Better off solo? Comparative well-being of MÄ ori employers, sole traders and paid employees

Carla Houkamau, Kieren Lilly, Jamie Newth, Kiri Dell, Jason Mika and Chris Sibley
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Carla Houkamau: The University of Auckland Business School, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Kieren Lilly: School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Kiri Dell: The University of Auckland Business School, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Jason Mika: School of Management and Marketing, University of Waikato, New Zealand
Chris Sibley: School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, New Zealand

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2024, vol. 45, issue 4, 1294-1324

Abstract: MÄ ori, New Zealand’s Indigenous people, are projected to make up over 20% of the New Zealand workforce in 20 years. Employment plays a big role in determining one’s well-being. Drawing on data from 2,378 MÄ ori who completed the survey-based MÄ ori Identity and Financial Attitudes Study in 2017, this article examines differences in subjective well-being between workers in three categories: paid employees, employers (who employ staff) and sole traders (with no employees). Several measures are used to capture well-being across multiple domains. Sole traders were significantly more satisfied with their standard of living and health and higher in self-efficacy compared to paid employees. MÄ ori employers were significantly more satisfied with their standard of living, future security and personal relationships, and reported greater self-esteem and financial satisfaction than sole traders and paid employees. Although only one cultural context is examined, this article demonstrates the potential benefit of understanding the implications of self-employment for Indigenous peoples.

Keywords: Employment status; Indigenous; MÄ ori; occupational characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:45:y:2024:i:4:p:1294-1324

DOI: 10.1177/0143831X231224587

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