Zoe Flack

Management encouraged Zoe to question how organisations should operate, grounding her in ethics, culture and values she now brings to her work at Te Whatu Ora.

The way businesses are run and the decisions they make have a significant influence on the way we live our lives, whether we like it or not. Studying in the School of Management gave me the intellectual freedom to think critically and creatively about how businesses could or should be. I began questioning what is “taken for granted”, questioning the assumptions of others, questioning my own biases and worldview, and dissecting how these underlying ideologies and belief systems affect the way organisations are managed. It was through this critical lens that I discovered my passion for business ethics and organisational culture.

I used to feel small, like I could not make a difference, and that I simply had to accept the way things are. Through studying in the School of Management, I have come to realise that while I may not be able to change everything I seek to, my actions, big or small, can make a meaningful, positive impact on organisational culture and values. I now actively seek to influence the culture of my team every day, even if it is something as simple as making morning tea to share with my coworkers on a Monday. Most importantly, learning about ethics in business and organisational culture reconnected me with the formative values and sense of self that I thought I had lost in my early years; values grounded in kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga, and manaakitanga. I will be forever grateful for this.

I was lucky enough to tutor several management courses, and through this experience I built strong, lasting relationships with fellow students and teaching staff. The relational nature of the School of Management became one of its most defining and impactful aspects for me. In fact, these connections directly contributed to securing my first Public Sector role on the Industrial Relations Team at Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand. A lecturer I deeply admire encouraged me to apply, and several of my lecturers generously supported me by acting as referees. I would not be where I am today in my career without the collective support of my School of Management whānau. I still carry these connections today as some of my most prized relationships.

Discover how our graduates have shaped their own pathways through Management—into careers, research, and leadership.