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

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.