Māori work futures: valuing our diversity, enriching our development

Dr Nimbus Staniland, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Senior Lecturer in Management and International Business at the University of Auckland, provides guidance on how HR professionals can think holistically about training and development, in the context of te ao Māori.

Titiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua. Look back and reflect in order to move forward.

When considering the future of work for Māori, it’s important to adopt a broader perspective that simultaneously links the present with the past and the future. For Māori, work exists within a whakapapa that predates today’s organisations. The late Mānuka Hēnare coined the term ‘Economy of Mana’ to describe early economic relationships based on abundance and reciprocity. An economy of mana centres people, rather than capital, in economic activity. For Māori, these activities were determined by both whānau and whenua, in the interest of manifesting and protecting mana.

Mana is at once a highly complex and yet exceedingly simple concept. Many Māori scholars have emphasised the supernatural, spiritual essence and energy that is mana, which can be expressed and enhanced through generous acts in the world. More simply, mana defines responsibility, and responsibility comes with obligations.

Dr Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal has described the purpose of education as facilitating the flow of mana in learners, their communities and the wider world.

In our increasingly secular society, mana is often translated as status, power and authority. However, mana differs greatly from how we understand status and power today. Mana is earned from and regulated by others. Further, mana is enhanced through contribution and redistribution to others, such that giving and reciprocity enhance the mana of everyone involved.

Modern Māori economies are deeply shaped by capitalist and neoliberal forces. Despite He Whakapūtanga o Te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (Declaration of Independence) in 1835 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi affirming mana and sovereignty of Māori, colonisation disrupted whānau, culture and livelihoods through land alienation, imposed wage labour for survival, and education systems that channelled Māori into manual rather than mental labour. Today, wages are our primary source of income, which has created significant disparities in job and life quality, perpetuating intergenerational challenges such as poverty, unemployment and precarious employment.

Understanding the past through the lens of today’s experiences is challenging. Yet, these historical and cultural realities have become embedded within our whakapapa of work. As we consider Māori futures, what learnings can we draw from this whakapapa? Mana necessitates dignified work. How can we shape work to meet physical, spiritual, social and economic needs? How do values of abundance, reciprocity and redistribution inform and transform our thinking about work to create conditions for thriving workforces and communities?

Recognising The Diversity Of The Māori Workforce

Māori identities are rich and complex. Our population is changing, becoming younger and more ethnically diverse. Many of us played vital roles in, or were witness to, the cultural revitalisation of the 1970s and 1980s that saw te reo Māori established as an official language and the rise of Māori medium education through kohanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori. Today, we see second and third generations of tamariki who are well-versed in their histories and stand strong in their cultural identity.

At the same time, our older population has experienced a shift towards individualism and free-market values. Also, our digital natives and their children navigate the impact of technology on learning and livelihoods within the neoliberal system that has been our constant reality. These varied backgrounds influence how we bring our knowledge and experiences into the workplace, contributing to the unique makeup of the Māori workforce today.

Over the past few decades, facilitated by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and greater historical understanding, we have seen an embrace and celebration of te ao Māori across a range of organisations. This has led to the adoption and integration of mātauranga Māori through values, whakataukī and metaphor, and the establishment of new positions for Māori strategy and leadership.

While this shift creates opportunities for the Māori workforce, it can also bring challenges through extra work demands that are not adequately recognised or compensated. This experience for Māori workers has been labelled the ‘cultural load’ or ‘cultural double shift’. This is where Māori workers are expected to engage in the job that they were hired to do in addition to the job of representing te ao Māori in all its complexity. Expectations can be amplified when Māori staff are a minority or represent ‘token’ inclusions to support these initiatives. Indigenous peoples worldwide experience this phenomenon, now reframed by the Weenthunga Health Network as the ‘colonial load’ to emphasise that the burden stems from colonial structures, rather than Indigenous cultures.

To illustrate the diversity of the Māori workforce, my research in higher education demonstrated how cultural values and obligations could manifest differently in Māori careers. For example, Māori varied in the extent to which they prioritised commitment to Māori people and communities (who), and adherence to appropriate cultural conduct (how), evaluating their actions according to what is considered tika (ethical, correct) from a Māori worldview.

Consequently, Māori staff seeking to have an effect through their work may enjoy projects aimed at Māori communities and appreciate opportunities that support this goal. Others may be more interested in ensuring the respectful inclusion of knowledge and proper engagement with others. Managers often don’t understand the time, resources or specific skills required to ensure a correct process is followed, or that not all Māori staff possess these abilities.

Thinking Holistically About Development

Training and development are essential roles for HR practitioners, especially as organisations strive to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and integrate te ao Māori into their operations. If your organisation is embarking on this journey, have you considered the specific effect you want this training to achieve, and how you’ll involve your Māori staff in shaping this process?

Cultural change needs strong support from leadership, which often means that development opportunities are directed toward leadership and executive teams. However, this can create inequities in access to cultural education within the organisation. To counter this, some organisations have hosted wānanga where Māori staff from across the business can connect and receive the same training and development opportunities as the leadership team.

Although Māori are still underrepresented in leadership, many do hold senior roles. When a leadership team includes one or a few Māori members, how does the dynamic of training and development shift? For instance, workshops on our colonial history are likely to have different effects on Māori and non-Māori. Unfortunately, some private sector examples reveal the consequences of lacking cultural expertise within the HR function, leading to missteps that could have been avoided.

For Māori, it is important to recognise that advancing Māori aspirations can take many forms; beginning with self-empowerment and developing your ability to support your whānau is highly commendable.

HRNZ’s Transforming HRM in Aotearoa programme is one example of these development opportunities. How are staff being selected for participation? How is this learning being shared with Māori staff across your organisation, and by whom? Are invitations extended to Māori staff who may not manage a Māori portfolio but are keen to build their capabilities? While industry programmes like these offer valuable services, it’s also crucial to recognise and, where possible, draw upon the expertise within Māori communities, fostering connections between staff, their hapū and marae.

To what extent is what’s good for business compatible with what’s good for employees and their whānau?

Finally, recognising Māori diversity means avoiding the pigeonholing of Māori staff, which can limit their career opportunities. While building cultural capability can be significant, in what other areas do your Māori staff want to grow? While more Māori are gaining formal qualifications, organisations can further support Māori staff by offering tailored development opportunities and facilitating pathways into formal education, helping to build both practical skills and academic credentials. Dr Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal has described the purpose of education as facilitating the flow of mana in learners, their communities and the wider world. HR professionals can take inspiration from this to consider a more holistic approach to development.

For Māori, it is important to recognise that advancing Māori aspirations can take many forms; beginning with selfempowerment and developing your ability to support your whānau is highly commendable.

Toward Thriving Workforces And Wh Nau

A holistic approach to development for Māori staff exemplifies shifts in practice that can foster a thriving Māori workforce. Although the dominant narrative around the work–life interface for Māori and Indigenous peoples globally often focuses on work–life conflict, significant opportunities exist for enrichment, where experiences in one domain can positively influence the other. Enhancing individual capacity within the workplace not only improves career prospects but also increases earning potential, benefiting both employees and their whānau. Further, learning about our histories and our culture can empower individuals with positive, agentic identities, creating beneficial and lasting intergenerational impacts, facilitating the flow of mana through individuals, whānau and communities.

A Māori worldview offers more than just a framework for working with Māori staff, it provides a fresh perspective on the very purpose of work itself.

For instance, one of my projects (yet to be published) with Māori mothers and daughters illustrates how organisational support can influence cultural learning and sharing between generations. From our wānanga, I’ve noticed a link between how passionate our rangatahi are about integrating their culture and language into their future lives and careers, and their current level of engagement and competency, which has been nurtured through both education and whānau support. The structure of their mothers’ work, such as hours and workload, affects their ability to access culturally immersive education. Further, mothers who have been able to pursue continuing cultural and language education – thanks to supportive work structures –serve as powerful role models, demonstrating lifelong learning and cultural commitment to their children.

As HR professionals who desire to support employees, you must continue to ask: to what extent is what’s good for business compatible with what’s good for employees and their whānau? A Māori worldview offers more than just a framework for working with Māori staff, it provides a fresh perspective on the very purpose of work itself. Research shows that Māori authorities and businesses are more likely than most to implement initiatives that support employee wellbeing. Further, because many of the challenges that Māori face in the workforce are reflected in the experiences of other ethnic and migrant groups , getting this aspect right is likely to have broader effects on workforce diversity and inclusivity in Aotearoa.

While the comparatively younger Māori population is frequently highlighted as a critical human resource for Aotearoa New Zealand’s future, I’d urge us to also recognise the full spectrum of strengths that Māori bring, from cultural and social to technical and strategic and more. By working collaboratively to develop these diverse capabilities, we can support thriving workforces and whānau, contributing to a more prosperous Aotearoa.

Nimbus Staniland (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management and International Business. Her research brings a critical lens to the study of careers, work and organisations more generally, with a focus on Indigenous experiences and aspirations. Nimbus is currently a Primary Investigator on a Marsden Fast Start Grant (2022–2024) investigating the career experiences and aspirations of Māori mums and their teenage daughters. She expects findings from this research to contribute to a diverse research agenda that informs policy in numerous areas including health and wellbeing, education, and workforce and talent development, to better support and enable wāhine Māori in Aotearoa.