Dr Jason Mika
(Ngāi Tūhoe, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Kahungunu)
Dr Mika is a director of Te Au Rangahau (Māori Business & Leadership Centre) at Massey Business School and as senior lecturer in the School of Management, Massey University at Palmerston North. Dr Mika’s research interests are indigenous managerialism, indigenous entrepreneurialism and indigenous methodologies in business research.
Dr Mika’s doctoral research, examined the role of publicly funded enterprise assistance in Māori entrepreneurship. Dr Mika is principal investigator for a Ngā Pae o Te Maramatanga funded scoping project ‘entrepreneurial ecosystem efficacy for indigenous entrepreneurs’ and was an associate investigator on the Whakatipu Rawa project led by Dr Shaun Awatere and Te Pae Tawhiti led by Dr Robert Joseph.
Prior to his academic career, Dr Mika previously worked as a management consultant and government analyst. Dr Mika is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, Small Enterprise Association of Australia & New Zealand, International Council of Small Business, and Te Au Pakihi, the Manawatū Māori Business Network.
Towards a Te Ao Māori theory of value: Manahau
Globally, significant economic debate is taking place on whether we need to rethink the dominant ‘theory of value’, namely the neoclassical idea that equilibrium prices reveal value in our economy. Across Europe and beyond, there are now significant programmes of work on ‘mission-oriented innovation’ which centre a new theory of ‘public value’ and more of a partnership model between the private sector and the state. This is based on the work of economist Mariana Mazzucato. In Aotearoa New Zealand, a similar question is being explored from a Te Ao Maori perspective. The research team is developing a theory of value grounded in Indigenous knowledge capable of guiding entrepreneurs and innovators operating for sustainability and wellbeing, creating a range of opportunities for policymakers.