Cross-cultural value sets of Asian managers: The comparative cases of Hong Kong,Malaysia and Singapore

Abstract

An important debate in the field of cross-cultural management research has been the universality of managerial values. One view is that exposure to a capitalistic system, technology and industrialization will shape a common set of managerial values, while another is that underlying values and beliefs, which are moulded by cultural-social factors, will ensure the development of diverse expectations and work attitudes. In this paper are reported values indigenous to Chinese culture of 444 managers who were employed in Hong Kong, Malaysian and Singaporean organizations. The findings demonstrate that within a business ideology, which was influenced by political intervention, unique sets of managerial values were espoused. Implications for human resources management practices in the aftermath of the Asian financial meltdown are discussed.