Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wise Up: Creating Organizational Wisdom Through an Ethic of Kaitiakitanga

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Organizations are searching for innovative business approaches that deliver profits and create shared value for all stakeholders. We show what can be learned from the relational wisdom approach of Indigenous Māori and reframe the prevailing economic argument that has seen companies profit and prosper at the expense of communities and ecologies. We develop an ethic of kaitiakitanga model premised on Māori values which holds the potential to enrich and further humanize our understanding of business. The Māori economy is a globally connected, prosperous, and profitable sector of the New Zealand economy. By drawing on Māori values, we present a wisdom position through an ethic of kaitiakitanga or stewardship to emphasize and illustrate the interconnectedness of life in a woven universe. Through practicing kaitiakitanga, organizations can build businesses where wisdom is consciously created through reciprocal relationships. In this worldview of business, humans are stewards endowed with a mandate to use the agency of their mana (spiritual power, authority, and sovereignty) to create mauri ora (conscious well-being) for humans and ecosystems—and this commitment extends to organizations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Aotearoa, meaning Land of the Long White Cloud, is the ancient Māori name of this country. New Zealand is a relatively recent name given by settler society.

References

  • Anderson, C. (2006). The long tail: How endless choice is creating unlimited demand. London: Random House Business.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashkanasy, N., Hartel, C., & Daus, C. (2002). Diversity and emotion: The new frontiers in organizational behaviour research. Journal of Management, 28(3), 207–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bierly, P. E., Kessler, E. H., & Christensen, E. W. (2000). Organizational learning, knowledge and wisdom. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 13(6), 595–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biggart, N. W., & Delbridge, R. (2004). Systems of exchange. Academy of Management Review, 29(1), 28–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (1995). Leading with soul: An uncommon journey of spirit. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cajete, G. (2000). Native science: Natural laws of interdependence (1st ed.). Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, A. B., & Buchholtz, A. K. (2008). Business & society: Ethics & stakeholder management (7th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Case, P., & Gosling, J. (2007). Wisdom of the moment: Pre-modern perspectives on organizational action. Social Epistemology, 21(2), 87–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson, M. (1995). A stakeholder framework for analyzing and evaluating corporate social performance. Academy of Management Review, 20, 92–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1994). Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies (1st ed.). New York: HarperBusiness.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2003). Good business: Leadership, flow, and the making of meaning. New York: Viking.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durie, M. (1998). Te mana, te kāwanatanga: The politics of Māori self-determination. Auckland: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durie, M. (2001). Mauri ora: The dynamics of Māori health. Auckland: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durie, M. (2003). Ngā kāhui pou: Launching Māori futures. Wellington: Huia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folger, R., & Salvador, R. (2008). Is management theory too “self-ish”? Journal of Management, 34(6), 1127–1151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frank, R. H. (2004). What price the moral high ground? Ethical dilemmas in competitive environments. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Boston: Pitman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M. (1970). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. In M. W. Hoffman & R. E. Frederick (Eds.), Business ethics: Readings and cases in corporate morality (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadot, P. (1995). Philosophy as a way of life: Spiritual exercises from Socrates to Foucault. Edited by Arnold Davidson and translated by Michael Chase. Oxford: Blackwell.

  • Hawken, P. (2007). Blessed unrest: How the largest movement in the world came into being, and why no one saw it coming. New York: Viking.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, D. E. (2006). Corporate social responsibility: Balancing tomorrow’s sustainability and today’s profitability. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hays, J. (2008). Dynamics of organisational wisdom. The Australian National University School of Management, Marketing, and International Business Working Paper Series. ISSN: 1833-6558.

  • Henare, M. (1988). Nga tikanga me nga ritenga o te ao Māori: Standards and foundations of Māori society. Wellington: Report of the Royal Commission on Social Policy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henare, M. (1994). Human labour as a commodity—a Māori ethical response. In P. Morrison (Ed.), Labour, employment and work in New Zealand (conference proceedings). Wellington: Victoria University.

  • Henare, M. (2001). Tapu, mana, mauri, hau, wairua: A Mäori philosophy of vitalism and cosmos. In J. A. Grim (Ed.), Indigenous traditions and ecology: The interbeing of cosmology and community. Harvard: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henare, M. A. (2003). The changing images of nineteenth century Māori society: From tribes to nation. Unpublished PhD thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington.

  • Hofstede, G. H., & Hofstede, G. J. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (rev. and expanded 2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

  • Holden, A. (2003). In need of new environmental ethics for tourism? Annals of Tourism Research, 30(1), 94–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. A. (2005). Wisdom paradigms for the enhancement of ethical and profitable business practices. Journal of Business Ethics, 57(4), 363–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, T. M., Felps, W., & Bigley, G. A. (2007). Ethical theory and stakeholder-related decisions: The role of stakeholder culture. Academy of Management Review, 32(1), 137–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kao, R. W. Y., Kao, K. R., & Kao, R. R. (2002). Entrepreneurism: A philosophy and a sensible alternative for the market economy. River Edge, NJ: Imperial College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karakas, F. (2010). Spirituality and performance in organisations: A literature review. Journal of Business Ethics, 94, 89–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasser, T. (2002). The high price of materialism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, M. (2003). The Penguin history of New Zealand. Auckland: Penguin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotter, J. P., & Heskett, J. L. (1992). Corporate culture and performance. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Küpers, W. M. (2007). Phenomenology and integral pheno-practice of wisdom in leadership and organization. Social Epistemology, 21(2), 169–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lake, C., & Erakovic, L. (2005). Flourishing on the edge: Case study of Whale Watch Kaikoura, an indigenous sustainable business. In M. Wilson (Ed.), Best case scenarios. Auckland: The University of Auckland Business School.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laplume, A. O., Sonpar, K., & Litz, R. A. (2008). Stakeholder theory: Reviewing a theory that moves us. Journal of Management, 34(6), 1152–1189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leana, C. R., & Rousseau, D. M. (2000). Relational wealth: The advantages of stability in a changing economy. London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mangaliso, M. P. (2001). Building competitive advantage from ubuntu: Management lessons from South Africa. Academy of Management Executive, 15(3), 23–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Māori Language Commission, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. (1995). Te matatiki contemporary Māori words. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

  • Māori tourism not just about hangi and haka. (2007, 26 May). Retrieved May 26, 2007, from www.stuff.co.nz/print/4072921a13.html.

  • Margolis, J. D., & Elfenbein, H. A. (2008). Do well by doing good? Don’t count on it. Harvard Business Review, 86(1), 19–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, J. D., & Walsh, J. P. (2003). Misery loves companies: Rethinking social initiatives by business. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(2), 268–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsden, M. (2003). The woven universe: Selected writings of Rev. Māori Marsden. Otaki: Estate of Rev. Māori Marsden.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, S. M. (1997). Landmarks, bridges and visions: Aspects of Māori culture. Wellington: Victoria University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles, R. E., Miles, G., & Snow, C. C. (2005). Collaborative entrepreneurship: How communities of networked firms use continuous innovation to create economic wealth. Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, T. K. (2008). The value of a hapū perspective to municipal water management practice: Mauri and its potential contribution to sustainability decision-making in Aotearoa New Zealand. Unpublished PhD, University of Auckland.

  • New Zealand Institute for Economic Research [NZIER]. (2003). Māori economic development: Te ōhanga whanaketanga Māori. Wellington: NZIER.

  • Ngunjiri, F. (2010). Lessons in spiritual leadership from Kenyan women. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(6), 755–768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orlitzky, M., Schmidt, F., & Rynes, S. (2003). Corporate social and financial performance: A meta-analysis. London: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinto, V. (2007, September). Japan’s nuclear power plants under scrutiny. Economic and Political Weekly, pp 3923–2935.

  • Porter, P. (2009). Four themes of Māori leadership, Te whakaarotanga o ngā whakatōranga o ngā mātua, ngā tūpuna: Capturing the thoughts of the elders. Auckland: Te Ringa Whero, The Mira Szászy Research Centre, The University of Auckland, unpublished manuscript.

  • Post, J. E., Lawrence, A. T., & Weber, J. (2002a). Business and society: Corporate strategy, public policy, ethics (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Post, J. E., Preston, L. E., & Sachs, S. (2002b). Redefining the corporation: Stakeholder management and organizational wealth. Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reihana, F., Sisley, M., & Modlik, H. (2007). Māori entrepreneurial activity in Aotearoa New Zealand. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 4(5), 636–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rooney, D., & McKenna, B. (2007). Wisdom in organizations: Whence and whither. Social Epistemology, 21(2), 113–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowley, J., & Gibbs, P. (2008). From learning organization to practically wise organization. The Learning Organization, 15(5), 356–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royal, T. A. C. (2002, February 21). Indigenous worldviews: A comparative study. Report for Ngāti Kikopiri, Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, Te Puni Kōkiri, Fulbright New Zealand, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

  • Rynes, S. L., Bartunek, J. M., & Daft, R. L. (2001). Across the great divide: Knowledge creation and transfer between practitioners and academics. The Academy of Management Journal, 44(2), 340–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rynes, S., Bartunek, J., Dutton, J., & Margolis, J. (2010). Understanding and creating caring and compassionate organizations [Call for papers]. Academy of Management Review, 35(3), 495–497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sama, L., Welcomer, S., & Gerdel, V. (2004). Who speaks for the trees? Invoking an ethic of care to give voice to the silent stakeholder. In M. Sharma & S. Starik (Eds.), Stakeholder, the environment and society (pp. 140–165). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII). (2004). The concept of Indigenous peoples. Workshop on data collection and disaggregration for Indigenous peoples. New York: Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

  • Sen, A. (2009). Capitalism beyond the crisis. The New York Review of Books, 56.

  • Senge, P. M., Scharmer, C. O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. S. (2004). Presence: Human purpose and the field of the future (1st ed.). Cambridge, MA: SoL, The Society for Organizational Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Senge, P. M., Smith, B., Kruschwitz, N., Laur, J., & Schley, S. (2008). The necessary revolution: How individuals and organizations are working together to create a sustainable world. London: Nicholas Brealey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharples, P. (2008, July 2). Engaging communities. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia conference (Vol. 2008). Rotorua, Retrieved August 5, 2008, from http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0807/S00033.htm.

  • Shirres, M. P. (1997). Te tangata: The human person. Auckland: Accent Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sisodia, R., Wolfe, D. B., & Sheth, J. N. (2007). Firms of endearment: How world-class companies profit from passion and purpose. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spiller, R. (2000). Ethical business and investment: A model for business and society. Journal of Business Ethics, 27(1–2), 149–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spiller, R. (2007). Responsible investing: Make money and make a difference. In N. Harré & Q. D. Atkinson (Eds.), Carbon neutral by 2020: How New Zealanders can tackle climate change. Nelson, New Zealand: Craig Potton Publishing.

  • Spiller, C. (2010). How Māori cultural tourism businesses create authentic and sustainable well-being. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Auckland, Auckland.

  • Spiller, C., Erakovic, L., Henare, M., & Pio, E. (2010). Relational well-being and wealth: Māori business and an ethic of care. Journal of Business Ethics, 98, 153–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, N. (2007). The economics of climate change: The Stern review. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. (2001). Why schools should teach for wisdom: The balance theory of wisdom in educational settings. Educational Psychologist, 36(4), 227–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, J. (2006). Making globalization work. London: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suddaby, R. (2010). Editors comments: Construct clarity in the theories of management and organization. Academy of Management Review, 35(3), 346–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, D. T., McConnell, A., & Mason, A. (1997/2007). The sacred balance: Rediscovering our place in nature. St. Leonards: Allen & Unwin.

  • Tencati, A., & Zsolnai, L. (2009). The collaborative enterprise. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(3), 367–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tipu Ake ki te Ora. (2011). Retrieved May 11, 2011, from www.tipuake.org.nz.

  • Tsui, A., Nifadkar, S., & Ou, A. (2007). Cross-national, cross-cultural organizational behavior research: Advances, gaps, and recommendations. Journal of Management, 33(3), 426–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. (2006). State of the world’s Indigenous people. Accessed January 4, 2011, from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/sowip.html.

  • UNSD (United Nations Statistics Division). (2010). Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings. Accessed January 1, 2011, from http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm.

  • Vieten, C., Amorok, T., & Schiltz, M. (2006). I to we: The role of consciousness transformation in compassion and altruism. Zygon, 41(4), 915–931.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waddock, S. (2004). Parallel Universes: Companies, academics and the progress of corporate citizenship. Business and Society Review, 109(1), 5–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wicks, A. C., Gilbert, D. R., Jr., & Freeman, R. E. (1994). A feminist reinterpretation of the stakeholder concept. Business Ethics Quarterly, 4(4), 475–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M. A. H. W. (2004). Dictionary of the Māori language (7th ed.). Wellington: Legislation Direct.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2007). Doing business with the world: The new role of corporate leadership in global development. Geneva: Author. [Brochure] Retrieved from www.wbcsd.org/web/doingbiz.htm.

  • Zohar, D., & Marshall, I. N. (2004). Spiritual capital: Wealth we can live by (1st ed.). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge with thanks Nga Pae o te Maramatanga, the centre for Maori research excellence, for their financial support. We would also like to thank the editors of the Journal of Business Ethics and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments; Pro-Vice Chancellor Maori, Dr. Pare Keiha, for his mentorship; and Isaac Pio and Dr Rodger Spiller for their steadfast encouragement.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Management and International Business, University of Auckland Business School, Owen G Glenn Building, 12 Grafton Road, Auckland, New Zealand

    Chellie Spiller, Lijijana Erakovic & Manuka Henare

  2. School of Business & Law, AUT University, 42 Wakefield Street, Level 8, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Edwina Pio

Authors
  1. Chellie Spiller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Edwina Pio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lijijana Erakovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Manuka Henare
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chellie Spiller.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Spiller, C., Pio, E., Erakovic, L. et al. Wise Up: Creating Organizational Wisdom Through an Ethic of Kaitiakitanga . J Bus Ethics 104, 223–235 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0905-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0905-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation