Why did modernization theory encourage developing countries to follow Western industrial models?

Modernization theory emerged after World War II, heavily influenced by the economic success of Western nations, to address the development of states emerging from colonial rule. It encouraged developing countries to adopt Western industrial models based on several key premises:1

• Linear Progress: Theorists, most notably Walt W. Rostow, viewed development as a sequence of stages that all societies must pass through. Western industrial society was considered the most advanced stage, serving as the blueprint for the rest of the world.12
• Economic Efficiency: Modernization was equated with industrialization, which was seen as the only viable way for a nation to become an active, independent agent in the global system. Theorists argued that by adopting Western capitalist practices—such as increasing savings, investment, and international trade—developing nations could overcome internal weaknesses in land, labor, and capital.341
• Universal Applicability: The theory assumed that the path taken by Western Europe and the United States was a universal model for growth. It posited that disseminating technology, managerial skills, and entrepreneurship would inevitably lead to higher standards of living.1

While influential, this approach has been widely criticized for being Eurocentric and for failing to account for international power imbalances that disadvantage developing nations.25