Culture Issues in Management - Fijian Culture
Fijian Culture Part 2
A Paper Presented To
Dr.
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of
MGMT, Culture And Gender Issues In Management
University of
College of Business and Public Management
October 18, 2010
Introduction
The Fijian culture is one of great diversity, rooted in a number of contributing ethical backgrounds. Indigenous Fijian, Indian, European, Chinese, and various cultures from neighboring Pacific islands donate to the Fiji that exists today. From the times of Captain William Bligh in 1789, the first settlers, shipwrecked sailors and runaway convicts from the penal colony of Australia, to the colonization of Fiji by the British in 1874, many a custom and tradition has developed. It was not until 1970 that Fiji was independent from the United Kingdom and a constitution drafted in 1997 (Background Note, 2010). Individualism/Collectivism “Individualism exists when people define themselves primarily as separate individuals and make their main commitments to themselves” (Adler, 51). As is evident by the diversity of religion and the interest of young people in the Fijian to move to the United States and other countries, more and more individualism is being experienced by the people of Fiji. History shows us that tribes and clans are not characterized by this behavior, and are usually collective, as was the ancestors of the Fijian Islands. “Collectivism is characterized by tight social networks in which people strongly distinguish between their own groups and other groups” (Adler, 51). Fiji was formerly a culture established by villages, tight knit societies. Family remains a very important part of the culture, and aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents often live in very close proximity (Want To Know More, 2008). “A major recent development in philosophy is the exploration of the possibilities of communitarian societies, in which some of the desirable attributes of both individualism and
A Paper Presented To
Dr.
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of
MGMT, Culture And Gender Issues In Management
University of
College of Business and Public Management
October 18, 2010
Introduction
The Fijian culture is one of great diversity, rooted in a number of contributing ethical backgrounds. Indigenous Fijian, Indian, European, Chinese, and various cultures from neighboring Pacific islands donate to the Fiji that exists today. From the times of Captain William Bligh in 1789, the first settlers, shipwrecked sailors and runaway convicts from the penal colony of Australia, to the colonization of Fiji by the British in 1874, many a custom and tradition has developed. It was not until 1970 that Fiji was independent from the United Kingdom and a constitution drafted in 1997 (Background Note, 2010). Individualism/Collectivism “Individualism exists when people define themselves primarily as separate individuals and make their main commitments to themselves” (Adler, 51). As is evident by the diversity of religion and the interest of young people in the Fijian to move to the United States and other countries, more and more individualism is being experienced by the people of Fiji. History shows us that tribes and clans are not characterized by this behavior, and are usually collective, as was the ancestors of the Fijian Islands. “Collectivism is characterized by tight social networks in which people strongly distinguish between their own groups and other groups” (Adler, 51). Fiji was formerly a culture established by villages, tight knit societies. Family remains a very important part of the culture, and aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents often live in very close proximity (Want To Know More, 2008). “A major recent development in philosophy is the exploration of the possibilities of communitarian societies, in which some of the desirable attributes of both individualism and
References: Adler, N. J., with Gundersen, A. (2008). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. 5th ed. Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing. Background Note: Figi. (2010). Retrieved 13 October, 2010, from http://www.state.gov/ r/pa/ei/bgn/1834.htm. Fiji Culture. (2009). Retrieved 13October, 2010, from http://www.mapsofworld.com/fiji/culture/. Fiji Information, History of Fiji. (2009). Retrieved 13 October, 2010, from http://www. hoteltravel.com/fiji/guides/overview.htm. Triandis, Harry C. (1995). Individualism & collectivism. Boulder: Westview Press. Want To Know More About The Fiji Culture? (2008). Retrieved 13 October, 2010, from http: //www.fiji-island-holidays.com/fiji-culture.html.