Abstract
A growing cohort of tauira Māori are entering business education at a tertiary level in Aotearoa New Zealand, and this therefore creates increasing interest in understanding the factors that contribute to their academic success. This research explored the extent to which Psychological Capital (PsyCap) – a positive psychology framework comprising hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism – and Hauora – a holistic Māori model of general health and well-being – correlate with the academic success of tauira Māori studying business. While PsyCap has been widely applied in Western organisational and educational contexts, its relevance and cultural resonance within Māori contexts remain under-researched. The main aim of the study was to examine the degree to which Psychological Capital and Hauora contribute to tauira Māori studying business’s academic success. Additionally, the study explored the appropriateness of utilising Psychological Capital (PsyCap) with Māori. A two-phase mixed-methods design was employed to achieve these aims. Phase I involved survey data on the PsyCap, Hauora, and academic success in terms of Grade Point Average (GPA) for 46 tauira Māori studying business at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – the University of Otago. Phase II involved kōrero with six participants from Phase I, gathering in-depth data on what tauira Māori studying business think contributes to their success and their reactions to the PsyCap framework. Results from Phase I showed moderate positive correlations between PsyCap and academic success (r = 0.51, p < 0.01) and between Hauora and academic success (r = 0.47, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed evidence supporting PsyCap as having a stronger association with academic success than Hauora (p < 0.05). Results from Phase II revealed three themes: ‘Whanaungatanga as a Foundation for Success’, ‘Navigating Māori Identity in Western Institutions’, and ‘Creating Māori Psychological Capital’. The findings suggest that tauira Māori studying business who have higher levels of PsyCap or Hauora tend to perform better academically. They also highlight the importance of adapting the PsyCap framework for use in Māori contexts by extending it beyond an individual level or integrating it with holistic models that reflect whānau, spiritual, and physical well-being. These insights highlight the potential of interventions that foster PsyCap and Hauora as a means to enhance academic success for tauira Māori studying business.