comparative value priorities of chinese and new zealand

interpreted as indicators of their merit. To be regarded as worthy of election as a leader
an individual’s achievements, as well as what he or she intends to achieve, must be
perceived as favourable by the general public (Ah-Chong and Thomas, 1997).
The focus on ability and achievement allows upward mobility in social and figurehead
status (Smith, Dugan and Trompenaars, 1996). Pakeha-dominated organizations parallel
societal norms; leadership positions are acquired based upon merit, and promotion is
based on achievement. This follows Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s (1961) value
orientation model.
Relationships in Pakeha society are individual, emphasizing personal responsibility and
independence. In Hofstede’s (1980) terms, Pakeha culture is characterized by
Individualism and low Power Distance. Hofstede’s 1980 study of his four cultural value
dimensions included New Zealand in the original sample, with the following results. In
his original work Hofstede predicted scores for countries.
Individualism: actual score of 79 compared to a predicted score of 58 (on a scale up to
100). In specific work-related areas, respondents in more individualistic countries
tended to believe that staying with one company and working for big companies were
not desirable behaviours. Further, companies were not seen to be responsible for their
employees.
Power Distance: actual score of 22 with a predicted score of 35, fourth lowest actual
score of 39 countries.
Uncertainty Avoidance: Hofstede reported actual figures, and age adjusted figures, the
actual score was 49, whilst the age adjusted score was 60, with a 39-country average of
64 for both. The clusters of countries do not vary significantly with either score, and
New Zealand does not move as a result of the adjustment.
Masculinity: actual 58, and 55 when controlled for the number of women in the actual
sample. The 39-country average was 51 for each.
Long Term Orientation: Later studies found the countries with the highest long-term
orientations were China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, whilst Anglo
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