Chinese “Little Emperor”, cultural values and preferred communication sources for university choice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Chinese cultural values influence “Little Emperors'” choice of study destination; and their preferred communication sources for university choice. Design/methodology/approach – University students from the People's Republic of China (PRC) in New Zealand were surveyed with an instrument based on Schwartz's “Values survey” and the understanding that cultural values are a powerful force shaping consumers' motivations, lifestyles and product choices. A central‐location (libraries, lecture theatres) sampling strategy was employed. Findings – The results from the research suggest that Chinese cultural values have an impact on “Little Emperor's” choice of international tertiary education and their preferred communication sources for university choice. The study shows that New Zealand society appeals for its low corruption and high level of honesty and fairness which are attractive to these “Little Emperors” because these values help to reinforce group harmony, a prominent characteristic of Chinese society. The “Little Emperor's” preference for using education fairs, university open days and representative agents as sources of information for university enrolment is consistent with the high context nature of Chinese society. Originality/value – Few studies have attempted to understand how cultural values influence young Chinese students' decisions on study destinations and their preferred communication sources for university choice.