The Myth of Universality in Transnational Organizational Science

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to examine, from a transnational perspective, the universality myth in applied organizational science. Accordingly, the first section considers the notion of organizational science in a transnational business environment. The second explores the concept of myth and the meaningfulness of any knowledge underpinned by it in organizational science. The third focuses on the myth of universality in organizational science, in general, and transnational organizational science, in particular. The fourth section uses the parochial-ethnocentric management context to illustrate the challenge of the universality myth in transnational organizational science. The fifth presents some of the emerging issues and perspectives reflected by this chapter and detailed by the other chapters in this volume. A summary follows as the final section of the chapter. Throughout, the discussion points to, or focuses on, important research and practice issues, perspectives, and implications for management in the international, cross-cultural, multicultural world of organizations.