New Zealand Introduction

New Zealand has a population of slightly less than 4 million people with most living in the key cities. The
large majority of the population (89%) has a European heritage, primarily English. Therefore, English is
the predominant language and Christianity the largest religion. The Maori, a Polynesian people who
were the earliest inhabitants of New Zealand make up the remaining population. There is little racial
tension between the Maori and the predominately European/English people. Though Maori and
Europeans freely intermarry and have similar ways of life, each maintains its identity, so social and
cultural aspects remain distinct for each group.

The standard of living is high, and their literacy rate is 100%. The state provides extensive social services
for the welfare of its citizens, and has one of the most comprehensive health care programs in the
world. Adding to their quality of life is the nation's geographic location and size. No one is greater than
75 miles from the ocean and the climate that encourages outdoor activities. This nation actively
participates in hiking, fishing, sailing, and competitive sports.

Although New Zealand is often mentioned in the same sentence with Australia, New Zealanders do not
appreciate this mutual reference, as they are an independent nation.



New Zealand Fun Fact

This country was very forward thinking. Not only did these people believe in individualism, they created
the environment for it to thrive. They also understood their obligation to the people who worked to
establish and maintain the society. In 1893, this British Commonwealth gave women the right to vote,
and in 1898, established an old-age pension, the first Commonwealth member to do so. If you are
walking down the street and see two people pressing noses, they are Maoris using their traditional
greeting. The Maoris are also highly regarded for their tattooing art.



Geert Hofstede Analysis for New Zealand

Click Here for Geert Hofstede New Zealand scores


The Geert Hofstede analysis for New Zealand demonstrates that similar to other English speaking
countries with Western European heritage (see Great Britain, Canada United States, and Australia), New
Zealanders have a very high individualism ranking. Power distance is low indicating their approachability
and open communication style. They do expect their personal privacy to be respected. More Details


Religion in New Zealand


* WORLD FACTBOOK 2002

We have defined a predominantly Christian country as over 50% of the population practicing some form
of Christianity, other than Catholicism. In this group, the primary correlation between religion and the
Geert Hofstede Dimensions is a high Individualism (IDV) ranking. (See accompanying article)

New Zealand Appearance

International Business Dress and Appearance When conducting business in New Zealand, you want to
dress conservatively and tending toward a more formal look.

International Business Dress and Appearance Men should wear darker colored suits with a conservative
tie. To maintain formality, a white shirt would be worn.

International Business Dress and Appearance Women should wear a suit, a dress, or skirt and blouse
with a jacket. The wardrobe should incorporate classic styles and colors (navy and gray).

International Business Dress and Appearance Umbrellas and raincoats are necessary most of the year
because of the climate and rainfall. The climate is temperate, not tropical. A medium weight wool
gabardine would be a good choice of fabric for your basic wardrobe.

International Business Dress and Appearance When not involved in business meetings and activities,
your wardrobe may be casual. To maintain a professional, though casual look, keep your clothing classic
in neutral colors (navy, gray, camel, ivory, and white). Make sure your casual shoes are properly
maintained.

International Business Dress and Appearance Do not use the "V for victory" sign while in this country.


New Zealand Behavior

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Always be on time or early
for all appointments. Punctuality is part of the culture. "Fashionably late" is not an option in this country
as most social events start on time.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Maintain a reserved, formal
demeanor, especially when first meeting someone. Take your lead to become more relaxed by following
the behavior of your New Zealand hosts.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Normal business hours are
Monday Friday 8:30am-5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am-12:30pm.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Talking is minimal while you
are eating a meal. The conversation will occur before and after your meal. Dinners are reserved for
social interactions only, therefore not business is discussed at these occasions. Lunch is used for
business conversations.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Boisterous behavior is
always inappropriate, even when you are drinking. Pace yourself to maintain the proper reserved and
polite behavior.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Afternoon tea is between
3:00 - 4:00pm.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Tea is between 6:00 -
8:00pm, and an evening meal is served.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Supper is a snack served
much later in the evening,

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture A tip may be refused, as
tipping is rare.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Entertaining is frequently
done in a person's home. A small thank you gift of flowers, chocolate, or whiskey may be taken to the
host and/or hostess.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Cover your mouth if you
must yawn, and do not chew gum or toothpicks in public.

International business behavior, introductions, gift giving, protocol, culture Ask permission before you
attempt to photograph someone.


New Zealand Communications

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions The official language is English.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions When meeting someone, and when
leaving, use a firm handshake with good eye contact. Good eye contact means looking into the other
person's eyes when shaking hands, not looking down at your hand. The eye contact is maintained during
the handshake. You are not staring at the other person, but showing genuine interest in meeting or
seeing the person.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions Men generally wait for a woman to
be the first to extend her hand for a handshake. Women do shake other women's hands. Use your same
firm handshake with good eye contact.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions When your are meeting someone,
say "How do you do?" A more relaxed greeting, such as "Hello", is reserved for the meetings after you've
had the opportunity to get to know the person.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions The people are reserved, but
always very warm and polite when you meet them.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions Address a person using his/her title,
or Mr., Mrs., Miss plus the full name.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions Honesty is the best policy. Don't
hype your product or service, and don't be a braggart.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions Do not allow your voice to get loud.
Maintain a reserved manner.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions Politics, sports, and weather are
good conversational topics, and may be hotly debated. In order to be a good conversationalist, stay
current and informed on critical topics. One in particular is New Zealand's "nuclear free" zone.

International Business Communication, handshaking, introductions Avoid confusing or comparing New
Zealand with Australia, as they are two distinct countries. If you are not familiar with New Zealand,
spend time before your trip to learn about the history and culture.









New Zealand Country Profile - Business Etiquette
Organisational structure
Although there are large corporate organisations operating in New Zealand, it has a larger proportion of
small businesses than in many developed countries. This means that organisational structure tends to be
quite flat, with managers and employees collaborating closely to foster a real team-orientated
environment. Smaller businesses also tend to mean broader roles for workers, giving the opportunity to
develop a wide range of skills and really influence the success of the business.

Management style
Business owners and managers in New Zealand try to maintain an open and flexible working
environment which rewards initiative, hard-work and productivity. New Zealanders expect their
managers to support them and allow them to express their opinions freely. Respect is earned by actions
rather than through status, and a can-do attitude goes a long way at all levels of employment.

Formality
Compared to many countries, New Zealanders can be quite informal with each other. Most workers are
on first-name terms with their colleagues, even if there is a gap in seniority. However, many people are
a bit more reserved when they meet strangers or new contacts, so its perhaps best to use titles and
surnames to begin with, unless introduced by first names.

Relationships
Despite the initial formalities, New Zealanders are generally friendly and sociable, so once introduced a
warm relationship can be developed relatively quickly. As a rule trust is given quite readily, but any
abuse of this trust will most likely end the relationship entirely. It is important to treat your colleagues
and contacts the same, as highlighting the status of one person above another is frowned upon.

Correspondence
Business letters in New Zealand are styled in a similar way to in the UK or Australia. For emails, start off
with a relatively formal exchange, for example beginning your message with Dear and ending it with
Best wishes or Kind regards. If you continue to exchange emails the tone may become more
conversational, but as a general rule you should follow the lead of the other person.

Dress code
Although New Zealand has a reputation for fairly relaxed business dealings, the dress code is usually
relatively formal, with men generally wearing dark-coloured suits with a collar and tie or an open-
necked shirt. Women may wear either suits or conservative dresses. However, with the high number of
small businesses, you are likely to find a bit of variation in the dress code, so check with your employer
or colleagues.

Greetings
In business both men and women in New Zealand tend to exchange a brief handshake at the start and
end of a meeting. The traditional greeting of the Maori people is called the hongi, and involves both
people gently pressing their foreheads and noses together at the same time. This generally occurs
during the Maori greeting ceremony of pwhiri. Although you probably wont need to understand this
custom to do business in New Zealand, it may be useful if you decide to visit a Maori marae.

Punctuality
Try to make sure you confirm meetings in advance and arrive early or on time. Missing a meeting or
turning up late will be seen as an indication that you are unreliable and may negatively affect your
future business prospects.

Meetings
Meetings are usually fairly relaxed in style and small talk beforehand is the norm. Good topics include
the weather and sport, but keep it polite and not too personal. Business cards may be exchanged
without ceremony. Despite the informal communications, the actual content of a meeting is taken
seriously. It is very important not to rely on sales techniques, exaggerated claims or pure charm New
Zealanders appreciate directness and detail in business dealings. When presenting a proposal, state all
the facts, figures and terms clearly for the best results.

Cultural sensitivity
New Zealand considers itself to be a fairly egalitarian society, so try to treat everyone with the same
degree of respect and you should fit in. If you travel to any Maori sites or meet Maori contacts, try to
read up on their customs and understand something of their cultural sensibilities.

Business language
Although New Zealand recognises English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages,
almost all business dealings in New Zealand take place in English.

What about New Zealand?

If we explore the New Zealand culture through the lens of the 6-D Model, we can get a good overview of
the deep drivers of its culture culture relative to other world cultures.

Power distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal it expresses the
attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. Power distance is defined as the extent
to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and
accept that power is distributed unequally. It has to do with the fact that a societys inequality is
endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders.

New Zealand scores very low on this dimension (22). Within organizations, hierarchy is established for
convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for
their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared
frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative.

Individualism
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society
maintains among its members. It has to do with whether peoples self-image is defined in terms of I or
We. In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family
only. In Collectivist societies people belong to in groups that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.

New Zealand, with a score of 79 on this dimension, is an individualistic culture. This translates into a
loosely-knit society in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate
families. In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative. Also,
within the exchange-based world of work, hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit or
evidence of what one has done or can do.

Masculinity
A high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition,
achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner or best-in-the-field. This value
system starts in school and continues throughout ones life both in work and leisure pursuits.

A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others
and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out
from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be
the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).

New Zealand scores 58 on this dimension and is considered a masculine society. Behavior in school,
work, and play are based on the shared values that people should strive to be the best they can be
and that the winner takes all. New Zealanders are proud of their successes and achievements in life,
and it offers a basis for hiring and promotion decisions in the workplace. Conflicts are resolved at the
individual level and the goal is to win.

Uncertainty avoidance
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the
future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity
brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways. The
extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and
have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score.

New Zealand scores an intermediate 49 on this dimension. This score does not show a preference.

Pragmatism

This dimension describes how every society has to maintain some links with its own past while dealing
with the challenges of the present and future, and societies prioritise these two existential goals
differently. Normative societies who score low on this dimension, for example, prefer to maintain time-
honoured traditions and norms while viewing societal change with suspicion. Those with a culture which
scores high, on the other hand, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts in
modern education as a way to prepare for the future.

With a low score of 33 in this dimension, New Zealand is shown to be a normative country. People in
such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their
thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future,
and a focus on achieving quick results.


Indulgence

One challenge that confronts humanity, now and in the past, is the degree to which little children are
socialized. Without socialization we do not become human. This dimension is defined as the extent to
which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised. Relatively
weak control is called indulgence and relatively strong control is called restraint. Cultures can,
therefore, be described as indulgent or restrained.

New Zealand's relatively high score of 75 indicates that its culture is one of indulgence. People in
societies classified by a high score in indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to realise their impulses
and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a
tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act
as they please and spend money as they wish.