Thursday, October 5, 2017
The largest ever survey of Maori financial attitudes is underway, with 100,000 questionnaires posted to people who indicated Maori descent on the electoral roll.
The Maori Identity and Financial Attitudes Study (MIFAS), Te Rangahau o Te Tuakiri Maori me Nga Waiaro a-Putea, will shed light on how Maori identity shapes financial choices and explore what success looks like from a Maori perspective.
It is also available online and in te reo Maori.
“Cultural identity provides a set of rules and guidelines for living and is a very powerful driver of behaviour,” said Dr Carla Houkamau, who is running the study with Associate Professor Manuka Henare and Professor Chris Sibley at the University of Auckland.
“Our earlier work on Maori identity has made it clear that for Maori to advance economically, and for policy to support that, we need to first understand cultural differences in what Maori value, their notions of wealth and security, and the possibilities they see are available to them as Maori.”
As associate dean of Maori and Pacific development at the business school, Dr Houkamau is concerned that more Maori are not enrolling in commerce degrees.
“The Maori economy is an important and growing part of New Zealand’s economy and by 2040 Maori will be a significant proportion of our working-age population.
“I see so many opportunities in business and education positions with not enough graduates to full them.”
Historically, the Maori population has experienced worse social and economic outcomes than other New Zealanders, however, Maori businesses and tribal enterprises are re-emerging as a significant force, in particular in the primary sector and by receiving Treaty settlements.
Maori have significant opportunities for growth and contribution to the New Zealand economy.
Dr Houkamau said the study was about planning for the future.
“If we do not have reliable data on the attitudes and opinions of a large group of Maori it makes it harder to develop Maori economic policy that is more responsive to the cultural and social realities of Maori communities.
“Maori are less likely to own their own home, tend to have less personal savings and are less likely to enrol in KiwiSaver.
“We want to know what kind of financial products and services may change this imbalance.”
In a previous study, Professor Sibley and Dr Houkamau showed that Maori hugely value relational wellbeing.
It found that those who felt strong in their cultural identity were less likely to be enrolled in KiwiSaver and more likely to expect financial security in retirement.