Business efficiency from a Te Ao Māori perspective
The Business School’s Kaiārahi, Hone Arohaina Te Topa Thorpe (Te Āti Awa), articulates how business efficiency from a te ao Māori perspective goes beyond economic gains and prioritises the well-being of people, communities and the environment.
Kei hea te kōmako e kō? | Where will the bellbird sing?
This is an extract from a well-known whakataukī or proverb. It is a metaphor. If we cut out the new shoots of the flax plant, will the kōmako have somewhere to perch and sing? It is the singing that is about kaupapa Māori, tikanga Māori and Māori values. A Māori business sings of these matters.
We should start by defining a Māori business as opposed to a business that is owned by Māori. A Māori business is one that actively follows kaupapa Māori. It is a business that pursues Māori values and the teachings that have been handed down from tūpuna. It is a business that wants to promote, preserve and advance Māori culture, values and well-being both externally and internally. It is not just a business where its products are branded with Māori iconography, language or imagery. A Māori business considers Māori values on the input and output sides. It connects to Māori values in its processing operations. This connection to Māori values in the production stages is likely to lead to costs that other businesses do not have.
The dominant Western view of business efficiency encompasses the optimisation of inputs and processes so that profit is maximised. Thus costs are minimised and revenues are maximised with little connection to promoting and preserving heritage, culture, and language.
In te ao Māori, an efficient Māori business will also minimise costs and maximise revenue; however, it will consider a broader range of cost activities through its alignment of its business practices with kaupapa Māori, tikanga Māori, te reo Māori, Māori values, principles and other cultural considerations. The idea of business efficiency in te ao Māori, therefore, takes extra considerations into account.
There are holistic factors such as the hauora or well-being of whānau, hapū and iwi. When a business is a Māori business, there is a responsibility to people outside of the business but who are actually stakeholders in the business by virtue of being connected to whakapapa. There is a responsibility of a Māori business to be kaitiaki of not just the environment but also of tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and ngā uara Māori. There is a responsibility to manaaki others, which needs to be built into business activities. Another important value is the responsibility that comes from whakapapa and that is whanaungatanga. The values of kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, and whanaungatanga all create process costs for a Māori business.
Thus efficiency in Māori businesses has two dimensions or parts: firstly, there are the explicit costs of production, and secondly, there are the values costs of production, which raise the question of sustainability of the business. If the business is to be viable and passed on to future generations then it is essential that costs are managed and efficiency in explicit costs and efficiency in values costs are achieved. Overall efficiency can only be achieved with strategies that address Māori values and consequent plans and operations.
Efficiency in a Māori business means an unrelenting constant drive to be disciplined in the control of spending and reduction of costs whether they be for explicit operations or Māori values operations. It is essential for survival and sustainability to pay close attention to costs to maintain Māori values in the business. It really does require undistracted focus on these two areas in order to minimise risk and to remain competitive.
Below is a short list of te ao Māori-aligned Māori values costs that are integral to kaupapa Māori principles and contribute to holistic business efficiency from a te ao Māori perspective:
Whakawhanaungatanga (Building relationships) – Developing and maintaining strong, respectful mana-enhancing relationships with all stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, employees and the wider community. Kaupapa Māori places great importance on relationships and reciprocity. Successful Māori businesses nurture these connections to create a sense of shared purpose and belonging.
Whakatiakitanga (Developing guardianships) – Taking responsibility for caring for the environment and all that emanates from it, including tikanga Māori. Behaving in sustainable ways to ensure the well-being of the environment and all it gives to us is a key aspect of te ao Māori business efficiency.
Whakarangatiratanga (Developing self-determination) – Giving mana to Māori individuals and communities to take charge of their economic destiny and participate fully in decision-making within the business. This may involve promoting Māori leadership and providing opportunities for skill development and capacity building.
Whakamanaakitanga (Developing hospitality and care towards others) – Placing others high up by demonstrating care, kindness, and generosity to everybody including customers and employees. Creating a positive, supportive and mana-enhancing workplace and premises that is genuinely committed to meeting customers’ needs.
Whakapaparanga (Making many layers) – Seeking the many connections that people and resources have to other things. Understanding and respecting the ancestral connections to land, culture, others, and traditions that can influence the business’s long-term vision and planning. Knowing that all things are connected both within and outside of the business.
Whakatakoto he kaupapa Māori (Bringing in Māori ways) – Seeking advice and guidance about things Māori and Māori ways of doing things. Bringing in Māori ways: of knowing, of learning, of ideas, of exchanging, of problem-solving, of consensus building into business strategies and operations.
In conclusion, business efficiency from a te ao Māori perspective goes beyond economic gains and sprioritises the well-being of people, communities and the environment while staying founded in Māori values and cultural integrity. This means that it is accepted in te ao Māori that there may be a potential for lower economic profits due to the desire to follow kaupapa Māori. By embracing these Māori principles, a business can achieve sustainable and meaningful success within the desire to be an integral part of te ao Māori.
Hone Arohaina Te Topa Thorpe (Te Āti Awa) is the Business School’s Kaiārahi. A kaumātua, innovator, author and educator, he guides the faculty in developing strategies that bring Te Ao Māori to the foreground.
