The major problems with such research comparing HR practices across countries can
be explained by looking at some of Hofstede’s work with regard to country differences in culture.
Gerhart and Fang (2005) provided an outstanding critique of Hofstede’s (1980, 1990) work on
cultural differences across countries, and these issues are directly applicable to studies of HR
practices. As noted before, the main issues revolve around mean differences, explained
variance, and moderation.