Critical issues in the Hofstede and GLOBE national culture models
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to clarify critical issues underlying the national culture dimensions of Hofstede and GLOBE, demonstrating their irrelevance to international marketing decision‐making.
Design/methodology/approach
In‐depth discussion of the theoretical and empirical logic underlying the national culture dimension scales and scores.
Findings
Hofstede and GLOBE national culture scores are averages of items that are unrelated and which do not form a valid and reliable scale for the culture dimensions at the level of individuals or organizations. Hence these scores cannot be used to characterize individuals or sub‐groups within countries. The national culture dimension scores are therefore of doubtful use for marketing management that is concerned with individual‐and segment‐level consumer behavior.
Research limitations/implications
Researchers should be cautious in using the Hofstede and GLOBE national culture dimension scores for analysis at the level of individuals and organizations.
Practical implications
Hofstede and GLOBE dimension scores should not be used to infer individual/managerial and group/organizational level behavior and preferences.
Originality/value
The paper follows a recent paper in IMR which was the first to discuss the common misunderstanding of the Hofstede and GLOBE national culture scales and scores, and their misapplication at the level of individuals and organizations by scholars and practitioners. Here we further expand and clarify the issues.
Keywords
Citation
Venaik, S. and Brewer, P. (2013), "Critical issues in the Hofstede and GLOBE national culture models", International Marketing Review, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 469-482. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-03-2013-0058
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited