Psychosocial safety climate through a mātauranga Māori lens: Insights from an Aotearoa/New Zealand school

Emerging research indicates that mātauranga Māori (Indigenous Māori knowledge and worldview) can meaningfully inform leadership practices and organisational decision-making, contributing to economic, social, and environmental outcomes. However, research investigating the potential link between organisations that integrate mātauranga Māori into their practices and employees’ perceptions of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) remains unexplored. This rich case study within an Aotearoa/New Zealand secondary school collected data from multiple sources to examine how mātauranga Māori shaped perceptions and the enactment of PSC. It found that mātauranga Māori has a reciprocal relationship with PSC and can act as a complementary framework by embedding tikanga (Māori cultural values) that enable relational trust, collective responsibility, and a holistic approach to psychological health and safety. This study’s contribution advances the PSC literature by demonstrating that Indigenous perspectives offer novel insights and cultural value in PSC development, reinforcing the importance of culturally responsive practices for employees’ well-being.