The creation of competitive advantage: a Māori learning organisation's marketing strategy

摘要

This thesis examines the application of the disciplines of the learning organisation to inform amarketing strategy inspired by creativity and innovation that fosters lifelong learning in a Māoriorganisational setting, specifically Te Ara Poutama, the Faculty of Māori and IndigenousDevelopment at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).Senge’s 1990 book, The Fifth Discipline, provides the theoretical framework for this thesis. Theapplication of the disciplines of the learning organisation to a marketing strategy, informed byMāori values can facilitate better outcomes for Māori students, our communities and ourselves.A kaupapa Māori philosophical framework underpins the research. The application of non-Māoritheory to an organisation committed to sustaining indigenous cultural values, beliefs and practicesmay seem challenging, but can be done to realise competitive advantage. Furthermore, theresearch provides compelling support for Māori cultural beliefs and practices which complementthe learning organisation theory because they add a unique dimension to the marketing mix.Specifically it is argued that in-depth knowledge of Māori culture, more specifically te reo Māorime ngā tikanga Māori, provides a competitive edge for our graduates in a crowded tertiary sectormarket. As the learning organisation disciplines become entrenched in the faculty, thereceptiveness to change and the propensity to learn faster than our competitors reinforces thiscompetitive advantage. The disciplines of the learning organisation have been successfullyencouraged in a Māori cultural context and, as a result the faculty’s marketing strategy has beenbetter informed.