1,721,013 research outputs found
The effect of the Glass Ceiling on Pacific Island women in New Zealand organisations
No full textEthnic minorities commonly face discrimination due to the effect of the “glass ceiling”. Discrimination is a familiar experience for women and ethnic minorities in many organisations, and the glass ceiling is a common barrier for ethnic minorities and women who press forward to reach the top level of organisations (Hester, 2007). The organisational leaders, in particular, exploit the lack of power of individuals, who are also faced with social inequalities and unequal opportunities in organisations (Cech & Blair-Loy, 2010). The barriers to the progress of individuals in organisations are based on attitudes, requirements for educational standards, experience and organisational bias (Ross, 2004).
The concept of the glass ceiling became a popular topic for study in recent years because people noticed the existence of social inequalities in most organisations (Jost & Major, 2001). However, there is little research on the career barriers that Pacific Island women face, which makes this dissertation and the related research of extra value. The objective of this research was to help cultivate the movement towards social equality and even distribution of opportunities in organisations. A study by Statistics New Zealand (2006) found that Pacific Island women, in comparison to New Zealand women in general, are 10% more likely to work in the manufacturing industry, and few work in skilled employment such as in managerial and other professional roles.
The growth of ethnic minorities and women in higher positions has been discussed in the past, with the aim of finding a way to ease social and organisational inequalities (Blackburn, 2001). The main purpose of this research was to look at the barriers which may hinder Pacific Island women from advancing to senior positions in New Zealand organisations. The research was based on interviews conducted with ten Pacific Island women working in a variety of organisations in New Zealand. The interviews were recorded digitally. Key barriers to advancement were identified, which included ethnic background, gender discrimination, organisational culture, Pacific Island culture, organisational support and personal characteristics. The reason that Pacific Island women face these barriers is due to the complex interplay of societal and organisational factors in New Zealand organisations. This research suggests some guiding principles to encourage and develop Pacific Islanders’ achievements in education. The outcomes would supply a highly skilled Pacific Island workforce in all areas of organisations, and Pacific Island women would have the talents and skills to increase their potential to advance into senior management positions and attain their career goals.
The method used in this dissertation was phenomenological interpretive. Primary data was obtained from one-on-one interviews of ten Pacific Island women, who were selected from the five main Pacific Island sub-groups, namely the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa and Tonga. The Pacific Island women told their work-place stories and their experiences of the glass ceiling in New Zealand organisations.
In addition, the economic position of Pacific peoples in New Zealand has meant that they have always faced considerable difficulties. Their skills are not always suited to the demand of the New Zealand labour market and they have been over-represented among the unemployed, lower-skilled workers and low income earners. Over time there have been considerable improvements in the economic position of Pacific peoples, particularly for some of the younger, New Zealand-born members. Overall levels of education have improved, unemployment levels have fallen, and there has been a move away from the traditional areas of blue-collar employment into more skilled white-collar jobs (Statistics New Zealand, 2006).
The findings of this dissertation showed that Pacific Island women experience barriers that lead to discrimination on the basis of gender and race, due to the power structures inherent in organisational culture, the dominance of male culture, and their own Pacific Island culture. The key issue raised in this dissertation is the practical experiences of injustice which prevented the participants from moving to senior positions in their organisations. This dissertation also found that the Pacific Island women interviewed believed in the value of education as a tool to overcome the glass ceiling. In addition, the findings indicate that Pacific Island values influence Pacific Island women’s perceptions of social inequality in their organisations. As a result, the women’s behaviours in their organisations are strongly affected by their experience of growing up in their familial and school environments. Parents and leaders are treated as superior and these values are learned and woven into the life of Pacific peoples from a young age.
The aim of this dissertation was to explore the barriers hindering Pacific Island women from reaching senior positions in New Zealand organisations. The main research question was: What are the strategies that Pacific Island women use to overcome the barrier of the glass ceiling when advancing to senior positions and leadership roles in a range of industries within New Zealand
South Asian immigrant's perceptions of the New Zealand Police: an exploratory study
No full textEthnicity has been found to be one of the most significant dimensions in order to predict people’s attitude towards the police. Yet to date, no research has investigated South Asian immigrants in a host country. This study is specially designed to fill that gap. Targeting South Asian immigrants in Auckland, New Zealand, this study investigates South Asian immigrants’ perceptions of the New Zealand Police. Wu’s (2009) theoretical model is adopted for this study, which takes into account three main characteristics to predict people’s attitudes toward the police: individual, contextual, and immigrant group characteristics.
This study entails three main research questions: 1) what are the perceptions of South Asian immigrants toward the New Zealand Police? 2) What are the salient dimensions that are significant in shaping and explaining the perceptions of South Asian immigrants? 3) How often and in relation to what type of events have the participants had contact with the New Zealand Police in the last six-months? This study used a snowball sampling method, with data being obtained through in-depth face-to-face interviews with 16 members of the South Asian immigrant community in Auckland.
The findings suggest that the general experiences with, and opinions about, the New Zealand Police were positive compared to those in regards to the police in their country of origin. Age tended to be an influential element, as the older participants had more positive attitudes toward the New Zealand Police than the younger ones. Gender generally did not appear to have any effect on perceptions of the police; however, the impact of the portrayal of the police by the media seemed to have more of an effect on females rather than males. Overall, participants reported that their perceptions of the New Zealand Police were heavily influenced by the portrayal of the police in the media. All participants, especially those of the Muslim faith, felt safe in New Zealand and had never been profiled by the police due to their religious affiliation. On the other hand, participants reported they had felt subject to profiling by the New Zealand Police due to their ethnicity. Overall, the nature of police contact tended to have a substantial influence on the perceptions of police. A recurrent theme emerged around the issues of culture and communication, with many participants perceiving that there was a need for greater cultural awareness and South Asian representation in the New Zealand Police force, as well as the police being more closely involved in South Asian community activities. All participants tended to be reluctant to apply to join the New Zealand Police and substantially criticised the current recruitment policies, which need to be changed. The current lengthy recruitment timeframe was a significant element discovered in this research.
Future research could employ the use of a survey methodology supplemented with in-depth face-to-face interviews to enrich the data. Future research could include illegal South Asian immigrants and Muslim immigrants in New Zealand to measure and predict these two unique social groups. The findings of this study suggest several practical implications in order to improve the New Zealand Police’s relationship with South Asian immigrants. The New Zealand Police need to be proactive in approaching South Asian immigrants and learning about their unique needs and expectations. It is important that the New Zealand Police attend South Asian community-based functions on a regular basis. These community-police meetings could play an important role in elevating public confidence in the New Zealand Police, and decreasing the social distance between the public and the police. Furthermore, the New Zealand Police need to introduce cultural diversity training programmes for the staff who deal with or patrol primarily in South Asian neighbourhoods. As the South Asian immigrant community in the Auckland area is growing rapidly, it would be beneficial for the police to reflect the same trend in their workforce
Enabling tertiary education for teen mothers: organisational insights
No full textLiterature has generally portrayed teen pregnancy as a social problem with adverse health, social and economic effects on the teen mother and her child. Research on teen mothers attending tertiary education is notably absent. This thesis identifies factors to enable teen mothers to transition to tertiary education. This research is significant because compared to international standards, New Zealand has a high rate of teen pregnancy (Kaipuke Consultants, 2012). Despite the challenges teen mothers face, this thesis highlights the dimensions through which teen mothers can successfully transition to tertiary education. Gaining a tertiary qualification is closely linked to income and general well-being (Earle, 2009). Scott (2009) stated that those higher levels of study are associated with higher earnings.
Using a qualitative research approach consisting of twelve semi-structured interviews in Auckland, New Zealand, factors that enable teen mothers to transition to tertiary education were identified. The twelve interviews included eight teen mothers (all of whom were of Māori ethnicity), three teen parent support organisations (TPSOs) and one interview with the Ministry of Education. By employing phenomenology as the methodology and exploring the participants’ lived experiences, this thesis allows the voices of the participants to be at the forefront. The use of thematic analysis means common themes are identified and discussed. Furthermore, by drawing on the researcher’s personal experience of being a Māori teen mother who is attending tertiary education herself and by employing Mason Durie’s te whare tapa whā (the four sided house) framework (Durie, 1994), this thesis seeks to holistically analyse the scholarly literature and interview findings.
The use of te whare tapa whā to analyse the interview findings and literature lead to the development of the model whare tangata (house of humanity). This model symbolically represents the key themes of Self Attributes of the teen mother (self-efficacy, high achievement, independence, resilience and cultural identity), Stigma (welfare dependence and educational underachievement), and Support (family, peer, institutional, the tertiary institution and financial). Identification of these factors can enable TPSOs to assist teen mothers through the transition to tertiary education.
As a consequence of the analysis undertaken, a number of practical recommendations emerged. These included delivering relevant teen parenting classes that focus on developing and growing families together and that both teen mothers and teen fathers can attend, identifying teen mothers with academic or tertiary potential and therefore enabling closer links with tertiary providers, and finally, tailoring support programmes, including scholarships, within the tertiary providers to support the transition to tertiary education. From this research process, the opportunity for future research in the following areas became evident; teen fathers, growing young families holistically, teen mothers in the South Island of New Zealand and a comparative analysis between non-teen mothers’ and teen mother’s tertiary journeys.
As with all research, this thesis identifies limitations. These include the diversity of the sample population, perspectives of TPSO interviews, the lack of Māori cultural nuances and the researcher biases. This thesis does not intend to represent all teen mothers or TPSOs; it does, however, attempt to provide initial conclusions from the experiences of the participants for this thesis. It is hoped these findings may be applicable to teen mothers and TPSOs in similar circumstances
Ethics approval was through the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee on19 July 2012 (AUTEC Reference number 12/50).
Whaowhia te kete mātauranga
Fill the basket of knowledg
The effect of the Glass Ceiling on Pacific Island women in New Zealand organisations
No full textEthnic minorities commonly face discrimination due to the effect of the “glass ceiling”. Discrimination is a familiar experience for women and ethnic minorities in many organisations, and the glass ceiling is a common barrier for ethnic minorities and women who press forward to reach the top level of organisations (Hester, 2007). The organisational leaders, in particular, exploit the lack of power of individuals, who are also faced with social inequalities and unequal opportunities in organisations (Cech & Blair-Loy, 2010). The barriers to the progress of individuals in organisations are based on attitudes, requirements for educational standards, experience and organisational bias (Ross, 2004).
The concept of the glass ceiling became a popular topic for study in recent years because people noticed the existence of social inequalities in most organisations (Jost & Major, 2001). However, there is little research on the career barriers that Pacific Island women face, which makes this dissertation and the related research of extra value. The objective of this research was to help cultivate the movement towards social equality and even distribution of opportunities in organisations. A study by Statistics New Zealand (2006) found that Pacific Island women, in comparison to New Zealand women in general, are 10% more likely to work in the manufacturing industry, and few work in skilled employment such as in managerial and other professional roles.
The growth of ethnic minorities and women in higher positions has been discussed in the past, with the aim of finding a way to ease social and organisational inequalities (Blackburn, 2001). The main purpose of this research was to look at the barriers which may hinder Pacific Island women from advancing to senior positions in New Zealand organisations. The research was based on interviews conducted with ten Pacific Island women working in a variety of organisations in New Zealand. The interviews were recorded digitally. Key barriers to advancement were identified, which included ethnic background, gender discrimination, organisational culture, Pacific Island culture, organisational support and personal characteristics. The reason that Pacific Island women face these barriers is due to the complex interplay of societal and organisational factors in New Zealand organisations. This research suggests some guiding principles to encourage and develop Pacific Islanders’ achievements in education. The outcomes would supply a highly skilled Pacific Island workforce in all areas of organisations, and Pacific Island women would have the talents and skills to increase their potential to advance into senior management positions and attain their career goals.
The method used in this dissertation was phenomenological interpretive. Primary data was obtained from one-on-one interviews of ten Pacific Island women, who were selected from the five main Pacific Island sub-groups, namely the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa and Tonga. The Pacific Island women told their work-place stories and their experiences of the glass ceiling in New Zealand organisations.
In addition, the economic position of Pacific peoples in New Zealand has meant that they have always faced considerable difficulties. Their skills are not always suited to the demand of the New Zealand labour market and they have been over-represented among the unemployed, lower-skilled workers and low income earners. Over time there have been considerable improvements in the economic position of Pacific peoples, particularly for some of the younger, New Zealand-born members. Overall levels of education have improved, unemployment levels have fallen, and there has been a move away from the traditional areas of blue-collar employment into more skilled white-collar jobs (Statistics New Zealand, 2006).
The findings of this dissertation showed that Pacific Island women experience barriers that lead to discrimination on the basis of gender and race, due to the power structures inherent in organisational culture, the dominance of male culture, and their own Pacific Island culture. The key issue raised in this dissertation is the practical experiences of injustice which prevented the participants from moving to senior positions in their organisations. This dissertation also found that the Pacific Island women interviewed believed in the value of education as a tool to overcome the glass ceiling. In addition, the findings indicate that Pacific Island values influence Pacific Island women’s perceptions of social inequality in their organisations. As a result, the women’s behaviours in their organisations are strongly affected by their experience of growing up in their familial and school environments. Parents and leaders are treated as superior and these values are learned and woven into the life of Pacific peoples from a young age.
The aim of this dissertation was to explore the barriers hindering Pacific Island women from reaching senior positions in New Zealand organisations. The main research question was: What are the strategies that Pacific Island women use to overcome the barrier of the glass ceiling when advancing to senior positions and leadership roles in a range of industries within New Zealand
Employee retention in Chinese state-owned enterprises
No full textChina’s social and economic development has facilitated the appearance of the knowledge economy since the market-based economic reforms and open-door policy in the 1970s. Subsequently many changes have taken place in the human resource management (HRM) field due to the rapid development of Chinese society and economy. China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are increasingly concerned about employee retention because of skill shortages and key staff turnover. The SOEs play a vital role in China’s economic development as they continue to be dominant in the Chinese economy. As China’s SOEs are rapidly becoming key players in the global market, it is crucial to understand the change from ‘iron rice bowl’ system to employment contract system, and how China’s SOEs have managed their employees and what challenges they are now facing. Specifically, this dissertation will explore the development of SOEs and HRM practices in China in general and analyze the changes of employee retention practices in China’s state-owned petroleum companies in particular. This is based on a literature review in order to provide an overview of HRM in China, especially in the field of employee retention in SOEs. A case study of China’s state-owned petroleum companies is included in this dissertation for illustrating the status of employee retention in China. This dissertation adds value to scholarship on HRM in China by providing a detailed analysis of employee retention in China’s SOEs, which may help Chinese firms gain a better understanding of employee retention to further develop and improve their HRM practices
Cultural dimensions in leadership development in joint ventures: the case of Vietnam
No full textVietnam is an emerging economy that has received multi-billion dollar foreign investments from corporations within both developed and developing countries. For the last fifteen years, many companies have developed joint ventures in Vietnam to lower costs and participate in the Southeast Asian marketplace. The joint venture enterprises, along with Vietnamese companies, whether private or state-owned enterprises, all need effective leaders. In this context, developing leadership has been viewed as a strategic initiative in improving the individual skills and capabilities and achieving organizational goals.
The long term success of joint ventures which are formed by a foreign investor and a Vietnamese enterprise also needs an understanding of culture. While Asian management research has reviewed leadership development theories and practices, the understanding of cultural dimensions on leadership development in Vietnam is limited. Based on reviewing Hofstede (1980)’s dimensions of individualism or collectivism and power distance, this dissertation provides a literature review and case studies about the impact of dimensions of culture on the emerging leadership development in the selected country of Vietnam.
This dissertation focuses on key areas of leadership development theories and leadership development in the Vietnamese context. By analyzing leadership development activities from a perspective of a joint venture enterprise and a leadership development program provider, it is seen that leadership development activities in Vietnam are still in the early stages of development. Although there is a recent trend in researching human resource development in Vietnam, there has been a lack of attention to leadership development.
Additionally, the review of Vietnamese cultural dimensions indicates the impact of both dimensions of collectivism and power distance on the leadership perceptions and processes of developing leaders in Vietnam. Thus, this dissertation contributes to the Vietnamese management literature and it calls for human resource development scholars to push current research frontiers in the scholarship on leadership development in emerging economies
Differences Between National Culture and Organisational Culture: Effects on Employee Behaviour in International Hotel Chains Located in Urban India
No full textLiterature from America and Europe have contributed immensely to the arena of management studies. This research uses Western and Eastern literature to lay down a balanced platform for a literature study on India. Using an Indian perspective and the available literature on national culture and organisational culture as a base, this literature study will evaluate how the strong cultural background of Indian employees working for international hotel chains situated in India differs from the organisational culture of these international companies. As globalisation engulfs the world, management gurus and academicians increasingly focus on the significance of the workforce as an important asset for a company’s competitive advantage. This focus is all the more complex for Multinational Companies (MNCs) in consideration of the management of employees in host countries like India, which is well known for its cultural diversity, spirituality, caste system and booming economy over the last decade. Recognising different cultural settings and appreciating differences in cultural norms is often the key to management success.
This literature study focuses on the growing hospitality industry in India, revealing different aspects of employee attitudes (such as, teamwork, rewards systems and loyalty) towards the organisation. The study tries to answer, how international organisations cope in a country with a completely different cultural background and how does this affect the attitudes of employees working for multinational organisations that have a different organisational culture in comparison to their national culture? To make the literature study more comprehensive the study is divided into explanatory categories such as (1) Indian culture both ancient and present (2) the birth and evolution of the Indian workforce (3) the Indian economy and the effects of globalisation (4) the hospitality industry in India (5) relevant literature on culture and organisational culture (6) developing a cultural profile of India and its people with the help of the Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck framework, at the same time considering the work of Geert Hofstede on cultural dimensions and (7) finally how these strong cultural practices can affect the functioning of international organisations situated in India. It was found that if international organisations want to succeed in India, they would have to develop an understanding of the Indian medley of culture, tradition, caste system and the fast growing economy
Culture's Currency: Indian Women and Multicultural Counselling.
Get PDFThis paper offers insights into the intersecting cultural layers of Indian women migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand. Utilising qualitative methodology, information is garnered from the work and life experiences of 30 Indian women resident in New Zealand. Their stories focus on their employment experiences and the challenge of finding work relevant to their qualifications and experience. Their footprints in a new land display an initial journey of trauma, hurt and identity struggles, followed in many instances by a deep and abiding sense of fulfilment for having the courage and grit to make their dreams and hopes a reality in New Zealand. The paper concludes with questions for reflection in the domain of multicultural counselling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
Cultural dimensions in leadership development in joint ventures: the case of Vietnam
No full textVietnam is an emerging economy that has received multi-billion dollar foreign investments from corporations within both developed and developing countries. For the last fifteen years, many companies have developed joint ventures in Vietnam to lower costs and participate in the Southeast Asian marketplace. The joint venture enterprises, along with Vietnamese companies, whether private or state-owned enterprises, all need effective leaders. In this context, developing leadership has been viewed as a strategic initiative in improving the individual skills and capabilities and achieving organizational goals.
The long term success of joint ventures which are formed by a foreign investor and a Vietnamese enterprise also needs an understanding of culture. While Asian management research has reviewed leadership development theories and practices, the understanding of cultural dimensions on leadership development in Vietnam is limited. Based on reviewing Hofstede (1980)’s dimensions of individualism or collectivism and power distance, this dissertation provides a literature review and case studies about the impact of dimensions of culture on the emerging leadership development in the selected country of Vietnam.
This dissertation focuses on key areas of leadership development theories and leadership development in the Vietnamese context. By analyzing leadership development activities from a perspective of a joint venture enterprise and a leadership development program provider, it is seen that leadership development activities in Vietnam are still in the early stages of development. Although there is a recent trend in researching human resource development in Vietnam, there has been a lack of attention to leadership development.
Additionally, the review of Vietnamese cultural dimensions indicates the impact of both dimensions of collectivism and power distance on the leadership perceptions and processes of developing leaders in Vietnam. Thus, this dissertation contributes to the Vietnamese management literature and it calls for human resource development scholars to push current research frontiers in the scholarship on leadership development in emerging economies
Employee retention in Chinese state-owned enterprises
No full textChina’s social and economic development has facilitated the appearance of the knowledge economy since the market-based economic reforms and open-door policy in the 1970s. Subsequently many changes have taken place in the human resource management (HRM) field due to the rapid development of Chinese society and economy. China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are increasingly concerned about employee retention because of skill shortages and key staff turnover. The SOEs play a vital role in China’s economic development as they continue to be dominant in the Chinese economy. As China’s SOEs are rapidly becoming key players in the global market, it is crucial to understand the change from ‘iron rice bowl’ system to employment contract system, and how China’s SOEs have managed their employees and what challenges they are now facing. Specifically, this dissertation will explore the development of SOEs and HRM practices in China in general and analyze the changes of employee retention practices in China’s state-owned petroleum companies in particular. This is based on a literature review in order to provide an overview of HRM in China, especially in the field of employee retention in SOEs. A case study of China’s state-owned petroleum companies is included in this dissertation for illustrating the status of employee retention in China. This dissertation adds value to scholarship on HRM in China by providing a detailed analysis of employee retention in China’s SOEs, which may help Chinese firms gain a better understanding of employee retention to further develop and improve their HRM practices
- …
