Introduction
Development is the growth and changes into a more advanced, larger, or stronger form and culture is the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people at a particular time. The author argues that development at times can be influenced by what people in a particular place at a particular believe in as part of their culture. Some people especially in third-world countries want to remain uncivilized. Some cultures believe in traditional means of production and therefore taking economic development to such areas may not be easy. Some communities in remote Kenya, a third-world country believe that the cause of lightning and thunder is electricity and don’t think of having electric power near their location to avoid calamities. They, therefore, result in other forms of power generation, which may not be relied on, in heavy industrial processes. This results in a lack of effectiveness and inefficiencies in production. Such economies have little growth and development may be difficult.
Entrepreneurs: what should they be
Entrepreneurs should therefore be flexible in their development activities because they are to deal with people of different cultures. The Government can rely upon business people and they contribute a lot to the Gross Domestic Product and low per capita income of the country, which is a measure of economic growth and development. An investor wanting to initiate a project in some areas with barbaric cultures should be ready to adjust his style of thinking so that he can come to the level of the villagers with a strong belief in their culture. In some cultures for example the Maasai in Kenya, the girl child should not be educated and should be married out for dowry. Skilled labor in such areas can be limited because the few that are educated may not have the ability to perform at all departments of a manufacturing company. Such communities don’t allow women to men’s jobs, which include Engineering and being Chief executives. The labor force will be limited and output will below. Development in such areas will below.
Some cultural practices and beliefs expose development to both backward and forward forces. In the case of cultures scared of electricity, the source of power in use might be cheap, which a benefit to the organization but the reliability of the source may not be relied upon. This causes a shortage in supply in the market, which can not match with the current demand leading to deficits and high prices. Both business people and cultural prestige should be merged. Investors should understand the cultural practices and respect them because they need labor from such people, their first markets will be in such cultures and the entities owe a social responsibility to the residents. (Peddlers and Geertz, 83-85)
Conclusion
Old school thinking has to be adjusted to new purposes. Educating the masses in such cultures is very necessary because they need to understand that we are living in a changing world and some of their beliefs may hinder economic growth and development to the disadvantage of their nations. In Kenya, the Kisii community doesn’t believe in the use of condoms as a way of birth control. They, therefore, don’t have protected sex and this leads to school dropouts meaning that skilled labor will be low, cases of people going for maternity leaves are high meaning that the labor force is reduced, and an increase in the number of bustards leading to extreme poverty because such people can not afford basic needs. The Government channels most of its resources to the provision of health care where such funds could have been used for development activities.
Peasant village kind of economy should be adjusted to an organizational type of economy for both commercial and manufacturing enterprises.
Rural values and classical style of prestige can’t be avoided and the village culture should be understood to make successful investments. (Peddlers and Geertz, 86-95).
References
Peddler and Geertz. (2006). Social Change and Economic Modernization in two Indonesian Towns. University of Chicago Press. Chicago.