Organisational change in developing countries often fails because people resist it. Yet it still is not clearly understood how organisational culture drives that resistance. Most change theories come from Western settings where hierarchy is flat and people act as individuals, are not a good fit for most emerging economies. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching five databases for studies published between 2010 and 2025 on organisational culture and change resistance in low- and middle-income countries. Pre 2010 foundational texts made up less than 20 % of the final corpus. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (2018). Thirty -four studies met inclusion criteria: 28 empirical papers and 6 foundational texts. The review identified six mechanisms through which culture appears to shape resistance to change: preserving hierarchy, collective solidarity, avoiding uncertainty, relying on personal relationships, paternalistic authority, and saving face. Hierarchy was the only mechanism that appeared in every region. Indigenous cultural concepts (like Ubuntu or Guanxi) explained resistance better than Western frameworks. The evidence is generally solid, but no longitudinal studies exist, and Latin America is under represented. Change that ignores local culture damages employee wellbeing, cultural dignity, fair participation, and inclusive governance. Change that works with culture enables sustainable development. The proposed Cultural Catalysis Model suggests that resistance is not the real problem, it is a warning that a change plan does not fit the environment. The model gives practitioners a practical way to align change with culture, leading to fairer, more inclusive, and socially sustainable transformation.

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