comparative value priorities of chinese and new zealand

usinesspeople might be attributed to golden handshakes, or corruption, or unfair or
shady dealings, rather than to being competent at business or entrepreneurial skills. This
syndrome can be expected to lead to lower mean scores in the Self-Enhancement
dimensions in New Zealand than in China. Adding to the hypotheses arising from the
research question in Chapter 1, I propose an additional one.
Hypothesis: Tall Poppy: New Zealand businesspeople will score
lower means for the Self-Enhancement individual value dimensions
than will the Guangzhou businesspeople.
Note that Self-Enhancement is a second-order dimension in Schwartz’ theory of value
dimensions.
Fit of the SVS Dimensions with Past Research Findings in China
A question raised in Chapter 1 is, “Are there appropriate theoretical frameworks within
which these questions can be answered?” Chinese values derived from the literature are
discussed below and related to Schwartz value dimensions.
Chiku Nailao (This dimension is not addressed in the Schwartz dimensions, except
perhaps as a negative pole of the Hedonism value). Graham and Lam (2003) identify the
important value of “chiku nailao” (Endurance, Relentlessness, or Eating Bitterness and
Enduring Labour). The authors indicate that the Chinese are popularly believed to have
a strong work ethic, but they take this one step further, to extreme endurance. Where,
for example, U.S. business people place high value on talent as a key to success, the
Chinese see chiku nailao as much more important and honourable. The use of the words
“eating bitterness” is rather misleading. In Chinese, if the phrase “hard-working” is
taken apart, the words are literally translated as “chi” (to eat) and “ku” (bitterness).
However, when the two words are put together, they only mean hard working; they
really do not have much to do with specifically “eating bitterness” in contemporary
vernacular. The meanings are:
吃苦耐勞 chi1 ku3 nai4 lao2, accept the negative; be hardworking and able to endure
hardships
吃苦 chi1 ku3, 1. suffer for it, 2. bear hardships
耐勞 nai4 lao2, hardy; can endure hardship
In addition to being related to Hedonism, Chiku nailao needs to be investigated in the
context of Minkov’s (2007) Indulgence-Restraint dimension in future research.
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