The AERU Value Chain Compass

Collective Values

Articulated Values

A common practice in the case studies was members of a value chain articulating their values, and displaying them prominently in their workplaces or on their websites. These could be in the form of a mission statement or a list of core principles.

For Māori enterprise value chains among the case studies, values could include kaitiakitanga, hihiko, whanaungatanga, rangatiratanga, manaakitanga and pono.

When the articulated values were aligned along the value chain, this was typically an important part of the brand promoted to the chain’s final consumers.

Questions for developing a value chain:

• Can each participant in the value chain articulate the enterprise’s mission in a short statement?

• Can each participant articulate core principles for its enterprise?

• Do the mission statements and core principles of the value chain align with each other?

• If not, are there other potential partners whose values would better align with this value chain?

• Is it possible to articulate the collective values of the value chain using language easily understood by the chain’s target consumers?

• How can the value chain profile its collective values to consumers who share those values?

• What practices does the value chain use to validate and reinforce its collective values?