Waipapa Taumata Rau: Exploring the Māori Economy – Business Beyond Profit is a Faculty of Business and Economics course that explores Aotearoa New Zealand’s socio‑historical context, with a particular focus on the Māori economy.
In this course, students engage with Māori business through Te Ao Māori and Aotearoa New Zealand’s bicultural foundations. The course examines He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as key frameworks shaping Māori self‑determination, governance, and economic activity. Students explore the Māori economy, including the roles of iwi and Māori authorities, and Māori values that support holistic, multi‑bottom‑line approaches to enterprise, leadership, sustainability, and decision‑making.
Through real‑world contexts, students examine how business knowledge and practice are shaped by historical, cultural, political, and ethical influences. Learning is supported by core course content, essential skills mini‑modules, and a range of videos, case studies, and supplementary readings that provide deeper insight.
A Te Ao Māori Approach to Learning
In WTRBUS100, we embrace a Te Ao Māori approach to learning. Throughout the course, whakataukī are used to highlight key ideas and to ground learning in Māori knowledge systems. Whakataukī are traditional Māori proverbs that convey wisdom and cultural values, helping students connect with Māori perspectives, encourage reflection, and support critical thinking.
This course is underpinned by two whakataukī that express its ethos.
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua
I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.
This whakataukī reflects Māori perspectives of time, where the past, present, and future are interconnected, and life is understood as a continuous process.
Ka pū te rūhā, ka hao te rangatahi
The old net is exhausted, and the new net goes fishing.
This whakataukī speaks not only to preparing younger generations for leadership, but also to recognising when existing ways of thinking and doing no longer serve our collective aspirations. It highlights the need to weave new ideas, tools, and approaches so that present and future generations can thrive.
Assessment Kaupapa
Assessment in this course is intentionally aligned with Te Ao Māori and Māori worldviews. Students engage in assessment approaches that value oral histories, storytelling, visual expression, and collaborative ways of working, reflecting relational and holistic approaches to knowledge. Peer assessment is used as a form of co‑learning, where students share knowledge, offer constructive feedback, and learn with and from one another, reinforcing collective responsibility for learning. Assessment is also future‑focused, inviting students to work with contemporary business technologies and practices such as podcasting, short documentary filmmaking, and team‑based projects, building skills relevant to modern organisational and entrepreneurial contexts.