Value orientations of students in Austria and Ukraine: Implications for Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify cross-cultural value orientations of individuals in different national cultures. To this end, a survey was conducted in Austria and Ukraine using the Rokeach Values Survey (RVS) (Rokeach 1973). This instrument uses lists of terminal and instrumental values that must be ranked by the survey respondents. 137 Ukrainian and 49 Austrian individuals participated in the study. The survey procedure included the ranking of the importance of terminal and instrumental values for individuals of both countries. Structures of value orientations were identified and analyzed. The results were examined for differences in the importance of terminal and instrumental values between representatives of the two cultures studied (cross-cultural). Main conclusions of the analysis include: value orientations of respondents in Ukraine and Austria show differences related to national characteristics of these groups of respondents (Hofstede 2011). These structural comparisons enable the identification of universal values in national and international environments. From this, recommendations for action can be derived for leadership work both within a culture and in an intercultural context.