KA PAO: Building Business Skills Online

Don Sheridan Director, Innovative Learning Technologies The University of Auckland Business School Auckland, New Zealand d.sheridan@auckland.ac.nz Manuka Henare Associate Dean M ori & Pacific Development /Director Mira Szszy Research Centre The University of Auckland Business School Auckland, New Zealand m.henare@auckland.ac.nz
Abstract: This paper is a report how an online environment has been designed to become a virtual marae, a meeting house, that embodies the people, their activities and familiar forms of communication. Through the traditional customs and practices of social interactivity we have built a virtual community and an online, responsive consultative environment for entrepreneurs amongst the M ori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand.

Introduction
The Europeans started to arrive in ~1830 and created amongst those living in New Zealand discord, disease, and disenfranchisement. The Treaty of Waitangi signed in 1840 was the foundation document for the indigenous people of New Zealand, the M ori, and the Europeans. More than 500 M ori chiefs signed the M ori language version of the Treaty while the English version of the Treaty remains to this day a contentious version of what was agreed upon. Even though their rights were denied and lands expropriated, the M ori continued tenaciously for many generations to build a common understanding with the Europeans about the meaning and effect of the Treaty. Legislation, and many successful law suits later, M ori recovered assets in excess of NZ$16Bn (US$11.8Bn) with hundreds of claims under the Treaty still outstanding. M ori productivity contributes 2% of New Zealands GDP. M ori businesses range from the minute to the massive, involving on the one hand a small group of entrepreneurs in a remote location, to some of the largest seafood and timber exporters on a world scale. M ori number ~570,000 or 14% of the New Zealands total population of 4M. They are distributed over the North and South Island with concentrations in major urban centres. The entrepreneurial spirit among the people was flourishing before the European arrival!1 The current challenge is to provide guidance and leadership along with funding to create even more jobs and greater financial independence. Dr Peter Sharples (2009) co-leader of the M ori party and member of the current New Zealand government identified the following goals over and above dealing with the effects of the recession: To lift M ori participation in the economy and unlock M ori potential in the appropriate areas so that M ori can take advantage of and be drivers of the recovery. To promote and utilise kaupapa M ori and M ori structures as drivers of prosperity. This is a real area of strength that serves to differentiate M ori and enables us to forge our own unique pathway into the future. The present circumstances are as follows:
1

In 2001, international research by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, found M ori to be the most entrepreneurial people in the world, noting also that M ori played an important role in the history and evolution of New Zealand entrepreneurship. (Petrie, H., 2002).

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There is a projected increase in the M ori population, There is fragility of stable employment treatened by economic & government crises The funds available under the Treaty of Waitangi settlements may fluctuate, but there are incentives provided under various trusts.

Building a Virtual Marae

The KA PAO virtual meeting house or marae is dedicated to the M ori entrepreneurial community. It was created with the inspiration and talents of Ian Taylor2 and his team supported financially by the M ori trusts. The term KA PAO has a familiarity in English but is derived from a M ori proverb from the Ngai Tahu whakatauki " Ka whati te tai, ka pao te torea" (When the tide recedes, the oyster catcher strikes). Ka Pao puts the emphasis on initiative, ingenuity and industry. The aim is to develop a community spirit with a the design that features profile pages, private messaging, individual blogs, group blogs, forums and editorials, forms to assist in basic communication or building a business plan, web links, newsfeeds and social bookmarking. M ori businesses and individuals may initially lurk but are encouraged to join a community of common interests, to mentor others, to meet and build relationships regardless of location, to lobby and debate historic or current issues related to all things M ori and all things business! This being said there is a lack of theory on how to best accomplish the task. (Kraut et al, 2010)

THE MARAE

DISCUSSION
At the first page the options encourage M ori and other visitors to investigate the motivation for the site and receive the traditional greetings. There is an option called the welcome mat that provides how tos & rules. The meeting house provides short videos by distinguished leaders. If the visitor signs on, then their options provide access to areas of interest, blogs, discussions and private messages, resources (newsfeeds, links). Mentors have access to other sequestered areas that involve discussions with students answering questions from the community and vetting them before the answers are released.

Ian Taylor (Ngati Kahungunu tribe) is the CEO of Animation Research perhaps best known for providing the virtual eye for sporting events ranging from real time yachting, and golf to F1 racing and international cricket. http://arl.co.nz [accessed 10 Dec 2010]

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The investment area provides an option to complete a business plan on line, FAQs (with an option to add questions), a range of mentors organised regionally, business networks arranged by industry, business networks arranged by urban area, access to the M ori business research centre, access to the M ori business trusts, and the federation of M ori authorities.

Blogs, discussions and private messages are accessed here. Calendar of events Government tenders & contract opportunities Employment opportunities Training courses @ seminars The latest posts can be viewed Guest speakers Current issues Forum statistics: total subjects, total sections, total categories, etc.

Summary: Inspiration ideas to ignite entrepreneurs. Investment building a business plan, asking questions and receiving answers, talking to a mentor confidentially, investment opportunities. Interactivity a range of communication options including calendar of events, general news, list of member companies (opt-in), list of members (opt-in)

Discussion
Although Ka Pao has been two years in the making, and based upon best practices at the time, its of interest to note Kraut, et al (2010) New forms of technology-mediated social-participation (TMSP) provide unprecedented opportunities to solve important social problems while increasing the collective intelligence of our nation and the world. By supporting closer coordination among larger groups of people, new computing and communication technologies make it possible to address an amazing range of problems in new ways.(p.22)

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From this optimistic note the paper provides reasons for a more collective, multidisciplinary approach in the development of new social computing systems [because] there is a lack of evidence-based, scientific guidance in the building and managing [of] online communities. (p.23) In the current context M ori business leaders have decided to build and support a virtual marae based upon industry designs that blend technology with culture. Kraut et al (2010) quote Newell and Stuart who twenty-five years ago said nothing drives science better than a good applied problem. By being flexible and open in their interaction with their community, and adapting the technology to meet current and future challenges perhaps the virtual marae - and publications about its successes and failures will inspire other indigenous peoples to accepts the challenge to adapt technology to support their culture as well as serve their economic objectives.

References
Kraut, R., Maher, M.L., Olson, J., Malone, T.W., Pirolli, P., Thomas, J.C. (2010). Scientific foundations: A case for technology mediated social-participation theory. Computer 43(11) 22-28. Newell, A. and Card, S.K. (1985). The prospects for a psychological science in human-computer interactions. Human-Computer Interaction. 1(3), 251-267. Petrie, H. (2002). Colonisation and the involution of the M ori economy. XIII World Congress of Economic History, Buenos Aires, July 2002 http://eh.net/XIIICongress/cd/papers/24Petrie75.pdf Shaples, P. (2009). Speech to - Te Awe M ori Business Network 16 June 2009 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/print.html?path=PA0906/S00195.htm

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