The Maori cultural institution of hui : when meeting means more than a meeting.

Type of content
Journal Article
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2009
Authors
O'Sullivan, John
Mills, Colleen
Abstract

Within all societies individuals gather together for various reasons and in a variety of ways for events that can be collectively termed “meetings”. The Māori cultural institution termed hui is often translated into English as a meeting (Cormack, 2000, Ryan, 2001). Using Volkema and Niederman’s (1996) input/ context-process-output model of the meeting, hui, as described by expert Māori informants, is compared with how Western corporate meetings are depicted in management and communication textbooks used in New Zealand universities over the last decade. The analysis shows that, while the Western approach to meetings and hui share common features, equating the two forms of communication event is inappropriate and results in the key cultural dimensions of hui being ignored. The authors propose that a more thorough explanation of the forms, functions, and cultural underpinnings of both hui and Western style meetings is required in our tertiary textbooks to ensure our students are adequately prepared for their future roles, which in Aotearoa New Zealand will entail working across Western and Māori group communication settings in an appreciative and informed manner.

Description
Citation
O'Sullivan, J. and Mills, C.E. (2009) The Maori Cultural institution of hui: when meeting means more than a meeting. Communication Journal of New Zealand 10(2): 18-39.
Keywords
cultural meeting forms, academic texts, Māori perspectives, cultural values, hui
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Field of Research::20 - Language, Communication and Culture::2002 - Cultural Studies::200207 - Māori Cultural Studies
Field of Research::15 - Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services::1503 - Business and Management::150399 - Business and Management not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research::39 - Education::3901 - Curriculum and pedagogy::390103 - Economics, business and management curriculum and pedagogy
Rights