A researcher investigating why tāngata whenua quit their jobs is urging businesses to write up policies which acknowledge the mana of their Māori employees.
Raiha Hooker Photo: Supplied
Massey University postgraduate student Raiha Hooker is exploring what happens if Māori values are respected by employers and why tāngata whenua stay or leave their professions.
Ms Hooker said human resources staff in workplaces should review their policies to find out whether Māori culture is valued.
She said even though some human resource policies do reflect Māori values and some organisations use Māori culture to promote their business, Māori staff could feel when the organisation was not genuine about it.
Ms Hooker said when an employer is not genuinely enhancing the mana of their Māori staff and showing respect for the culture, Māori employees often feel isolated.
Over half the responses came from professional Māori working in the health and education sectors, she said.
The full survey would be released in February next year.