Māori ownership in the food and fibre sector and the number of Māori who
work in the different industry groups is well documented.

However, we’ve heard that the proportion of the Māori workforce at a leadership level is weak. Māori are in entry-level jobs and are less likely than others to be team leaders, supervisors, and senior managers. Māori owners in the sector are particularly strong in expressing their desire to have more Māori as leaders in their organisations. Being part of making daily decisions in the workplace can positively affect the wellbeing of their whānau and their whenua.

Ongoing actions

11. Establish a Māori leadership framework, which can be delivered around the country as a programme or course, to lead to a future qualification on Māori leadership.

12. Work with Ringa Hora to develop a micro-credential that recognises Māori leadership learning, so that the knowledge with and skills are recognised within the qualification system.

13. Ensure Māori leadership concepts are incorporated into all leadership qualification that Muka Tangata develops.

 
 
Māori Leadership Development Project – a joint project with the Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence

Māori play a vital role in the food and fibre sector, both in terms of their land holdings dedicated to production and their participation in the workforce. It is widely accepted, though, that Māori representation within food and fibre leadership doesn’t match their contribution to the sector. Simply put, kaimahi Māori tend to be working directly on the whenua with the tools, with significantly fewer in supervision, management and executive roles.

We want to fix that. We already know what good leadership looks like. The knowledge of our tīpuna has been handed down, and enhanced, by plenty of research. We also know that Māori value future thinking and putting others first which makes them natural leaders. What is missing is a way to teach these lessons to potential leaders that go alongside their knowledge of the jobs on the farm, orchard, or forestry block.

Muka Tangata has started working with the Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence on a project that aims to build a framework of leadership principles, and then work with provider partners to teach these principles through wānanga, individual mentoring and reflection. This will give our younger leaders the confidence and support to step up to the influential roles in their businesses and industries.

The project builds on research that describes key leadership principles for Māori specifically, as well as qualities and principles that are relevant to the food and fibre sector which are aligned with te ao Māori. The framework will incorporate this knowledge to establish a Māori leadership framework, which can be delivered around the country as a programme or course, to lead to a future qualification.

Latest update: 

October 2024:

We held a wānanga for emerging and existing Māori leaders across the food and fibre sector at the Food and Fibre CoVE’s office in Taradale in October.

The purpose of the wānanga was to give feedback on the work that has been carried out so far of a draft framework that can be delivered around the country as a programme or course, to lead to a future qualification.

Next steps – Finalise draft framework and socialise for feedback. 

August 2024:

The first milestone of this project has been marked by the publication of the report, A Literature Review of Māori Leadership. 

Through a literature review on existing text, we’ve found that:  

  • the concept of leadership varies notably between Western and Māori cultures, shaped by unique histories, beliefs, and behaviours.
  • Māori leadership tend to derive from a more community-focused approach, with a high degree of employee involvement in decision making.
  • leadership in Māori culture is deeply rooted in te ao Māori, tikanga Māori, and wairua, with values such as manaakitanga (caring), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), and whanaungatanga (relationship building) central to interactions and operations in an organisation.

On the basis of these findings, we are now working to develop a framework which captures these values, and a handbook to support leaders as they develop in these areas.