Talent Management: Walmart in New Zealand

Based on Walmart in New Zealand, explain and support what dimension of the Hofstede model (see page 435 of our textbook for a list and description of the dimensions) New Zealand most likely falls under. Next, explain how understanding the dimension and cultural sensitivity would impact human capital talent management practices as you expand into your chosen country. Be sure to be factual and to fully support your answer. Must be at least 275 words. Support your response with at least one scholarly resource in addition to the text.

Talent Management: Walmart in New Zealand

The Hofstede model has six dimensions, each representing which differentiates countries from each other. They include power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, uncertainty avoidance index, indulgence versus restraint, and long-term versus short-term normative orientation. According to Hofstede’s model, New Zealand is an individualistic culture with a score of 79 (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). This dimension would impact talent management practices significantly.

In an individualistic culture, such as New Zealand, people look after themselves and their direct families, which indicates a loosely-knit society. The culture emphasizes self-expression, self-fulfillment, individual achievement, and personal rights and liberties (Grossmann & Santos, 2016). For organizations in this country, employees are self-reliant and display initiative, and performance appraisals consider what one has done or can do. Studies highlight the cultural traits that make New Zealand individualistic. Understanding the culture is crucial for human resource management in the new Walmart location.

Employees in such a culture value autonomy and prefer working independently. Work-family conflict is highly likely in New Zealand because people do not associate hard work with family support intention as in collectivistic cultures (Karin Andreassi et al., 2014). The jobs should give employees ample time for their families. Performance management should focus on individual and work outcomes rather than group and work processes. Managers should evaluate employees based on productivity, timeliness, output quality, and job-specific knowledge. Thus, the authorities should make decisions based on what employees think is best, which calls for a great deal of communication and consultation.

As an individualistic culture, New Zealand offers significant opportunities and challenges for the new Walmart. However, considering what employees in the culture would prefer is crucial in making the expansion a success. The human resource team should incorporate employees in decision-making processes and avoid assigning them duties that could cause family-work conflict. With such considerations, the expansion to New Zealand could be feasible.

References

Grossmann, I., & Santos, H. C. (2016). Individualistic Cultures. Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2024-1

Hofstede Insights. (n.d.). New Zealand. Hofstede Insights. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country/new-zealand

Karin Andreassi, J., Lawter, L., Brockerhoff, M., & J. Rutigliano, P. (2014). Cultural impact of human resource practices on job satisfaction. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 21(1), 55–77. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccm-05-2012-0044