Work values of Chinese university students in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Chinese Mainland: a literature review

Abstract

This presentation reviews the empirical literature on work values among university students in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Chinese mainland. The authors reviewed research studies investigating work values among Chinese university students in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Chinese mainland from 1979 to 2010. In Hong Kong, there are surprisingly few research studies on the topic of work values of university students (e.g. Fung, 1979; So, 1979; Chow & Blumenfeld, 1984; Luk & Bond, 1993; Cui et al., 2006). Compared to Hong Kong, empirical studies of college students in both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are relatively abundant. Localized scales measuring work values have been developed by researchers in Taiwan and Chinese mainland, whereas Hong Kong researchers have relied heavily on the scales established by Western scholars. The extant studies have tended to show that research on work values in the three regions is still considered as fragmented and heavily dependent on Western theories proposed by Maslow, Herzberg, Rokeach, Schwartz (Hung & Liu, 2003; Huo & Li, 2009). Empirical data also revealed that the work values of university students in the three locations seemingly converge in a combination of both materialistic and individualistic values. While there were some common findings across studies from Greater China, differences appeared to include an increasing emphasis on localized studies of core components of work values in Chinese culture, with qualitative and intergenerational research on work values evident in Taiwan. Quantitative and cross-sectional surveys are still dominant in both the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. There is a need for more research on work values of university students as well as value-based counselling practice since work values are found to be a key determinant of an individual’s motivation, action, decision-making (including career choice), functioning and self-definition. Work values also serve as a potential micro-macro link between an individual and social structure and culture (Hitlin & Piliavin, 2004). The future direction should include characterizing work values of Chinese university students, developing a comprehensive theory on work values, developing localized scales, identifying the mechanism of how work values affect work behaviours and outcomes, and placing values clarification as an important part of career counselling practice.