What's in my kete? : An exploration of women and leadership in not-for-profit organisations in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Adult Education) at Massey University, New Zealand
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Date
2013
DOI
Open Access Location
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Massey University
Rights
The Author
Abstract
This
thesis
listens
to,
and
learns
from,
the
perspectives
of
five
women
in
leadership
roles
of
not-‐for-‐profit
organisations
in
Aotearoa/New
Zealand.
The
key
objective
of
this
research
was
to
examine
the
essence
of
leadership
for
these
women.
This
qualitative
study
adopted
an
integrated
research
approach,
which
wove
together
Māori
and
Pākehā
understandings
of
research,
knowledge,
and
symbols.
It
privileged
indigenous
ways
of
knowing
by
centring
the
research
on
the
concepts
of
the
kete
–
as
a
material
metaphor
and
a
way
of
communicating
Māori
ways
of
knowing
–
and
kōrero,
which
is
meaningful
conversation
together
with
others,
from
which
to
gather
data.
The
key
question
asked
was
“What
is
in
your
kete?”
which
asked
what
they
brought
with
them
to
their
understanding
and
role
of
leadership,
and
what
continued
to
shape
and
sustain
them
as
leaders.
Participants
were
invited
to
reflect
on
the
research
question,
over
the
period
of
a
month,
collecting
material
symbolic
items
in
a
kete
if
they
desired,
and
then
the
five
participants
gathered
for
kōrero
or
focused
group
conversations
–
two
participants
in
one
kōrero
and
three
participants
in
another,
with
myself
as
a
facilitator.
From
this
dual
method
qualitative
research
approach,
three
key
themes
emerged.
The
first
theme
was
that
the
participants
have
a
whole
personal
community
in
their
kete,
which
has
not
only
influenced
the
leader
in
the
past,
but
continues
to
have
an
ongoing
significance
in
shaping
the
heart
of
leadership
for
these
women.
The
second
theme,
determined
that
there
is
a
clear
sense
of
purpose
that
is
foundational
to
their
work
in
the
not-‐for-‐profit
sector
and
that
there
are
a
whole
web
of
beliefs
that
underpin
the
way
these
women
understand
their
leadership.
The
final
theme
that
emerged
is
the
realisation
that
there
is
power
in
their
kete.
Description
Keywords
Women in leadership, Non-profit organisations, New Zealand