Cultural myths in stories about human resource development: analysing the cross‐cultural transfer of American models to Germany and the Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the cross‐cultural transferability of occupational assumptions, in the form of work myths, to a foreign setting. The research followed the premise that occupations are culturally framed by certain myths which are shaped by national socio‐cultural referents. The reaction of the German and Ivorian business communities to the myths that shape American human resource models of employee and organisational development formed a descriptive basis for practice and theoretical implications. The data were derived from the myths contained in informant stories about the need for human resource development (HRD) interventions. Societal differences in individualistic and collective orientations as well as historical variance in business development and approaches to management were reviewed in an attempt to explain disagreements in cultural assumptions. Highlighted was the need for all occupations to be cognisant of the ethnocentrism of their work myths.