THE SLEEPING TANIWHA: Exploring the Practical Utility of Kaupapa Māori in Firm Performance Diane Ruwhiu A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy At the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand February, 2009 ii ABSTRACT This thesis takes the position that firm performance is derived from the value embodied by combinations of distinct socio-cultural resources and capabilities. In particular, this thesis explores practice in the context of Māori business to understand the mutual influences between economic exchange and social-cultural structures in terms of achieving improved firm performance. I begin by suggesting that much of the knowledge development and community practice in organisational analysis is subsumed within a Kuhnian conventionalism, which is not useful to gaining a deeper understanding of firm performance. I argue that what is required is an approach that emphasises the contextual development of society and organisation (embodied by social and cultural relations). This brings to the fore the pragmatist epistemology of practical knowledge, an approach to research and analysis of organisations that is at the heart of this research. Practical knowledge connects to the pragmatic orientation of Indigenous logics in this instance kaupapa Māori, which draws us to a perspective of knowledge that is experiential, contextual, diverse and inclusive. The effectiveness of a practical knowledge perspective by means of its pragmatic epistemology allows us to understand Māori businesses operating within a distinctive frame of socio-economic rationality providing a broader utility leading to culturally constituted forms of practice. It was through this lens that I engaged with the proposition regarding firm performance prompting us to look at the field of leadership (habitus), exchange (inter- capital exchange) and relationships (field) in particular. A major emphasis was a search for an appropriate method that would provide an avenue of authentic engagement with the cultural context embodied by kaupapa Māori. In terms of empirical investigation this thesis advances the utility of narrative as an expository technique and interpretive device that accords full recognition of Māori socio-cultural systems of relationships, historic circumstances and current practices. Conducted over three years (December 2004 and June 2006), the fieldwork component involved multiple strands of narrative in the form of dialogue, stories, iii metaphors, documentation and experiences of myself, other individuals and Māori economic development hui, or gathering. A key finding of this thesis is that kaupapa Māori as expressed through business practice offers a practical utility in relation to the capability of and potential outcomes for improved firm performance. I argue that there are unique characteristics of Māori business practice, which are grounded in the epistemological stance of kaupapa Māori in combination with Western philosophies and techniques of organisation that contribute to the performance of Māori businesses. In addition, I argue that it offers a view of the organisation as something beyond a disembodied system of market exchange and recognises the embeddedness of social processes in each culture will bring specific cultural nuances to the formulation of what constitutes organisational success. Finally, I suggest that kaupapa Māori research, grounded by the epistemological and ontological assumptions of an Indigenous paradigm provides opportunities for gaining greater insight into the dynamics of organisation and management research. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mihi mihi Tēnā koutou Greetings Ko Tarai o Rahiri My Mountain is Tarai o Rahiri te maunga Ko Manga Kahia te awa My River is Manga Kahia Ko Ngāi Tu raua ko Ngāti Toutahi My hapū are Ngai Tu and Ngati aku hapū toutahi Ko Ngā Puhi te iwi My iwi is Ngā Puhi Ko Parahaki te marae My marae is Parahaki Ko Ruwhiu te whānau My whānau is Ruwhiu Ko Diane Rongo taku ingoa My name is Diane Rongo No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Greetings to you all tēnā koutou katoa I am very grateful to THE RESEARCH WHĀNAU For the privilege of sharing their stories and experiences MY SUPERVISORS Prof. Colin Campbell-Hunt For your steadfast guidance Dr. Malcolm Cone For your vision and tenacity Dr. Manuka Henare For mentoring from afar MY WHĀNAU For your unconditional aroha and tautoko. Fred & Margaret Ruwhiu, Kylie & James Karawana-Ruwhiu, and I am particularly grateful to my sister Donna. To all of the Ruwhiu whānau and Cummings Clan for their love from afar and to Lyndon for being you. v TO THOSE WE’VE LOST BUT KEEP ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS MY FRIENDS I have been fortunate to have had the encouragement of friends too numerous to mention - old and new. I treasure the support I have received. Bronwyn (for your insight and support … for just ten minutes and another ten minutes …); Jo (for sharing the good & the bad); Liz (for taking the time to stop by and ask how I was); Leanne (for letting me take my ten minute breaks in your office); Fiona (for being that pragmatic ear to keep me on track during these final stages); Friends & Colleagues - Richard, Sara, Kaye, Trace, Catherine, Michelle, Clare, Linda, Rachel, Hazel, Judy, Jacinta, Department of Management at Otago (for being there); Mira Szászy Research Centre, Auckland University For your tautoko Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga For their Doctoral Stipend and their doctoral support networks without which I would not have been able to undertake my research, the way I wanted to. Kia ora. Thank you. AROHANUI vi PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THESIS Ruwhiu, D. (2008). Whakawhanaungatanga: culturally situating the organisational Researcher. Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference. December 2008, Auckland, New Zealand. Ruwhiu, D. (2008). Raranga kōrero: the utility of narrative for kaupapa Māori research. Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference. December 2008, Auckland, New Zealand. Ruwhiu, D. and Wolfgramm, R. (2005). Revealing the key to research in indigenous organizations. Paper presented at Unlocking Organization, The twenty-first European Group for Organizational Studies Colloquium, June 30th – July 02nd, Freie Universitat, Berlin. Ruwhiu, D. (2004). Māori business development: developing an indigenous methodology. Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference. December 2004, Dunedin, New Zealand. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IV PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO THESIS VI TABLE OF CONTENTS VII LIST OF FIGURES XI LIST OF TABLES XI GLOSSARY XII LIST OF MĀORI TERMS XII LIST OF IWI (MĀORI TRIBAL CONFEDERATION) XIII LIST OF KARAKIA (INCANTATION) XIII PROLOGUE XV CHAPTER ONE: THE LANDSCAPE AS NARRATIVE 1 I. THE RESEARCH LANDSCAPE 3 A. THEORISING FOR AN INDIGENOUS PARADIGM 4 B. NARRATIVE INQUIRY 11 II. SITUATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 12 A. THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS 12 B. USING REFLEXIVITY TO ADDRESS THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 15 C. REPRESENTATION 17 III. THE STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 20 PART ONE - THE KAUPAPA 23 CHAPTER TWO: THE UTILITY OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE IN ORGANISATIONAL ANALYSIS 25 I. QUESTIONING THE ‘STATUS QUO’ IN ORGANISATION RESEARCH 26 A. TO BE OR NOT TO BE … THAT IS THE QUESTION 27 II. PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE 30 A. A FOCUS ON PRACTICE 31 B. THE LOGIC OF PRACTICE 34 C. PRAGMATIST EPISTEMOLOGY 36 III. ADVANCING A PRAGMATIC EPISTEMOLOGY IN FIRM PERFORMANCE 38 A. CONSEQUENCES FOR FIRM PERFORMANCE 39 B. STRATEGY AS PRACTICE 41 viii C. RETHINKING FIRM PERFORMANCE 44 IV. PROPOSING AN INDIGENOUS PARADIGM 46 CHAPTER THREE: THEORISING FOR AN INDIGENOUS PARADIGM 48 I. KAUPAPA MĀORI – A MĀORI WORLDVIEW 48 A. MĀTAURANGA MĀORI: MĀORI EPISTEMOLOGY 49 B. HE AHA TE MEA NUI? HE TANGATA. HE TANGATA. HE TANGATA. 53 C. THE MĀORI ECONOMY 57 D. INVOLUTION: A PERIOD OF DISRUPTION 62 II. KAUPAPA MĀORI RESEARCH - AN INDIGENOUS PARADIGM 66 A. AN ALTERNATE PHILOSOPHIC FRAMEWORK 67 B. THE DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE 72 III. AN INDIGENOUS PARADIGM: IN BRIEF … 77 CHAPTER FOUR: SITUATING ANALYSIS – MĀORI BUSINESS PRACTICE 79 I. SITUATING THE FIELD OF PRACTICE 79 A. THE CONTEXT 80 B. MĀORI BUSINESS 83 C. RESEARCH ON MĀORI BUSINESS 86 II. PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AS A FRAMEWORK OF ANALYSIS 88 A. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FIELD OF MĀORI BUSINESS 89 B. THE QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN THIS THESIS 94 III. NARRATIVE RATIONALITY 96 CHAPTER FIVE: WHAKAWHANAUNGATANGA - CULTURALLY SITUATED RESEARCH 97 I. RESEARCH ORIENTATION 98 A. NARRATIVE INQUIRY 98 B. LOCATING THE NARRATIVE 100 II. CULTURALLY SITUATED RESEARCH 102 A. THE RESEARCH WHĀNAU 103 B. PARTICIPANT DRIVEN RESEARCH 107 C. REFLEXIVITY - MY ‘LIVED’ INVOLVEMENT 110 III. CRAFTING THE NARRATIVE 112 A. MAKING PRIVATE WORDS PUBLIC 113 B. INTERPRETATION OF THE NARRATIVE 116 IV. REFLECTING ON NARRATIVE INQUIRY 119 A. VERISIMILITUDE & VERACITY 121 V. THE NEVER-ENDING STORY 122 PART TWO - RARANGA KŌRERO 125 CHAPTER SIX: [HI]STORIES OF PRACTICE 128 I. THE KAUPAPA OF MĀORI BUSINESS 128 A. CONTEXT OF MĀORI BUSINESS 130 B. CULTURAL FRAMEWORK INFORMING PRACTICE 133 II. IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE: … 138 ix A. WHAT THEY DO … 140 B. … AND WHY THEY DO IT THAT WAY. 143 III. FIELD OF ANALYSIS 147 A. “WE WANT TO BE WHO WE ARE” – MIKAERE 148 B. TAONGA - FORMS OF CAPITAL 152 C. MANA MOTUHAKE 155 IV. A KAUPAPA MĀORI PERSPECTIVE OF PRACTICE 159 A. CULTURALLY CONSTITUTED FORMS OF ORGANISATIONAL PRACTICE 160 V. IN BRIEF 162 CHAPTER SEVEN: KAUPAPA MĀORI LEADERSHIP 164 I. CHALLENGING MAJOR THEMES IN LEADERSHIP 166 A. MAJOR THEMES IN LEADERSHIP 166 B. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF LEADERSHIP 169 II. DISCUSSION: CULTURALLY CONSTITUTED LEADERSHIP 172 A. LOCATING CULTURAL IDENTITY IN LEADERSHIP 172 B. PRACTICE: CONTESTED LEADERSHIP 176 III. KAUPAPA MĀORI LEADERSHIP 179 A. KAIĀRAHITANGA 180 CHAPTER EIGHT: KAUPAPA MĀORI SYSTEM OF EXCHANGE 183 I. CHALLENGING DOMINANT SYSTEMS OF EXCHANGE 184 A. SYSTEMS OF EXCHANGE 186 B. A CONTEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION OF TRADITIONAL EXCHANGE 188 II. DISCUSSION: CULTURALLY CONSTITUTED SYSTEMS OF EXCHANGE 193 A. CHARACTERISTICS OF MĀORI SYSTEMS OF EXCHANGE 193 B. PRACTICE: ECONOMY OF AFFECTION 199 III. KAUPAPA MĀORI SYSTEM OF EXCHANGE 202 A. WHAKAWHITI 203 CHAPTER NINE: KAUPAPA MĀORI COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS 206 I. CHALLENGING THE DISEMBEDDED CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIELD 207 A.