The Link between Employee Expectations and Culture: The Case of Mnc Employees in Bangladesh

Through individual narratives this study identifies and investigates culturally significant elements of human resource management (HRM) practices among employees of Multi National Corporations (MNCs) operating in Bangladesh, an emerging South Asian economy. The study focuses on how the cultural context influences the shaping of the employment relationship as identified by employee expectations (psychological contract). The study uses Hofstede’s work in regard to Pakistan and India as a framework to extrapolate the most likely cultural dimensions to be found in Bangladesh. A thematic analysis of interviews of management level employees from three major MNCs operating in Bangladesh identified four critical elements of HR practices that can affect employee expectations (psychological contract) significantly. These emerged themes are: work environment, family considerations, social recognition, and financial stability, and were found to be directly or indirectly affected by the cultural orientation of the employees.