Business School overview

Our distinction as the first business school in Australasia to achieve Triple Crown accreditation - a feat accomplished by only 1% of business schools worldwide - underscores our commitment to excellence. We are dedicated to shaping the future of individuals, organisations, and society through our commitment to inspirational business-related research, education, and external engagement. The School offers a diverse range of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and is noted for its strong graduate outcomes, state-of-the-art facilities, and commitment to research and innovation. Emphasising student engagement, a diverse and international faculty and student body, and interdisciplinary learning, the School maintains its leadership in business education and research. As of 2024, our student body comprises 5,800 EFTS (Equivalent Full-Time Students), with 27% being international students. Our faculty includes staff from over 28 countries, bringing varied global perspectives and establishing strong international networks.

The School’s purpose, vision, mission, and values reflect its intention to use inspirational business-related education, research, and external engagement to improve individual lives, businesses, economies, and society.

Purpose: Tāraitia Waka – Shaping Futures.
Mission: We shape our students’ futures, and we aim to have a transformative impact on the future of organisations and society in New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, and the world through our research.
Vision: We will contribute to a fair, ethical, sustainable, and prosperous society for people and planet by enabling organisations and all peoples to build the right capabilities for future success.
Values: We live our values through our behaviours and actions, with strong and enduring commitments to open intellectual inquiry, collaboration, creativity, equity, diversity, and inclusion:

• Respect and Integrity
• Excellence
• Service

The School’s values reflect the University’s foundational relationship with tangata whenua and its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, reflected in our fundamental principles:

• Manaakitanga – Caring for those around us in the way we relate to each other.
• Whanaungatanga – Recognising the importance of kinship and lasting relationships.
• Kaitiakitanga – Valuing stewardship and guardianship and our relationship with the natural world.

The School’s purpose, vision and mission statements reflect its intention to use inspirational business-related research, education and external engagement to have a transformative impact on the future of business and society both locally and globally. The School delivers on its vision and mission by focusing on five strategic themes of high economic and social importance:

• Innovation and value creation
• Succeeding in international markets
• Productivity and sustainable business
• Leadership and governance
• Inclusive Capitalism

In 2023, the School introduced the fifth strategic theme, Inclusive Capitalism, signalling its increased commitment to business that is fair, ethical, sustainable, and prosperous.

When the School crafted its Strategic Plan 2020 - 2025 in 2019, the global landscape was markedly different. Since then both student preferences and business paradigms have undergone significant changes. The School has since navigated through ongoing crises, economic instability, waning social cohesion, rapid technological advancements (including AI), and unprecedented disruptions. In 2021, the University of Auckland launched its new strategy, Taumata Teitei, Waipapa Taumata Rau — the University of Auckland’s Vision 2030 and Strategic Plan 2025. The strategy is centred on a foundational relationship with tangata whenua and a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Alongside this, there is a sharpened focus on prioritising education and research efforts to improve insight and understanding of global concerns and opportunities and taking informed and positive action through the ethical use of knowledge. The University also refreshed its Graduate Profile and launched a Curriculum Framework Transformation project to support implementation of the strategy. These significant developments necessitated a refresh of the 2019 Business School strategy. ‘Tāraitia Waka - Shaping Futures’, the Business School’s Strategic Plan for 2023–2025, was finalised in 2023 and provides a clear path towards achieving the School’s aspirations over the next two years. Development of the refreshed strategy was led by the School’s Senior Leadership Team and involved consultation with Business School staff through School-wide wānanga and external stakeholders including the School’s Advisory Board. The refreshed strategy reflects the shifts in business thinking, changing learner preferences and aligns with the core values and objectives highlighted in Taumata Teitei.

‘Tāraitia Waka - Shaping Futures’, the Business School’s Strategic Plan for 2023–2025

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