bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Yummy Mummy?: (Re) Appearance of the Maternal Body in Popular Women's Magazines in New Zealand
Authors:   , Taylor Deborah
Published: November 2021

Images and detailed descriptions of the postnatal maternal body have become more common in popular women's magazines than they have in the past. Although researchers generally accept that popular media's representations of the female body contribute to body image concerns among some women, there has been little research that has focused on the recent media constructions of the maternal body or the effects of this increased visibility. This is an important area of research as there are indications that media representations of the postnatal body, in particular body size, are beginning to have negative affects on women's wellbeing in pregnancy and after childbirth. This thesis examines how women's bodies are being represented in popular culture when they become mothers, and what discourses these representations make available to new mothers. The research involved analysing references to the maternal body found in a convenience sample of popular NZ women's magazines. The research, framed within feminist poststructuralist theories, used thematic analysis and discursive analytic tools to explore textual and visual representations of the maternal body found in the magazines. Three major constructions of mothers emerged from the analysis; these were 'sexy', 'healthy' and 'labouring' mothers. Women who, through 'body work' such as diet and exercise, had lost weight and dressed glamorously were depicted as sexy, healthy and praised for their efforts. Mothers who regained a slender, glamorous appearance were often referred to as 'yummy mummies'. Women who lost 'too much weight' were considered to be ill and were individually pathologised as having psychological problems. Mothers were encouraged to diet and exercise as soon as possible after childbirth, with scant reference to possible health concerns for mother or baby, and were targeted by the diet industry.  Postfeminist and neoliberal discourses of empowerment, choice and self-care were used to promote and justify these images of mothers. Findings suggest appearance of new mothers was emphasised wherein the 'undisciplined' normal maternal body was denigrated as dull, unattractive and unworthy. Analysis indicated that a new cultural imperative for women to return to slenderness as soon as possible is being evoked. Given the new media pressures being imposed there is a clear need for research with new mothers themselves. Such research will illuminate a period in womens lives that had previously slipped below the radar of culturally prescribed strict beauty standards, but is now under the glare of the media spotlight.
'To the Curious Enquirer': Depictions of Pacific Peoples in Popular Illustrated Books from Paris and London c.1775-1810
Authors:   , Morrell Vivienne Ruth
Published: November 2021

This study considers a range of illustrated encyclopaedias published in London and Paris in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries depicting peoples of the Pacific or Oceania. Using a framework of curiosity, exoticism, and costume iconography, as well as considering relevant contemporary developments, I argue that, despite the widespread appeal to 'curiosity', the books reveal a fairly superficial interest, at a popular level, in other peoples: one that is mainly interested in contrasting 'civilised' Europe with less civilised or 'savage' others. The genres to which these books belonged developed in the sixteenth century, and the books considered in this study followed their genre traditions, fitting the 'new discoveries' of Oceania into these existing traditions. The frontispieces set the tone of the books, and embodied moral value judgements revealing European views of political, social and economic relations between Europe and other peoples and countries at that time. They were also following an iconographic tradition set down much earlier and generally failed to acknowledge recent events that challenged these prevailing views. I consider how the images of Oceanic peoples in the French costume books were developed (or as I argue 'invented') from the source material, which was mainly images in the published accounts of Captain Cook's three voyages. In inventing images designed to please the eye, the sources chosen reveal the prejudices and expectations of European readers. But how were the 'new' Oceanic peoples incorporated into these books? By seeing Oceanic peoples as part of America it was easy to fit them into existing prejudices about 'savages' and into existing pictorial conventions for depicting 'savages'. For an audience expecting to see 'savages' wearing grass skirts and feather headdresses these images would have appeared 'authentic'. My study will highlight more popular views rather than the views of philosophers, or the voyagers' accounts, which understandably have been given more academic attention. These books are overlooked today because they are derivative and their images are not necessarily ethnographically accurate; yet they were popular in their time. They represent a conservative Eurocentric viewpoint and their inclusion of new material from Oceanic voyages did not challenge these views. Images and texts such as these likely reinforced European views of their own superiority and made it easy to justify missionary activity and colonisation in various parts of the world, particularly Oceania.
Impact of Macro and Micro Governance Structures on Earnings Management
Authors:   , Houqe Muhammad Nurul
Published: November 2021

This study examines the macro and micro level determinants of the quality of reported earnings. The prior literature suggests that both micro and macro variables impact on discretionary accruals choice in managing earnings. However, most of the studies on earnings management have been single country studies that have focussed only on micro variables as all firms within the samples examined have been subject to the same interplay of macro economic, legal, cultural and institutional frameworks. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using a sample of 156,906 firm year observations from 63 countries over the period 1998-2007 to examine the role of thirteen micro and macro variables in determining earnings quality. The macro variables studied include legal enforcement, political system, and control of corruption, culture and adoption of IFRS. Earnings management is estimated using the modified Jones model (Dechow et al. 1995) in a cross section (DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994; Francis et al. 1998). The results of the study indicate that macro and micro level variables have a strong impact on earnings management behaviour and thus earnings quality. The limits imposed by a country's legal, cultural and institutional setting on managerial discretionary accruals choices, strongly impact the quality of reported earnings. Future research on earnings management should therefore control both micro and macro level variables.
Domain Name Disputes: Is Private Dispute Resolution Working?
Authors:   , Liddicoat Joy Jennifer
Published: November 2021

InternetNZ has responsibility for management of the .nz domain name space. This dissertation examines InternetNZ's development and implementation of the Dispute Resolution Service Policy (the DRS). The DRS, which is being reviewed in 2010, provides a substantive legal test for unfair registration of a domain name and a dispute resolution process. This dissertation asks whether the DRS is working effectively and, if so, what this reveals about the operation of the Internet in New Zealand. The dissertation shows that the DRS is a low cost, high quality alternative to litigation and is being run in a pragmatic but principled way by InternetNZ. Implications are discussed and recommendations are made for minor improvements. The dissertation concludes with a call for more participation in, and critique of, Internet policy developments given the important human rights issues that can arise and the significance of the Internet in New Zealand today.
A phenomenological exploration of how bilingual police recruits join the police community during their initial training
Authors:   , Pepper Kiely Frances
Published: November 2021

New Zealand seeks to increase the diversity of its police organisation and this research provides an insight into perspectives of bilingual police learners. Learning to become a police officer challenges any recruit to develop academic, physical and social skills. This study examined the cultural and linguistic adaptations reported by bilingual recruits as they developed the necessary repertoire of skills to join the police community.  Through a phenomenological methodology, this research considers the rich, individual perspectives provided by three recruits about their lived experience as bilingual learners during their 19 week initial police training. Data were gathered through interviews and on-going personal journals. Two major themes emerged. The first relates to learning to be a New Zealand Police officer by envisioning themselves as a member of the professional community of the police, and also identifying with the wider culture of being a New Zealander. The second theme is personal reflection, as the participants learnt about themselves and reflected on their backgrounds through undertaking a range of activities, interacting with people, and managing emotions. These themes were further analysed against dimensions from a community of practice framework.  Participants in this study valued the support of other recruits and especially of the supervising staff. However, it appears that engagement in the police community might be further enhanced if college staff were fully aware of the linguistic and cultural demands faced by bilingual recruits who must come to terms with multiple cultures while developing their police identity.  This study highlights the need for further research on the changing identity of bilingual police officers both under training at the college and immediately after starting full-time employment.
Re-Cycling the Streets: Exploring the Allocation of Public Space for Transport
Authors:   , Beetham Jean
Published: November 2021

This study explored the extent to which road space reallocation from on-street parking to an arterial cycle way may be warranted between Wellington city’s southern suburbs and city centre. Latent demand and preferences for transport cycling were assessed using an intentional behaviour change model, and a study of the economic contribution of the on-street parking on Tory Street to adjacent businesses was undertaken.  This study identified a significant latent demand for transport cycling in Wellington. Transport cycling is suppressed primarily because of a perceived lack of safety. Road safety improvements were identified as the key change required to encourage the uptake of transport cycling. In particular, people in Wellington desire a continuous and connected network of separated and dedicated cycle ways. Potential cyclists indicated that they would be likely to cycle for transport more often if a cycle path connecting Wellington’s southern suburbs and city centre was constructed. Contrary to what might be expected, it appears that the majority of people would support the removal of some on-street parking to provide for this cycle way. Additionally, this study found that the contribution of those who use on-street parking to adjacent retail vitality on Tory Street is minor, compared to the contribution of those who do not require parking and those who use off-street parking.  This research concludes that, considering Wellington’s context and policy, the reallocation of road space from on-street parking to an arterial cycle way between Wellington’s southern suburbs and city centre may well be warranted.
What Makes a Commuter Cyclist? A Mixed Methods Study of Behavioural Antecedents and Perceptions of Commuter Cycling in the Wellington Region
Authors:   , Randal Ed
Published: November 2021

Encouraging active transport contributes to both environmental sustainability and public health objectives. However, due to a myriad of physical, societal and personal factors, shifting car trips to the bicycle is notoriously difficult especially in societies where car use is deeply engrained in both the social and urban fabric. It is therefore important to explore novel approaches to promote utilitarian cycling.  Past studies have suggested there may be a link between cycling for recreation and cycling for transport. If this is the case, one could hypothesise that policies that promote recreational cycling may also indirectly promote utilitarian cycling.  This study begins to explore this important research question by investigating whether recreational cyclists are more amenable to utilitarian cycling than non-cyclists, using a case study of commuting in the Wellington Region of New Zealand.  Behaviour theory, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, provided the conceptual framework for a mixed methods analysis of Wellington Region commuters. Empirical modelling of commuter cycling behaviour showed that almost all antecedents of the behaviours of recreational cyclists are closer to those of commuter cyclists than to non-cyclists. Qualitative analysis provided further evidence that recreational cyclists are more prepared and willing to cycle their commute than non-cyclists.  It is concluded that, for the study sample, recreational cyclists are indeed more amenable to commuting by bicycle than non-cyclists in the Wellington region.
Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of motivational teaching strategies in an Indonesian high school context
Authors:   , Astuti Sri Puji
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this multiple case study is to explore teachers’ and learners’ perceptions of motivational strategies. This study addresses three questions: How do teachers perceive the use of motivational teaching strategies; how do teachers implement these strategies; and how do learners’ report the impact of these strategies on their motivation. The findings of this study help teachers of English understand the effectiveness of strategies that motivate their students and the impact of implementing these strategies in their teaching.  The data for this case study research were obtained from schools in a small town in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This study is underpinned by Dörnyei's (2001) work on Motivational Teaching Strategies. He identified a total of 102 such strategies, which he grouped into four phases: creating motivational components; generating students’ motivation; maintaining motivation; and encouraging positive retrospective self-evaluation. These phases build on each other so that student motivation is created, generated, maintained and encouraged (Dörnyei, 2001). The underlying assumption of this framework is that teachers’ behaviours and beliefs have a direct influence on learners.  This qualitative research uses case study methodology in order to contextualise the research within the real life environment of an Indonesian secondary classroom (Yin, 2003). Additionally, this approach allows different data collection techniques (Yin, 2009). These include semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, stimulated recalls, and focus group interviews.  The findings indicate that the implementation of Dörnyei’s (2001) framework, motivational teaching practice (MTP), and Hall and Kidman’s (2004) teaching and learning map (T-L map) are complementary. The findings reveal two groups of motivational components. The first is the teachers’ rapport with students, including the encouragement given to students and the building of trust and respect with the students. The second relates to the teacher’s planning decisions such as the selection of classroom activities, the way feedback is given, the management of the classroom, and the choice of learning resources. The findings also suggested that the appropriate use of L1 is a motivational teaching strategy. It is unique to this study that L1 not only promotes L2 learning but also influences students’ motivation.  These findings suggest that teachers of English in an Indonesian high school context can influence their students’ motivation by understanding the impact of motivational teaching strategies on students' learning and behaviour. The teachers themselves play a very important role in motivating their students.
Countries of the Blind: Blindness and the Creation of Other Worlds in “The Country of the Blind”, “The Black Grippe” and The Day of the Triffids
Authors:   , Buchanan Andi C. R.
Published: November 2021

This thesis examines the depiction of mass blindness in three works: H.G. Wells’s “The Country of the Blind”, Edgar Wallace’s “The Black Grippe” and John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids. In their description of a near-universal impairment, blindness, these texts challenge the typical portrayal of disability in fiction, as an affliction affecting an individual. They reflect how society has been constructed around particular assumptions of ability and how that might be different in another society, be it an isolated village or a world changed by infection or Cold War era weapons. In their depictions of the sighted people in these worlds, they highlight the distinction between disability and impairment, including in one case a sighted man disabled by a society constructed for and by blind people. I place these texts in a context of the time of writing and argue that they themselves give context to more recent discussions of disability – and diversity generally – in speculative fiction. They demonstrate the unique potential of speculative fiction to move beyond an individualised representation of disability by the creation of new worlds.
Tātai Tara, Genealogical Storying: A Foundation of Decolonisation in Oceania
Authors:   , Strathern Iain Thomas
Published: November 2021

This thesis reads Patricia Grace's Baby No-eyes, and Albert Wendt's The Adventures of Vela and The Mango's Kiss to highlight the essential nature of tātai tara (genealogical storying) in the decolonisation of Oceanian identity. Central to the thesis is a personal mythology, a kind of memoir that recounts some of the author's foundational stories in the form of prose and poetry. The first core chapter deals with a discussion of post-colonial 'skins', the things that we believe are part of ourselves that essentially come from being socialised in a colonial culture. The chapter “Skeletons”, explores the family secrets that give rise to shame that is intergenerational. Finally, Flesh and Blood demonstrates the powerful nature of reclaiming family stories as a way of re-education and healing. Ultimately, the thesis aims at an understanding of tātai tara, a process that happens whether we are aware of it or not, and how the individual is a creator of his or her own identity through the level of engagement with the stories.
Negotiating the Slope: Prefabricated Hillside Dwellings Meet Nordic Influence
Authors:   , Mackenzie Monique R.A.
Published: November 2021

In Wellington we are faced with the difficult task of building on our undulating topography. It does however offer inhabitants stunning vistas and to architects the rare opportunity to explore new ways of building, generating distinctive typologies. However, it is questionable whether a bespoke construction method is the most appropriate means for building houses on hillsides in present times. Prefabrication has been a prevalent housing construction method in Scandinavia and for many years and offers a number of advantages, particularly to difficult sites (Smith 255). It is emerging as an option for housing in New Zealand but faces significant problems when confronted with sloped topography (Rouillard 137). The prefabrication movement has become synonymous with the stylistic outcome of modernist detached dwellings, and while this marriage may be an outgrowth of intention rather than a technical requirement, challenging the rectilinear is relatively unheard of (Smith 251). The stylistic concerns embedded by fanciers of 50’s modernism are inherent to the representation of manufactured housing (Smith 251). For prefabrication to become popular in present day society misconceptions regarding stylistic limitations must be resolved. Residential architecture has the potential to shape our architectural identity more significantly than civic buildings. I propose this because we form a closer relationship to ‘home,’ and as a typology they cover a significant proportion of our landscape. To understand how to form an architectural response in the context of Wellington, I looked to contemporary Norwegian architecture which demonstrates contextualising architecture to the landscape. The stylistic character of Norwegian design, and parallels which made their principles applicable to New Zealand, were additional incentives for this focus. This thesis is broken into four parts; background research, design explorations, design discussions and conclusion. In background research, I establish parameters for constructing houses on hill sites. Technical limitations are presented and a range of hillside typologies are identified. Prefabricated systems internationally offered are documented accompanied by the technologies available specifically in New Zealand. The design exploration section illustrates two designs which explore how a hillside typology can be augmented with a prefabricated system. Each is assessed in relation to response to topography and adaptation of Norwegian ideologies. The design discussion revolves around a hillside development of five residential structures and their interconnectivity. Leading into the discussion is a detailed analysis of the prefabrication system implemented, and the modifications to that system which were tested through design. Here, the construction sequence is mapped. This is followed by an architectural discussion on site, access, planning and materials. The conclusions drawn in the final section tie together all these elements.
Missionaries, modernity and the moving image: Re-presenting the Melanesian Other to Christian communities in the West between the World Wars
Authors:   , Ramage Stella
Published: November 2021

This thesis considers conflicting representational strategies used by Christian missionaries in displaying Melanesian people to white audiences in the West with particular reference to films made during the period of colonial modernity between 1917 and 1935. Most scholarly work on Christian mission in the Pacific has focussed on the nineteenth century and on the effect of Christianisation on indigenous populations, rather than on the effect of mission propaganda on Western communities. This thesis repositions mission propaganda as an important alternative source of visual imagery of the Melanesian ‘Other’ available to white popular audiences.  Within a broader commercial market that commodified Western notions of Melanesian ‘savagery’ via illustrated travelogue magazines and commercial multi-media shows, missionaries trod an uneasy knife-edge in how they transmitted indigenous imagery and mediated cultural difference for white consumers. Five case-studies consider missionary propaganda from four Christian denominations in disparate parts of Melanesia. They reveal a temporal trajectory in the conflicted but symbiotic relationship between, on one hand, missionary organisations interested in propagandising their work and, on the other, travelogue-adventurers operating with commercial motives. This trajectory follows missionaries as they move from facilitation of travelogue-adventurers, through passive commissioning of their services, then active collaboration, and finally to autonomous film-making in their own right.  I consider how white missionaries played a pivotal role in both enabling and subverting the dominance of the prevailing commercial paradigm of the period: that Melanesians are by nature and definition ‘savages’ and ‘head-hunters’ residing in a thrilling, timeless, virtual place called ‘Cannibal-Land.’ These contradictory impulses, I contend, destabilised both Christian and ‘Cannibal-land’ stereotypes. This destabilising effect was not restricted to film, but I suggest that it was amplified by the use of the quintessentially modern medium of moving images. I argue that film – particularly film made by missionaries – posed an implicit challenge to the essentially literary trope of ‘Cannibal-land’. Moving images offered a more unruly medium within and around which indigenous Melanesians of the colonial era could sometimes display what I term a radical visibility that escaped and transcended both types of Western stereotype.
Modelling Secular Variation in the Southwest Pacific for the last 400 years
Authors:   , Alfheid Maha Ali
Published: November 2021

A spherical cap harmonic analysis (SCHA) model has been used to derive a high-resolution regional model of the geomagnetic field in the southwest Pacific region over the past 400 years. Two different methods, a self-consistent and the gufm1 dipole method, have been used to fill in gaps in the available data.  The data used in the analysis were largely measurements of the magnetic field recorded in ships logs on voyages of exploration in the region. The method chosen for the investigation used a spherical cap of radius 𝜃₀ = 50° centered at co-latitude and longitude of (115°, 160°). The results of each method used for SCHA are presented as contour plots of magnetic field declination, inclination and intensity and are compared with similar plots for a global model, gufm1. The root mean square misfit of the self- consistent and gufm1 dipole model to the actual data were around 2900 nT and 23000 nT respectively.  Overall, the results suggest that the self-consistent model produces a more reliable model of the geomagnetic field within the area of interest than does the gufm1 dipole model. With more data included the self-consistent model could be further improved and used to develop a high-resolution mathematical model of the geomagnetic field in the southwest Pacific region.
Home Detention (Draft Three)
Authors:   , Cowley Judith Irene
Published: November 2021

Original screenplay.
Factor affecting the adoption of information and communication technology in the tourism sector of the Maldives
Authors:   , Ali Vizaad
Published: November 2021

For many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Maldives, tourism is a significant area of business. The increasing reliance on information and communication technology (ICT) in the tourism industry has become one of the major challenges facing developing countries, especially the SIDS. The success of the tourism industry in SIDS is closely associated with the use of ICT applications and e-business techniques.  This research studied the extent of utilisation of e-business and the issues that arise in its adoption and use in the organizations that make up the tourism industry of the Maldives. A theoretical framework was developed to identify the issues pertaining to use of ICT and e-business. The research was qualitative in nature and used a combination of grounded theory and multi-grounded theory approaches for data analysis in order to develop a new theoretical framework. This inductive process resulted in three emergent themes: representing three domains Country, Sector, and Information Systems (IS). ICT or e-business adoption and integration in the tourism organizations is affected by Sector, which is by and large influenced by the Country, which in turn impacts on the IS domain. These three complementary themes formed a new theoretical framework, generating a set of factors and institutional forces affecting the adoption and integration of ICT or e-business in the tourism organisations of the Maldives. This study contributes to our understanding of e-business in developing countries, in particular to small island developing states with islandness, like the Maldives.
The Impact of the Perceived Value of Records on the Use of Electronic Recordkeeping Systems
Authors:   , Lewellen Matthew James
Published: November 2021

Today’s electronic documents and digital records are rapidly superseding traditional paper records and similarly need to be managed and stored for the future. This need is driving new theoretical recordkeeping models, international electronic recordkeeping standards, many instances of national recordkeeping legislation, and the rapid development of electronic recordkeeping systems for use in organizations. Given the legislative imperative, the exponential growth of electronic records, and the importance to the individual, organization, and society of trustworthy electronic recordkeeping, the question arises: why are electronic recordkeeping systems experiencing different rates of acceptance and utilization by end users? This research seeks to address that question through identifying the factors that influence a user’s intention to use an electronic recordkeeping system.  Although a significant body of research has been dedicated to studying system use in various situations, no research in the information systems discipline has yet focused specifically on electronic recordkeeping and its unique set of use-influencing factors.  This research creates a new conceptual research model by selecting constructs to represent the technology acceptance literature and adding additional constructs to represent organizational context and knowledge interpretation. It also introduces a new construct: the perceived value of records.  A survey instrument was developed and administered to a sample of public servants from the New Zealand government in order to evaluate the research model quantitatively and determine the relative importance of the factors.  By identifying the factors that impact the use of electronic recordkeeping systems, this research will inform future strategies to improve the capture and retention of our digital heritage. As Archives New Zealand states: “Do nothing, lose everything. If no action is taken, public sector digital information will be lost.”
Factors influencing book selection decisions by academic librarians in an Arabic Islamic context
Authors:   , Flanigan Niall Gerard
Published: November 2021

There are many factors to be taken into account when making selection decisions in an academic library including curriculum need, suitability of content, user interest, and academic input. Academic librarians in the Muslim Arabic country of the United Arab Emirates face the added challenge of making judgements about the suitability of the content in view of the community in which they work. In the absence of comprehensive collection development policies librarians are at times required to make decisions based on the sometimes conflicting demands of traditional Muslim values and their own beliefs about intellectual freedom. In this study nine academic librarians were asked to consider the suitability of twelve books and to offer criteria for their decision. A range of variables was also explored to identify possible relationships between the variables and selection decisions. The variables appearing to have an effect on decisions include the gender and nationality of the student population, and the nationality and religion of the librarian.
Evaluating the user perceived usefulness of Enterprise Social Networking
Authors:   , Vaseegaran Naveen
Published: November 2021

This paper aims to identify user perceived usefulness of enterprise social networking within the public and private sector of Wellington NZ. It aims at determining the specific factors that appeal to enterprise social networking users. This paper first outlines the global trend towards enterprise social networking based on academia and IT industry papers. It draws parallels between ESN and KM to better understand the unique attributes of ESN. In particular it brings to focus the social nature of ESN and the use of modern technologies that facilitate ease of use. It also highlights the community nature of ESN and its importance in managing knowledge security, quality, trust and sense of sharing. These dimensions help form the basis on which the interview questions are based. Anti- positivism philosophical approach is used to peer into user perceptions and make sense of the research findings.  Qualitative data shall be gathered through interviews. 7 participants will be involved in the interviews. Participants will be a mixture of MIM students and IT professionals employed within the private and public sector.  The outcome of this study is to better understand contemporary views on the topic and shape future direction in better dissemination of enterprise social networking in the local industry. The focus on what the user perceived usefulness of social networking within wellington will give insights into user adoption strategies for enterprise social networking.
Beyond waged work: The everyday politics of alternative socio-economic practices
Authors:   , Diprose Gradon Jay
Published: November 2021

Within geography and beyond there has been much discussion about how to best respond to the mounting inequalities, pressing environmental concerns and socio-economic precarity that appear to characterise current neoliberal capitalist societies. Kathi Weeks (2011) suggests that contemporary forms of precarity are linked to dominant discourses around waged labour which she terms the ‘work society’. This work society is characterised by three inter-related expectations that frame waged work as morally necessary, as the primary right to citizenship, and as the main way to participate in wider society. Weeks argues that these expectations have increased since the global financial crisis, yet paradoxically there are fewer secure and meaningful waged jobs available.  In response to these socio-economic and environmental concerns, feminist autonomous geographers like J-K Gibson-Graham (2006) argue that the best way to respond is to ‘take back the economy’ at local scales. Rather than ‘overthrowing’ global neoliberal capitalism, Gibson-Graham and groups such as the Community Economies Collective have been engaged in ongoing projects which foster and enact alternative practices and subjectivities.  In this thesis I draw on the work of J-K Gibson-Graham, the Community Economies Collective and others to explore two examples of collective social action in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. These two examples are the relational arts platform, Letting Space, and the Wellington Timebank. I employ a post-structural approach drawing on ethnographic methods to explore how these collectives foster and enact alternative forms of exchange and community in response to the dominant discourses of the work society. I draw on the ideas of Jacques Rancière (2001; 2004) to show how the practices associated with Letting Space and the Wellington Timebank create political moments which disrupt the work society. I complement these discussions about political moments by drawing on the work of Judith Butler (2006b) and Jean-Luc Nancy (1991; 2000) to show how subjects enact forms of community that are not based on fixed identities.  In this thesis I provide an important contribution to geographic literature by illustrating the potential of relational art and Timebanking practices to move beyond the melancholy affects associated with leftist politics over the last 30 years. I argue that the forms of social action explored in this research provide one practical way for subjects to partially negotiate the contradictions of the work society while simultaneously fostering forms of community that are more open and not premised on exclusionary identity categories.
Global Mindset, Networks and Trader Performance: A Study of the Global Grain and Oilseed Sector
Authors:   , Price Richard William
Published: November 2021

As a result of globalisation of trade, the research on the role of global mindset (GM) in enhancing performance has gained momentum in the new millennium. Even though GM is considered as an essential prerequisite to performance in the current international business environment, the empirical evidence of the direct effects of GM on performance is mixed. One of the reasons for this mixed evidence is the existence of other mechanisms, such as mediators and moderators, which influence GM–performance relationships. This study focuses on one such mechanism, namely networks (NWs), and examines how NWs mediate the association between GM and the performance of the global grain and oilseed traders. The study argues that GM has little direct effect on trader performance (TP). Rather, GM strengthens network structure (NWS), which collectively leads to enhanced network leverage (NWL) and thus increased TP.  Based on a sample of 78 traders in the global grain and oilseed sector (GGOS), the study finds that both the network (NW) components – NWS and NWL – mediate the association between GM and TP. The finding of full path mediation provides empirical evidence that superior GM leads to superior NWS, which results in superior NWL and thus superior TP. The method used in data analysis is Partial Least Square Structural Equations Modelling (PLS-SEM), using SmartPLS software.  This study makes two main contributions. Firstly, the study endorses the critical role of GM in enhancing the performance of traders in the GGOS. Secondly, the study provides a deeper understanding of how GM enhances performance; that is, the serial mediating roles of NWS and NWL. The current research has largely suggested single mediation of relationship quality. This study goes a step further and introduces NWL into the argument. The key implications of the study include the need to strengthen the GM and NWs of traders, as the interplay between the two is critical in enhancing their performance. The findings need to be interpreted carefully, as the study suffers from limitations of small sample size and single sector study.
Exploring the importance of employee incentives and their effectiveness in improving quality performance in a Cambodian public organization
Authors:   , Tep Oun
Published: November 2021

The main purpose of this study is to identify the importance of incentives and their effectiveness in employee performance. The detail of this research will be conducted in an attempt to demonstrate whether incentives have a great potential to increase public employees’ motivation and work performance. The purpose of the research is also to illustrate to what extent incentives are used in the Cambodian public service sector. To fulfill the objective of the research as well as to obtain real and reliable data, a research study was conducted at the Cambodian Investment Board – CIB under the Council for the Development of Cambodia – CDC.  The method of this research study was implemented with a qualitative analysis to investigate the work characteristic of Cambodian public employees, and to identify the correlation between the rewarding, recognition and employee work performance. In addition to the research method, the analysis of the qualitative interview data was to be done through the use of thematic analysis. After the qualitative research method was completely finished, the findings of the research study were much the same as those mentioned in the literature review. The data analysis proved a significant correlation between incentives in the form of rewards and recognition, and better work performance.  Based on the findings of this research study, most of the public employees in the above mentioned organization commented that both financial and non-financial incentives are significantly important to encourage and motivate them for greater work performance. It also indicated that there was an absence of employee incentive particularly financial incentive. Meanwhile, the level of utilization of non-financial incentives is extremely poor. Therefore, within the limitations of the research study, it could be concluded that both financial and non-financial incentives have a potential effect on employee motivation and work performance in the public service organization of Cambodia.
The letters of French and German soldiers in World War One
Authors:   , Sippel Rebekka
Published: November 2021

This thesis uses letters written by French and German soldiers to investigate the mobilization of masculinity during World War One 1914-1918.  Through the letters of French and German soldiers of World War One, the thesis discusses the initial ways the soldiers were encouraged to enlist, which includes discussions on patriotism. The work also discusses the concepts of brotherhood and equality, and the idea of protecting women. While masculinity in these two societies was highly militarized, the soldiers took their role as domesticated men very serious and rarely followed instructions from censors as to what to write to their families. Although soldiers were separated from their loved ones and relationships were truly strained by separation, they never forgot their role at home.  A comparative framework has been employed to highlight significant differences in French and German ideals of masculinity. This includes an emphasis on religion among French soldiers and the concept of Heldentod in German letters.  The analysis of hundreds of letters in published or digitized collections complicates the image of French and German soldiers portrayed in both official propaganda and historians’ work. For example, French and German soldiers had different ideas concerning thoughts on the enemy and equality within the army took on different forms as well. Yet the soldiers from both nations had similar notions regarding goals of personal survival and the defence of the country.  Studies of World War One soldiers’ letters have overwhelmingly focused on English language sources. Therefore, an overall aim of this thesis is to contribute to existing research in the English language by using French and German sources. The aim of translating these letters is to facilitate the availability of foreign language sources for English-language historians.
Misfits: An ethnographic study of extremely fat patients in intensive care
Authors:   , Hales Caroline
Published: November 2021

Critically ill fat patients pose considerable healthcare delivery and resource utilisation challenges which are often exacerbated by the patients’ critical condition and types of interventional therapies used in the intensive care environment. Added to these difficulties of managing care is the social stigma that is attached to being fat. Intensive care staff not only have to attend to the specific needs of the critically ill body but also navigate, both personally and professionally, the social terrain of stigma when providing care to this patient population.  The purpose of this research was to explore the culture and influences within the intensive care setting in which doctors and nurses cared for fat patients. A focused ethnographic approach was adopted to elicit the specific knowledge and ‘situated’ experiences of caring for critically ill fat patients from the perspectives of intensive care staff. The setting for this study was an 18 bedded tertiary intensive care unit (ICU) in New Zealand. Participant observation of care practices and interviews with intensive care staff were undertaken over a four month period. This study adopted an insider perspective throughout the research process as the study site was also my place of work. The dual tensions of the nurse and researcher position are reflexively explored through the thesis.  Key findings from this research reveal how fat patients were considered to be ‘misfits’ in the ICU as a result of not fitting the physical, medical, and social norms of intensive care practices. Staff managed their private perceptions of fatness during care situations through the use of emotional labour, behavioural regions, and face-work. Through the construction and presentation of the professional and private ‘face’, staff were able to establish positive social experiences for fat patients.  This study has brought new understandings of fatness; often percieved as the last socially accepted form of discrimination. Conceptualising fat patients as ‘misfits’ in the intensive care setting, reveals the performances of staff in managing the social awkwardness of fat stigma. The implications of this for healthcare is the provision of clinical services that are fit for purpose and a reconceptualisation of how staff use emotional labour in order to deliver non-discriminatory care to socially stigmatised fat patients.
Convex Optimisation for Communication Systems
Authors:   , Singh Sudhir
Published: November 2021

In this thesis new robust methods for the efficient sharing of the radio spectrum for underlay cognitive radio (CR) systems are developed. These methods provide robustness against uncertainties in the channel state information (CSI) that is available to the cognitive radios. A stochastic approach is taken and the robust spectrum sharing methods are formulated as convex optimisation problems. Three efficient spectrum sharing methods; power control, cooperative beamforming and conventional beamforming are studied in detail.  The CR power control problem is formulated as a sum rate maximisation problem and transformed into a convex optimisation problem. A robust power control method under the assumption of partial CSI is developed and also transformed into a convex optimisation problem. A novel method of detecting and removing infeasible constraints from the power allocation problem is presented that results in considerably improved performance. The performance of the proposed methods in Rayleigh fading channels is analysed by simulations.  The concept of cooperative beamforming for spectrum sharing is applied to an underlay CR relay network. Distributed single antenna relay nodes are utilised to form a virtual antenna array that provides increased gains in capacity through cooperative beamforming. It is shown that the cooperative beamforming problems can be transformed into convex optimisation problems. New robust cooperative beamformers under the assumption of partial and imperfect CSI are developed and also transformed into convex optimisation problems. The performance of the proposed methods in Rayleigh fading channels is analysed by simulations.  Conventional beamforming to allow efficient spectrum sharing in an underlay CR system is studied. The beamforming problems are formulated and transformed into convex optimisation problems. New robust beamformers under the assumption of partial and imperfect CSI are developed and also transformed into convex optimisation problems. The performance of the proposed methods in Rayleigh fading channels is analysed by simulations.
An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Chinese Students’ Satisfaction with Postgraduate University Study and Life in New Zealand
Authors:   , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: November 2021

Chinese students are one of the largest groups of international students studying in New Zealand. The wellbeing of Chinese students in the New Zealand educational context has aroused interest from educators from both China and New Zealand. This research explores the satisfaction of Chinese students from a cultural perspective. It adopts an interpretive phenomenological approach to investigate Chinese students’ definitions of satisfaction and the role of Chinese culture values, particularly, renqing, guanxi, mianzi in influencing their experience of satisfaction while they living and studying in New Zealand. Data were collected through six in-depth interviews with Chinese postgraduate students at one university. Based their experience studying and living in New Zealand, most of the participants reported very individualized understandings of the term “satisfaction”, They also, described their experiences of adjustments in living and learning, their mismatched expectations and how their life attitudes had affected their experience in New Zealand. While the students do not explicitly acknowledge Chinese values, their influence can be seen in the way the students experience satisfaction with their study in New Zealand. This has implications for institutions in New Zealand as these insights have a potential to inform practices to support these students.