Dissemination of talent management in Germany: myth, facade or economic necessity?

Purpose – Although talent management is increasingly being discussed by academics and practitioners, there are very few empirical studies to date concerning its dissemination and configuration in German companies. The purpose of this paper is to reduce this research deficit. Design/methodology/approach – In order to analyze the (causes of) the dissemination, configuration and influence factors of talent management in Germany, the authors collected data in two survey waves via an online survey. The sample consists of 313 completed questionnaires. The average size of the companies is 25,619 employees (median: 2,000 employees; spread 1-609,000). The authors analyze the data in different steps using a factor analysis, a regression analysis and a cluster analysis. Findings – The paper provides evidence of the dissemination and configuration of talent management in Germany, as well as the reasons for its introduction in Germany. It also contributes to the (empirical) analysis of talent management and to the study of the dissemination of (human resource) management concepts. The authors find evidence that some companies in Germany have implemented talent management as a facade, while others have done so out of economic necessity. Originality/value – The analysis represents one of the first scientific studies in German-speaking countries that focusses on talent management configuration, the causes of its dissemination and the characteristics of companies using it. In combination with the current study of Festing et al. (2013) it draws an extensive picture of talent management in Germany.