Abstract
This paper considers Geert Hofstede’s claim that his national cultural ‘dimension scores’ and related rankings of countries enable effective prediction by examining a causal generalization he has repeatedly used to illustrate that capability. When tested against cross-sectional and longitudinal empirical data about industrial relations conflicts the generalization is shown not to have predictive power. A second generalization is then tested. It too fails to demonstrate predictive capability. The paper then discusses some characteristics of valid cross-national research in the light of these predictive failures.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 34–57 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | Irish Journal of Management |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 23 Aug 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 23 Aug 2016 |
Keywords
- National Culture
- Generalisations
- Hofstede
- Predictability
- Industrial Relations