Morgan suggests that any situation or proposal can be analysed in terms whether it enhances or detracts from mauri, in relation to 4 dimensions – the mauri of the environment (integrity of the ecosystem), the mauri of the hapu (integrity of cultural identity), the mauri of the community (well-being of society) and the mauri of the whanau (economic wellbeing).
The model has been applied in a number of situations including restoration of a lake, development of a modern building, geothermal development, water recycling, and a regional ‘Smart Growth’ strategy.