Contrasts in moral reasoning capacity: the Fijians and the Singaporeans

The moral reasoning capacity of management students in Fiji and in Singapore, two culturally distinct nations, was examined using the Defining Issue Test (DIT). Statistical analyses of the data revealed a marked difference in the reasoning capacity of the two groups. In the Fiji sample, religion and race were found to have a moderating effect on moral judgment. In the Singapore sample, age,race and religion were found to have a significant correlation with moral judgment. The data were subjected to paired-samples-tests using p-score as a dependent variable. The results showed significant differences on the p-score, recording a comparatively weaker reasoning capacity among the Fiji subjects. The results overwhelmingly confirms the assumption that culture plays a definite role in determining one's moral judgment over and above other variables. The implications of findings for cross-cultural management are discussed