The second factor in looking at cultural variables is what Dorfman et al. (2006)
categorized as the onion assumption, originating from Hofstede's (1991) cultural
metaphor of the onion diagram. As defined by Dorfman et al., an onion assumption "assumes that the linkage between values and specific behaviors of actors can be
generalized to the relationship between values and general behaviors of all members of
the culture" (p. 899). This common practice in cultural research, according to Dorfman et
al., "assumed knowing the values of members of a culture is a sufficient way of knowing
the culture" (p. 899). The GLOBE researchers set out to verify both the ecological values
assumption and onion assumption (Dorfman et al., 2006, p. 899).