A Call for Human Resource Development Scholars to Reinvigorate the Study of Cultural Syndromes and Individual Dimensions

During the 20th century, there was significant growth in the development and understanding of the nuances of identity, behavior, and personality. As globalization has increased, scholarly attention to cultural attunement and cross-cultural studies has also increased. However, despite significant research in the latter half of the 20th century in the areas of the culture syndromes of collectivism and individualism, and the related individual factors of allocentrism and idiocentrism, the development of this body of research has largely plateaued. Human resource development scholars have long touted the importance of their research to be of the nature to benefit practice directly. There is an opportunity to reinvigorate the study of the attributes of these constructs, specifically in the field of human resource development. The body of literature on these individual and cultural dimensions offers promise to enhance organizations’ ability to be strategic in their business development efforts.