Hofstede completed a 40-country study which investigated the impact of four cultural
dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity and
femininity (Hofstede, 2010)............
Hofstede’s model has been criticized by many theorists. Several have claimed that
it has methodological flaws (Blanton & Barbuto, 2005; Swaidan & Hayes, 2005).
Although there are those who disagree with his theory, most scholars recognize and
approve of Hofstede’s model. When using the model, though, Hofstede (2010) advised
researchers that there is danger of assuming that all groups can be considered
homogeneous. This implies that it is not necessarily correct to make generalizations
because of the existence of subcultures within a society. Hofstede (2010) continued by
stating that heterogeneity of culture increases when the nation is large and the population
diverse.........
Culture is also difficult to assess as it influences every facet of life (Hofstede,
2010). Nathan, Yaniv and Elizur (2009) argued that the impact of culture on
organizations can be seen in many ways. When addressing cultural impacts, things such
as language and dress are varied by region, but culture also impacts an organization’s
ability to effectively implement global talent management. Because different cultures
emphasize distinct characteristics of leadership, there need to be variances in global talent
management that are reflected in the behaviors of each culture. Nathan, Yaniv, and Elizur
(2009) shared a framework characterizing global cultures in which cultural context was
used as the critical variable and the characteristics of high and low-context cultures. High
context cultures are environmentally and group driven and opposed to low-context which
are individually driven.