Māori men at work: leadership, discourse, and ethnic identity

Abstract

This paper explores a specific dimension of intercultural interaction by examining how leadership is enacted specifically through talk by two Māori male managers in New Zealand professional organizations. Any effective leader must be able to provide strong direction to his or her team, as well as having well-developed relational skills, and examples are provided to show how each leader achieves these facets of leadership in a very specific intercultural context. Both leaders work in organizations within a society with predominantly western (Pākehā) values, but which are nevertheless committed to promoting Māori values and furthering Māori goals; ethnicity is thus an important and omni-relevant aspect of interaction in these workplaces. Their Māori values and identity are salient features of the managers' interactions, and integral to their leadership styles and the way they each enact their roles as leaders. Māori concepts such as tikanga (customs), kawa (protocols) and whakaiti (humility), along with the importance given to family and looking after people in Māori culture, are evident. Although some of these values are shared by Pākehā, the analysis highlights areas which contrast with the way Pākehā managers lead in majority group organizational contexts.