set the direction. For small businesses, that’s more than enough to make a real difference.
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