Role of culture in international development projects

Abstract

The last decade has seen an increase in initiatives aimed to the development of the poorest countries, reason why it became more common that international organization carry out the same kind of project or program in several developing countries that have a different cultural background. This research seeks to better understand the role that culture plays in international development projects and how culture affects such projects. To find that answer, this research was conducted taking as a case study the non-governmental organization “World Vision International” and its WASH programs in 3 culturally different countries: Honduras, Ghana and India. Information was used from the results reports of the institution's WASH initiatives and interviews with the staff of the 3 countries. Additionally, the comparison of the 3 cultures was based on Hofstede's 6 dimensions cultural model. After a rigorous analysis, through this research it was found that culture may have an effect on the development project outcomes. Thus, this research propose that culture is a cross-cutting component in international development projects, reason why all type of development initiatives should consider the cultural context when planning them.