Culture and management in the Global South: Can we break away from modernization theory?
The lack of consensus on the definition of concepts such as “culture” and “development” as well as the dominance of modernization theory explain the difficulties faced in identifying a clear theoretical framework for understanding the influence of culture both on economic development trajectories and organizational practices. In this article, I will examine the main controversies that have shaped the literature within which the relationship between culture, economic development and management has been debated. Then, I will highlight the need to go beyond the tradition/modernity dichotomy associated with modernization theory to offer new ways of thinking about the influence of culture in building and implementing effective organizational practices in countries from the Global South.