Beyond Hofstede and GLOBE: Improving the quality of cross-cultural research

Abstract

Journal of International Business Studies (2010) 41, 1259–1274. doi:10.1057/jibs.2010.41 OVERVIEW OF 41.8: HOFSTEDE AND GLOBE IN CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH While Hofstede’s work was not the first systematic study on crossnational cultures, his seminal book, Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values (1980), succeeded in putting cross-cultural analysis at the forefront of international business (IB) research. In a later paper, he boldly asserted that the “business of international business is culture” (1994: 1). Despite the criticisms that have been voiced against his work (see McSweeney, 2002; Oyserman, Coon, & Kemmelmeier, 2002), Hofstede’s influence on the fields of IB and management is undeniable: according to Harzing’s “Publish or Perish” citation index, as of June 2010 there were over 54,000 citations to his work. This is a remarkable record that attests to, first, the growing popularity of cross-cultural research in light of continued internationalization of the world economy, and second, Hofstede’s personal impact on scholarly research. This JIBS issue brings together 10 articles on culture and IB, all of which were submitted to the editorial team led by JIBS Editorin-Chief Lorraine Eden. While the articles were independently submitted through the regular double-blind reviewing process, the decision to join them in one collection creates, in effect, a Special Issue on “Culture in International Business Research”, which the JIBS editors hope will be widely read and cited by IB scholars. In general terms, the papers in this collection fall into one of two categories: (1) articles and commentaries about conceptual and methodological issues associated with Hofstede’s oeuvre vs the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project’s cultural dimensions, and (2) articles and perspectives that use culture and/or cultural dimensions, as well as the operational measurement thereof, to explain differences in behavior and practices across countries. The common feature of all these scholarly pieces is that they challenge particular assumptions often made too easily in conventional cross-cultural research. The first paper in this collection is a perspective written by Franke and Richey that cautions against “questionable generalizations from small numbers of countries in international business research”. Using statistical analysis to support their assertion, Franke and Richey argue that in order to draw “credible” generalizations in IB, a minimum of 7–10 countries must be used. This is an important message: researchers should never formulate strong conclusions about the impact of cultural dimensions on Journal of International Business Studies (2010) 41, 1259–1274 & 2010 Academy of International Business All rights reserved 0047-2506