Cross-cultural comparison. Ethics of New Zealand and Malaysian commerce students

Abstract

The effects of culture and scenario context on perceptions of ethicality were examined using data from 168 New Zealand Europeans/Pakeha and 75 Malaysian Chinese attending Lincoln University and Otago University. The aim was to assess the attitudes of these commerce students toward a set of ethical dilemmas presented in both business and university settings.

Ethical judgements were not found to significantly differ as a function of ethnicity. However, New Zealand students considered environmental protection a significantly more important issue than their Malaysian counterparts. Using Hofstede's (1980; 1984) cultural typology, cultural differences, along with full-time work experience, were found to be significant factors in explaining the disparate attitudes of Malaysians and New Zealanders toward environmental issues. Students' responses to ethical issues in a university context were found to be significantly more ethical than responses to equivalent issues in a business setting. Tolerance level for unethical behaviour (in both contexts) was also found to decline with full-time work experience.

The results of the study indicate that ethical standards do vary across cultures. Possible problems with the use of Hofstede's cultural typology are identified and discussed. The study also illustrates the importance of considering respondents' exposure to the settings concerned when conducting ethical studies using scenario-based instruments. Respondents should have adequate knowledge and exposure to the type of setting they are asked to evaluate. Results of this study argue for caution in the interpretation of past findings involving student samples responding to ethical issues in business settings.