Māori Entrepreneurship

Māori have a long history of entrepreneurial activity dating back to the period of earliest contact with Europeans in the 18th Century. Entrepreneurial intentions continue to be evident, as identified by the new Zealand Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Reports (GEM 2003, 2006). Te Ara Poutama as the repository of Mātauranga Māori within AUT, is committed to revitalising the flame of entrepreneurship among Māori, and as part of the that commitment will be offering a course in Māori entrepreneurship for MBA and MBus students in 2010.

Ella Henry is currently engaged in entrepreneurial research through her PhD and as part of the GEM Pacific project.

Research Active Staff:

Ella Henry
Senior Lecturer

Ella Henry

Research and Supervisory Interests:Ella Henry is currently engaged in entrepreneurial research through her PhD and as part of a Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) research project. Her PhD thesis will explore the ‘creative spirit’ of Māori who work in the screen production sector. That is, those creative industries which contribute to the production of moving images for film, television, computer, gaming and other screens. It will focus on the background, cultural identity, entrepreneurial intentions, career development and social cognition of Māori practitioners.

The GEM project involves the secondary analysis of data collected as part of the New Zealand Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, which has included 40 interviews with Maori experts in entrepreneurship since the project began in New Zealand in 2000. The analysis will explore the common themes and perceptions held by these experts with a view to better understanding Maori entrepreneurship.

Current PhD and Masters students