Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T03:01:57.846Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Intelligent Careers of Pacific Island Leaders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

Polly Parker
Polly Parker*
Affiliation:
University of Auckland Business School, New Zealand
*
Polly Parker, the University of Auckland Business School, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Email: Polly.Parker@griffith.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Pacific peoples hold a unique place as an ethnic community within Aotearoa-New Zealand. The largest immigrant minority population in New Zealand brings a different culture to that of the dominant Pakeha (European). One implication is the need for acculturation into New Zealand society. Leadership, when characterised here as a process through which Pacific elders model the “Pacific way” to guide their youth, is critical to manage the tension between maintaining traditional ways and integrating into a dominant culture different from the people's own. This paper reports an empirical study conducted with Pacific professionals working in the public sector of New Zealand. Recognised for their potential to influence Pacific peoples, the participants were sponsored by the ministries of Health and Pacific Island Affairs to attend a three-day leadership development course that included a careers component. The scarcely researched links among leadership, careers and social cultural issues are explored. Intelligent career theory is introduced and the processes associated with eliciting subjective and inter-subjective career data are explained The results reflect the interdependence of motivation, skills and knowledge, and relationships, which together strongly influence the career and leadership behaviour of Pacific peoples to enhance the outcomes for Pacific peoples in New Zealand. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Type
Articles
Information
South Pacific Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2005 , pp. 1 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © University of Papua New Guinea and Massey University, New Zealand/Aotearoa 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arthur, M. B., Claman, P. H., & DeFillippi, R. J. (1995). Intelligent enterprise, intelligent career. Academy of Management Executive 9(4), 7–20.Google Scholar
Berry, W. (1990). The psychology of acculturation: Understanding individuals moving between cultures. In Brislin, R. (Ed.), Applied cross-cultural psychology: Cross cultural research and methodology series (pp. 232–53). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daft, R., & Weick, K. (1984). Toward a model of organizations as interpretation systems. Academy of Management Review 9(2), 284–295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fulmer, R. (1999). The new HP way: Leveraging strategy with diversity, leadership development and decentralization. Strategy and Leadership, 27(6).Google Scholar
Hartung, P. J. (1999). Interest assessment using card sorts. In Spokane, A.R., Occupational interests: Their meaning, measurement, and use in counselling (pp. 235–252). Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black.Google Scholar
Hartung, P. J. (2002). Cultural context in career theory and practice: Role salience and values. Career Development Quarterly, 5/(1), 12–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hendrikse, E. P. (1995). Migration and culture: The role of Samoan churches in contemporary Aotearoa. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Herr, E. L. (1996). Toward the convergence of career theory and practice: Mythology, issues, and possibilities. In Savickas, M. L. and Walsh, W. B. (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 13–35). Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black.Google Scholar
Holt, J. & Keats, D. M. (1992). Work cognitions in multicultural interaction. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 23(4), 421–443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreuger, R. A. (1988). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Kreuger, R. A. (1994). Focus groups: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Kreuger, R. A. (1998). Analysing and reporting focus group results. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreuger, R. A., & King, J. A. (1998). Involving community members in focus groups. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsson, R., Brousseau, K., Driver, M. J., Holmqvist, M. & Tarnovskaya, V. (2003). International growth through cooperation: Brand-driven strategies, leadership, and career development in Sweden. Academy of Management Executive, 17(1), 7–24.Google Scholar
Mara, D., Foliaki, L., & Coxon, E. (1994). Pacific Islands Education. In Coxon, E. (Ed.), The politics of learning and teaching in Aotearoa/New Zealand (pp. 180–214). Palmerston North, New Zealand: Dunmore Press.Google Scholar
Markus, H. K. & Kityama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs (1999). Social economic status of Pacific People report. Navigating the currents of the new millennium. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Government.Google Scholar
Mirvis, P. H., & Ayas, K. (2003). Reflective dialogue, life stories, and leadership development. Reflections, 4(4), 3–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mumford, M. D., Marks, M. D., Connelly, M. S., Zaccaro, S. J., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2000). Development of leadership skills: experience and timing. Leadership Quarterly, 11(1), 27.Google Scholar
Parker, H. L. P. (1996). The new career paradigm: An exploration of “intelligent career” behaviour among MBA graduates and students. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Auckland, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Parker, H. L. P. (2000). Career communities. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Auckland, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Parker, P. (2002). Working with the Intelligent Career Model. Journal of Employment Counseling, 39(2), 83–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, P., & Arthur., M. B. (2004). Coaching for career development and leadership development: an intelligent career approach. Australian Journal of Career Development, 13(3), 56–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patton, W. (2000). Changing career: The role of values. In Young, R. (Ed.), The future of career (pp. 69–82). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pernick, R. (2002). Creating a leadership development program: Nine essential tasks [Electronic version]. Public Management (US), 5(7), 1–18.Google Scholar
Pope, M., Cheng, W. D., & Leong, F. T. L. (1998). The case of Chou: The inextricability of career to personal and social issues in a multicultural context. Journal of Career Development, 25(1), 53–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raelin, J. A. (2000). Work-based learning: The new frontier of management development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. (2003). Pacific Peoples in New Zealand: Preliminary review of development issues. Wellington, New Zealand: Author.Google Scholar
Stringer, E. T. (1996). Action research. A handbook for practitioners. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Thomas, D., & Inkson, K. (in press). Careers across cultures.Google Scholar
Tiatia, J. (1998). Caught between two cultures: A New Zealand-born Pacific Island perspective. Auckland, New Zealand: Christian Research Association.Google Scholar
Traynor, W. J., & Watts, W. R. (1992). Management development in the Pacific during the 1990s: How to survive with coconuts. Journal of Management Development 11(2), 6–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trompenaars, F. (1993). Riding the waves of culture. Burr Ridge, IL.: Irwin.Google Scholar
Wilson, M. S., Hoppe, M. H., & Sayles, L. R. (1996). Managing across cultures A learning framework. Greensboro: Center for Creative Leadership.Google Scholar