The Uniqueness of management in New Zealand - the project management case

Abstract

Management behavior is highly dependent upon culture. Understanding the management culture of a nation is an increasingly important task in a global market. The objective of this paper is to better understand the management culture in New Zealand. This paper analyzes the common management practices in New Zealand, focusing on project management. This paper presents the results of the first vast project management study held in New Zealand, and compares project management capabilities in New Zealand with those in other countries. Data have been collected from 752 project managers and their supervisors in New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, Israel, and India. Significant differences in the management style and behavior have been found among these countries. For example, New Zealand project managers pay relatively more attention to communication management and risk management, as compared with project managers from other countries. On the other hand, there is relatively low emphasis on learning from experience.