Māori values in the workplace: Investing in diversity

Abstract

This article is part of a pilot study that addresses the issue of Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi obligations in creating and sustaining inclusive workplaces that are reflective of Mäoritanga (things Mäori) so as to promote equitable Mäori-Crown partnerships. Conversational interviews with four employees (two Mäori and two non-Mäori) of a Crown Research Institute (CRI) highlighted how elements of Mäoritanga had been included in the workplace during the previous decade, with leadership from a Mäori manager. Their descriptions of the current status, however, painted a picture of diminished practices resulting from various contextual factors. Those interviewed were keen for their CRI to reinvigorate and instantiate Mäoritanga in the workplace. This article unravels the voices of these employees, briefly describes workplace Mäori iconography, signals the positioning of non-Indigenous employees as “allies” in the workplace, and considers ideas to increase cultural consciousness in accordance with the Treaty of Waitangi principles.