Challenges in NZ Organizations

Immigrants’ Perceptions of the NZ Workplace: Effects on Organizational Outcomes

Ma. Socorro DiegoPsych 334 - 1 March 2006

Answerable Q’s Relevant to this Session

• Describe key events in the migration history of New Zealand.

• What are some of the general work issues immigrants are facing?

• How are NZ workplaces perceived by research participants?

• Describe the entry barriers discussed by research participants.

• Describe the on-the-job barriers discussed by research participants.

OUTLINE

• Rationale

• Brief History - NZ context

• Immigrants and Work Issues

• Theoretical Framework

• Methodology

• Results of Focus Groups Discussion

Rationale…..

• Challenges…Changing demographics of the workforce– Ethnic and cultural diversity in

organizations (global)

• Lack of research on issues concerning diverse cultures in NZ organizations

Migration in Aotearoa

• Maori • 1642 - Abel Tasman, 1769 – James Cook

Source: http://www.zealand.org.nz/history.htm

•British migration began in 1840

Migration in Aotearoa

• 1866 – arrival of sizeable group of Chinese at the invitation of Dunedin Chamber of Commerce

• 1920 – Immigration Restriction Act Special Entry Permit“Great White Walls” of New Zealand

• 1950’s to 1970’s – Pacific peoples (first wave of ‘visible immigrants) – need for semi-skilled and unskilled labour force

• 1986 – Immigration Review: “selection of immigrants on personal merit rather than national or ethnic origin”.

The Immigration Act of 1987

• 1991 – Point System

Source: http://www.zealand.org.nz/history.htm

Migration in Aotearoa

• 1986 to current– Koreans, Taiwanese, Hong Kong

Chinese– PRC Chinese, Indians– Somali– South Africans and Middle Eastern

Peoples– Japanese– Southeast Asians (Thai, Filipinos,

Malaysians, etc)

Source: http://www.zealand.org.nz/history.htm

Hence….

• Only after 1987 that NZ started accepting migrants regardless of race or ethnicity (Ip, 2003)

• Succeeding years marked the increase of skilled professionals from non-traditional sources like Asia (Trlin, 1999)

• NZ has an active immigration policy for skilled immigrants

NZ Ethnic Composition

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

1996 2001 2006

Year

% o

f Pop

ulat

ion

European

Source: Statistics NZ (2006)

NZ Ethnic Composition

0.0%

2.5%

5.0%

7.5%

10.0%

12.5%

15.0%

1996 2001 2006

Year

% of

Popu

lation

Maori Pacific Peoples Asian MELAA Other Ethnicity

Public Sector

60

62

64

66

68

70

72

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

NZ European/Pakeha

Workforce Diversity…

Source: State Services Commission (2005). Human Resource Capability Survey of Public Service Departments. http://www.ssc.govt.nz/upload/downloadable_files/hrc-survey-05.pdf

Public Sector

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

%

Maori Non-NZ European Pacific peoplesAsian peoples Other Ethnic groups

Labour Force Participation*EEO Groups   1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Maori Public Service 15.5 16.1 16.9 17 17.6 17.6 17.4 17.5

 Employed Labour Force 9.2 8.7 10.2 9.8 10.7 10.6 9.8 9.8

Pacific peoples Public Service 5.9 6.2 6.6 6.6 6.8 7.1 7.1 7.3

 Employed Labour Force 4.3 4.8 4.8 4.5 5.2 5.2 5.2 4.6

Asian peoples Public Service 3 3 3.3 3.4 3.6 4.2 4.7 5.4

NZ European/Pakeha   70.1 71.4 70.5 70.1 69.4 68.5 67 65.5

Non-NZ European   14.2 12.6 12.7 12.4 13.1 13.1 12.4 13.5

Other Ethnic groups   1.8 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.8 1.5

* State Services Commission (2005). Human Resource Capability Survey of Public Service Departments. http://www.ssc.govt.nz/upload/downloadable_files/hrc-survey-05.pdf

IMMIGRANTS

• Differ in terms of their intention in moving to a new place (Ward, Bochner & Furnham, 2001)

• Considered as a “threat” to native born of the host country. Hence, discrimination can extend up to succeeding generations (Blackaby, et al., 2005).

• In the context of inter group relations, they are categorically dissimilar to the host country in terms of culture, familiarity to host country and behaviours (Berry, 2001)

Workplace Issues

• “Unfair” treatment because of personal attribute such as gender, ethnicity, disability or religion.

• Evidences of discrimination in NZ studies (Coates & Carr, 2005; Firkin et al, 2002; Stewart, 2005; Ward & Masgoret, 2004, Wilson et al., 2005)

• Ethnicity – 2nd most cited ground for discrimination (6% of public servants with Maori and Pacific staff mostly reporting this type of discrimination (SSC, 2002)

Theoretical Framework

WorkplaceExperiences

•Job Satisfaction

•Organizational Commitment

•Turn-over Intention

•Health

Status of Employment

Organizational Practices

Methodology

• Qualitative– Focus Groups Discussion

• Quantitative– Surveys– Meta - Analysis

Methodology:Focus Groups Discussion

• Country of Origin: China, India, Philippines, Germany and Zimbabwe

• Objective: Explore immigrants employment experiences; compare similarities and differences across cultures

• Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006) was used in analyzing the data

Findings:View of NZ work environment

• Egalitarian or Flat structure – call superiors by first names– can talk informally to boss but there’s

subtle hierarchy– good relationships with superiors and

peers

• Relaxed working environment

“ ….. if your job started at 8 o’clock, you start at 8 o’clock. And you have been to the toilet, and you had your coffee and you started your job at 8 o’clock… And here, lots of people would then come, ‘Hi, how are you, how was your weekend, how was grandma, how was the dog? Ok, I’ll need to go and put my make-up on, and I have to have a cup of tea!’ That is not the German way you know. ” (German2F)

Findings: Entry Barriers

• Language Barrier– Not having the Kiwi accent– Refuse to understand if they don’t

like you

• “Kiwi” Experience – Catch 22?• Overseas Qualifications not

recognized

JOB ENTRY

“The common experience is you keep looking and then you can’t find a suitable job…. You find another job in another area…you have to work hard yeah.. It’s very hard to find a job comparable to the job in China”. (Chinese1F)

Findings: Workplace Issues

• Language Barrier• Mismatch (qualifications vs.

job)• Underemployment• Inequity in Pay• Distrust for coloured people

ON THE JOB

When you have so much other skills, you start thinking, why the **** I came? And if you just pass through that phase in getting a first good job then things become very good. But if you don’t, you’re stuck here” (Indian4M).

Summary….

• Meeting the NZ-specific set of entry requirements is crucial in getting a meaningful employment.

• It’s customary to start from the lowest level regardless of your earned qualifications and previous work experience.

• Instances of discriminatory experiences.

• Once you get acceptance in the workplace, cultural background will not matter anymore…skin colour might.

But they are very accepting, I had to admit that... Very accepting. They take interest in your culture and your religion… It’s a healthy working culture. It’s something that I would find back home.” (Indian5F)