Five ways we can back Māori enterprise to lead the economy of mana
According to recent estimates, the Māori economy is worth more than $70 billion, and by 2030 it’s expected to reach $100 billion.
While largely made up of small to medium-sized enterprises, pakihi Māori (Māori business) are recognised for prioritising social, cultural and environmental aspirations.
When asked what they hope to achieve over the next five years, a 2020 survey by BDO NZ found that pakihi Māori prioritise:
Sustainable business growth.
Whānau prosperity and employment.
Uri engagement.
Hospitable marae.
Community opportunities.
The driver behind this way of doing business is steeped in ancient knowledge. It has the transformative qualities needed to create profound change in our economic practices. Tikanga Māori is a cultural mindset that guides and influences behaviour.
Tikanga guiding principles
By and large, tikanga are Māori shared values, customary practices and behaviours embedded in the culture. The concept comes from the Māori word 'tika', which means 'right' or 'correct', so for Māori, tikanga is to behave in a culturally appropriate way. Tikanga is just as relevant today as it was in historical times. These foundational, values-based approaches to business have the potential to challenge, evolve and change how everyone in Aotearoa does business.
There are no limitations to the ways tikanga can be expressed in business; it is fluid, dynamic and adaptable. Kei a koe te tikanga!
When tikanga values guide behaviour in business, profit is measured differently. The bottom line becomes a quadruple bottom line that considers environmental, social, and cultural aspects. Rather than accumulating money and making a profit for profit's sake, the mindset changes and becomes about ways to create a profound and positive impact.
The economy of mana
If we are backing Māori business, the economy of mana, as imagined by the late Professor Mānuka Hēnare, would be what we’re banking on. Like tikanga, the foundations of an economy of mana stretch back to te ao tawhito (the ancient Māori world) and the idea of cultivating a powerful state of generosity and sharing so that our communities and the world around us thrive.
It could be argued that the economy of mana and mainstream economics sit at odds with each other. A key tenet of western economics is scarcity – the demand for finite goods and services. It’s the idea that the scarcer something is, the more value it has – like diamonds and precious metals, for instance. The thing about scarcity is that it focuses on ‘lack’. Seeing life as a finite pie and being afraid that the more people will want to eat, meaning the less there is to go around, encourages a ‘scarcity mindset’.
Rather than seeing resources as scarce, the economy of mana is stimulated by the values of giving and abundance. This is not to suggest a person shouldn't have resources to support themselves; it’s the idea that wealth is more about a person’s ability to manaaki or care for people, communities and the environment. Instead of accumulating wealth, it becomes about generosity and the sharing the wealth. This is an abundance mindset.
Dr Kiri Dell et al. offer the following definition of an economy of mana:
“An economic system in which decisions regarding investment, production, consumption and wealth distribution are influenced by the interplay of mana-enhancing interactions between people and the environment”.
Through tikanga, Māori businesses are hard-wired for mana-enhancing interactions – it’s part of the cultural mindset. The diagram below illustrates the economy of mana whakaaro, or way of thinking, when it comes to decision making, interactions and the economy.
[3] Based on the Principles of an economy of mana table by K.Dell et al. 2018.
The economy of mana is more than a set of guiding principles for businesses; it’s a mindset, a way of doing and being in the world built on reciprocity, generosity and sharing. An idea that symbiotic harmony between the wellbeing of people, the preservation of environmental resources, and material wealth exists and should be expressed in everyday interactions.
Five ways we can back Māori business to lead an economy of mana
If the goal is for Māori enterprises to lead the economy of mana, there are a few ways to support it; here are five of them:
1. Invest in training, entrepreneurship, and recruitment pipelines for Māori entrepreneurs
This will help maximise Māori business opportunities for the Māori talent pool in high-value sunrise sectors and the green economy.
2. Improve business support delivery for Māori businesses
Better coordination of fragmented services is needed so that Māori businesses, especially the small ones, get better access to support at times that suit an owner/operator – not during their working hours.
3. Make business investment fair for Māori enterprises
We need data-driven targets or quotas so that Māori businesses have equitable access to business support funding, such as the Regional Business Partnership grants. We also need to ensure that Māori companies in Tāmaki Makaurau are prioritised for business support and not overlooked by regionally targeted funding.
4. Leverage social procurement and networks
Supplier diversity and workforce procurement targets are a new development for Māori businesses. But for most Māori enterprises to make the most of these business-to-business opportunities, there needs to be more coordination and funding of small business support across diverse sectors. To get more visibility and engage with procurement processes, Māori businesses can register with Amotai, the national supplier diversity intermediary.
5. Work on our mindset
The economy of mana challenges us to look at how we make decisions, interact with whānau and whenua, do business, and spend our time and money. Ānei te wero, here is the challenge; the next time you make a decision, ask yourself if it comes from an abundance mindset or a fear-based scarcity mindset.
To find out more about Māori businesses:
He Karapa Raraunga: Ōhanga Māori i Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland’s Māori Economy Data Snapshot
Te Ōhanga Māori i Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland's Māori Economy Report