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    Aotearoa-New Zealand Public Responses to Covid-19 and Climate Change
    (School of Communication, Journalism & Marketing, Massey Business School, Massey University, 2020-08-05) Thaker J; Menon V
    This report is based on findings from a national survey conducted by the School of Communication, Journalism & Marketing—Te Pou Aro Kōrero, Massey University and fielded by Qualtrics. Interview dates: June 26 to July 13, 2020, after New Zealand moved to Alert Level 1. Interviews: 1040 adults (18+). Average margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The research was funded by the Massey University.
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    Diferencias culturales y su impacto en el mundo laboral : Chile y Nueva Zelanda en los agro-negocios = Cultural differences and their impact in the working world : Chile and New Zealand in agribusiness : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Tait, Sarah
    National culture refers to the socially transmitted set of behavioural standards shared by individuals of a nation, which manifest through their personal values, attitudes, cognitive processes, reactions and morals. When it comes to working with individuals from other national cultures, New Zealanders have been criticised for their lack of intercultural ability which is believed to cost them in term of relationships and economic opportunities. New Zealand has growing economic ties with Latin America, but New Zealanders know relatively little about this region’s cultures. This study investigates the experiences had by New Zealand individuals operating business in Southern Chile’s dairy region to better understand how differences in national culture affect their interactions with the local people. A literature review was completed, followed by survey questionnaires and interviews with both New Zealanders and Chileans who have experience working together in this region. The research aimed to identify cultural differences each group perceives in the other and how these differences impact on these groups working together. It was identified that many New Zealanders go to Chile with little language or cultural preparation and the general belief that experience in the market will be the best way to navigate the culture. Chileans believe, however, that New Zealanders’ general lack of language and cultural ability harms how Chileans perceive New Zealanders and that it costs them business relationships in Chile. Chileans claim that New Zealanders’ explicit communication style, lower power distance culture (making them seem impatient in Chile) and their relatively individualistic culture are most difficult for Chileans to understand, accept or work with. While Chileans generally respect New Zealanders in the region, many perceive them as rude (even if just initially) as a result of these differences in culture. New Zealanders feel that the aspects of Chilean culture which have been most difficult to understand, accept or work with include Chile’s relatively higher power distance culture (causing higher levels of bureaucracy and a hierarchical social class system) and the implicit communication style of Chileans. This study captures the journey and struggle New Zealanders have had in understanding Chilean culture, and in becoming more aware of their own national culture and how they must adapt to operate more effectively in the Chilean environment.
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    Tradespeak : an interdisciplinary study of business communication in international trade deals : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Business Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) Stoeckl, Birgit Daniela
    In the course of history, English has become the dominant lingua franca of intercultural interaction. About 600 million people world wide are either English native speakers or have at least some speaking ability in the English language.¹ Naoki Kameda, Jeremiah Sullivan, "English as the lingua franca of the Far East", in: Multinational Business Review, 4 (1) Spring 1996, pp. 52 - 62 [ABI-Database copy], p. 5. With its basic inflection system, English has proved to be particularly accommodating to second language learners. It is a well adaptable language. English has been also called a "hybrid language² Kameda, Sullivan, p. 10. giving its speakers the freedom and flexibility in use for their special purposes, especially business purposes. Business English is regarded as a key advantage and necessary condition for export oriented development and upward mobility in Asia.³ Anonymous, "Britannia rules Asia's soundwaves", in: Corporate Location (ABI-Database copy), p.1. It is important to stress that these modified versions of English are "(...) by no means [to be classified as] a pidgin speech. A pidgin English is a ludimentary impoverished use of English arising in situations when parties do not share a common language and when accurate grammatical English is not important."⁴ Kameda, Sullivan, p. 10. Opinions diverge as to whether the feature 'accurate grammatical English' distinguishes Business English from pidgin English.. On the one hand, the view is held that only a balanced bilingualism enables successful and effective communication. English language assessment tests ( TOEFL, TOEIC), for example, aim at determining a profile of the English proficiency required for educational purposes (TOEFL) or different job positions in a company (TOEIC)⁵ Matthew Sindlinger, "An international business language", in Business Mexico, 4 (1,2), 1994 [ABI-Database copy, p. 1].. On the other hand, there is the 'insider opinion' of regarding problem solving skills and flexibility in language use as more relevant than abiding by rigid grammar rules and conventions. [From Introduction]
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    Enhancing international business relationships : cultural sensitivity in negotiations : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masterate of Philosophy at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Armstrong, Mark
    Cultural sensitivity is often equated with an "open-mindedness" with respect to different cultures and the willingness to understand the ways in which cultures differ. Researchers adopting this view describe various dimensions upon which people from different cultures vary and assert that managers must "understand" these differences (e.g., Hofstede, 1980; Triandis, 1982; Cateora, 1990). Cultural sensitivity is assumed when an individual is perceived to act appropriately in foreign cultures. This view emphasizes that the host's perceptions are paramount and, research to date relies heavily on anecdotes to illustrate the consequences of culturally insensitive behaviour (Kale and Burns, 1992). These researchers note that foreign partners can be upset by a counterpart neglecting cultural preferences. Further, when counterparts are perceived by their partners as behaving in a culturally sensitive manner they are able to develop quality and lasting relationships (Ford, 1980; Rosson, 1984). Recently, a body of literature has tentatively attempted to provide explanation of cultural differences in international business negotiations. Although previous studies have contributed to a greater understanding of such cultural differences, many of these studies are based on conceptual limitations, single country studies or anecdotal evidence which leaves open the possibility for unwise generalization and stereotyping. These factors diminish the insights that those studies offer for those involved in international negotiations. In addition to advancing theory, this research outlines factors that negotiators should consider to facilitate performance in international business relationships. Morgan and Hunt (1984) suggest that trust is the central construct in business relationships. In this research, it was proposed that Cultural Sensitivity, Communication, Dependability, and Customer Orientation increases trust between counterparts. This study was undertaken to investigate negotiator behaviour particularly between New Zealand and Argentina. This study is unique in two respects. First, it compares the importance of variables that are considered important by both Argentinean and New Zealanders' rather than providing characteristics of what may be important to one of these countries. Second, the study attempts to identify and rank these variables to give the negotiator a clearer indication of what is actually important to their counterpart. Primary data for the study was gathered from a sample of 193 Argentinean and New Zealand organisations from various industries, utilising a self-administered postal questionnaire. Respondents were pre-identified as having had past association in Argentinean - New Zealand business negotiations. The empirical survey data obtained are analysed by country and compared to each other via frequency distribution analyses. Where relevant, chi-squared test for independence was carried out, with means calculated, and significant differences among countries are identified by the t Test for significance. Though the study is exploratory in nature, the results of this investigation suggest that there are some common themes between these two countries. It was found that the key dimension in developing trust between Argentina and New Zealand is Communication followed by Dependability, Customer Orientation and Cultural Sensitivity the latter being the less important dimensions. In summary, the findings and conclusions from the study should be of practical use to business enterprises and government trade agencies in provision of actionable information regarding negotiating practices and help alleviate any stereotyped misconceptions that may exist. While these results cannot be freely generalized beyond the initial population, they provide some understanding of the theoretical and empirical issues related to international business negotiations between Argentina and New Zealand. Future research efforts could find merit in utilising this framework for studying other countries.