bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Distribution and Influence of the Introduced Alga Colpomenia Bullosa in the Rocky Intertidal
Authors:   , McNaughtan Daniel Francis
Published: November 2021

The brown alga Colpomenia bullosa was first observed in New Zealand more than 20 years ago, yet very little is known about its current intertidal distribution or possible effects it may be having on native communities. This study addresses some of these issues. Surveys indicate little spatial variation in abundance around the Wellington region, however, the sporophytic crustose phase is restricted to pools high in the littoral zone while the gametophytic upright has a low- to sub-littoral distribution. Physiology experiments indicate that C. bullosa can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, but the crustose phase has a poor desiccation tolerance. A series of tranplant and competition experiments confirmed this and suggested that the crustose phase requires some level of facilitation by molluscan herbivores in order to become established. These experiments also revealed that crustose C. bullosa does not compete well against more upright macroalgal species. The effects of this introduced algae on native communities are likely to be minimal given its restricted intertidal distribution and its inability to compete against more upright species.
Improving Domestic Space Heating: A Cost Benefit Analysis Based on a Randomised Community Trial
Authors:   , Preval Nicholas Jonathan
Published: November 2021

Despite New Zealand's temperate climate, New Zealand homes are generally cold, primarily as the result of a historical lack of insulation. Many New Zealand households also suffer fuel poverty and have inadequate domestic space heating, including unflued gas heaters which emit harmful gases directly into the indoor environment. There is a large body of evidence correlating improved domestic space heating and respiratory health outcomes such as asthma. There is also evidence of connections between improved domestic space heating and mental health, COPD, rheumatism, ischaemic heart disease and strokes. Improvements in domestic space heating have the potential to improve occupant health via increased temperatures and reduced dampness, mould, and harmful emissions and also have the potential to reduce household energy bills and CO2 emissions. This potential was the basis of the Housing, Heating and Health Study, a randomised community trial carried out by He Kainga Oranga, the Housing and Health Research Programme of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Otago, Wellington, which involved the installation of energy efficient and healthy heaters in the dwellings of families who used ineffective heating and included an asthmatic child aged seven to twelve. This thesis is a cost benefit analysis based primarily on energy use and health outcome related data from the Housing, Heating and Health Study. It concludes that the outcome of the intervention was equivocal from a societal perspective, due in part to limitations of the data and analysis, with a negative "net present value" (NPV) for the baseline scenario, but positive NPVs for a number of alternative scenarios and a strong suggestion that if the full benefits of the intervention were captured that the NPV of the intervention is likely to be positive. Predicted changes to the New Zealand economy resulting from climate change mitigation policies and increasing real energy costs also increase the likelihood that similar future interventions may have a positive NPV.
"What is the Influence of Communication Quality Between the Business and IT Project Team on ERP Implementation Project Success?"
Authors:   , Schnepel Alexander
Published: November 2021

Communication between the information systems (IS) specialist and the user has long been recognised in the IS literature as an important aspect of successful information system development projects. Since the 1970s IS researchers have studied the role of communication in the system development process and its influence on project/system success. Communication has been studied as a broad concept as well as in regard to specific aspects such as communication frequency, quantity, and the fit between the communication medium and the task. Yet, quality has been neglected. Therefore, this study presents the concept of "communication quality". The study investigated the influence of communication quality on project success in an Enterprise Resource Planning system implementation at a large North-American manufacturing company. ERP project implementation success was assessed by a multidimensional framework including multiple stakeholder perspectives. The study used supplementary secondary analysis of 54 interviews with project stakeholders from the IT project team and the business side of this organisation. The current study found support for the individual attributes of communication quality, namely completeness, credibility, accuracy, purpose adequacy, timeliness, openness, audience adequacy, bidirectionality, and a balance of formality vs. informality. The study found indications that a lack of communication quality might impact ERP implementation project success negatively whereas better communication quality might foster success. The ERP project at the organisation was successful in terms of traditional project success measures such as "on time" and "within budget". However, communication quality seemed to have a negative correlation to the quality of the relationship between the project team and the business as well as user satisfaction. System acceptance and use appeared to have been facilitated by better communication quality. The study enriches the IS literature by increasing the understanding of communication aspects during ERP implementation projects. It is also one of the first studies to introduce the new research method of secondary analysis of qualitative data from sociology into the IS field. Practitioners can apply the findings of this study to facilitate ERP implementation project success on a more holistic level addressing also user satisfaction and the quality of the relationship between the IT project team and the rest of the business.
Sequent Economies in Kuku: A Study of a Rural Locality in New Zealand
Authors:   , Wehipeihana John Rodford
Published: November 2021

Today, the majority of travellers journeying in the North Island of New Zealand, from Wellington to points north, e.g. Palmerston North or Wanganui, travel the length of the Horowhenua coastal plain, which sole routeway is bordered by the Tararua foothills to the east and by the Tasman Sea to the west. At a point some 52 miles north of the capital city and approximately 4 miles south of Levin, the motorist passes over a white bridge near which stands a dairy factory, and at a distance, a Maori meeting house. At the end of the mile-long stretch of State highway, an elevated by-pass affords a view of fenced paddocks, closely-cultivated fields, a railway line and a river. (See frontispiece.) As such scenes are common on many lowland pockets of the North Island of New Zealand, they mean little to the average traveller who crosses the Ohau River and pursues his northward course.
Beyond Tribadism: Alternate Discourses on Female Homoeroticism in Greek and Latin Literature
Authors:   , Oliver Jennifer Helen
Published: November 2021

Scholarly accounts of sexuality in the ancient world have placed much emphasis on the normative dichotomy of activity and passivity. In the case of female homoeroticism, scholars have focussed largely on the figure of the so-called tribas, a masculinised, aggressively penetrative female who takes the active role in sexual relations with women. My thesis seeks to set out a wider conceptualisation of female homoeroticism that encompasses erotic sensuality between conventionally feminine women. The first chapter surveys previous scholarship on ancient sexuality and gender and on female homoeroticism in particular, examining the difficulties in terminology and methodology inherent in such a project. The second chapter turns to the Callisto episode in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, beginning with the kiss between the huntress Callisto and Jupiter, who is disguised as Callisto’s patron goddess Diana. The Callisto episode contains hints of previous intimacy between Callisto and Diana, and the kiss scene can be read as an erotic interaction between the two, both of whom are portrayed as conventionally feminine rather than tribadic. The third chapter examines several Greek intertexts for the Callisto episode: Callimachus’ hymns to Athena and Artemis, and the story of Leucippus as narrated by Parthenius and Pausanias. These narratives exhibit a similar dynamic to the Callisto episode, in that they eroticise the relationships both between Diana and her companions and amongst those companions. An educated reader of Ovid’s Metamorphoses would plausibly have had these Greek texts in mind, and would thus have been more likely to read the relationship between Diana and Callisto as homoerotic. Finally, the fourth chapter approaches Statius’ Achilleid from the perspective of female homoeroticism, a move without precedent in past scholarship. The relationship between Deidameia and the cross-dressed Achilles engages intertextually with the Callisto episode, presenting another exclusively female-homosocial environment in which homoerotic desires can flourish.
The Implications of Government Departmental Organisational Structures on Fulfilment of OIA Obligations
Authors:   , Wise Paula Louise
Published: November 2021

A study was conducted into the implications of government departmental organisational structures on the fulfilment of Official Information Act (OIA) obligations. The aim of the study was to investigate the systems and processes used by New Zealand government organisations in relation to OIA requests; in particular, to identify any changes since 2001 and the rationale for such changes. The study used authority and responsibility mechanisms, as represented by the chain of command and autonomy, to examine the relationship between organisational structures and effective responses to OIA requests. The research was qualitative and used semi-structured interviews with nine people from three New Zealand government organisations to gather data. The study was not linked to individual OIA requests. Data was analysed using coding of concepts to identify seven main themes, which were: systems and processes; information accessibility; attitude to OIA requests; management of government information; levels of decision-making; timeliness of response, and; managing organisational and political risk. The study found that a range of systems and process are used for responding to OIA requests and that the rationale for these fall into two categories; those designed to support staff and managers to process requests, and those designed to manage organisational and political risks. Whilst most systems had been in place for some time, tracking systems were adopted more recently. The study also found there was an increasing use of pro-disclosure of information to reduce the administrative burden of responding to Official Information Act requests.
Archives Use of Social Media to Develop Connections with Family Historians
Authors:   , Paterson Julie
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a research project designed to investigate how social media is being used by archives to develop connections with family historians. This research used qualitative methodology and utilised Skype and Instant Messaging to conduct semi-structured interviews with participants from six archives. The research uses Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory as a framework. The research found the interviewees were using social media in various combinations to serve different purposes. In the majority of cases these tools were being used to achieve maximum access to the wider online community. The study highlights issues and concerns discussed by participants when using social media. There were limited examples of social media use to make connections with family historians during the study. Nonetheless this paper provides three detailed instances of its use to illustrate how archives can make these connections.
Effective Consumer Consultation in the Planning and Delivery of Health and Social Services: A New Zealand Case Study: A Comparative Study of the Theory and Practice of Government Organisations in Engaging Consumers in Consultation
Authors:   , Britnell Julz
Published: November 2021

About 600 million people in the world live with disabilities (World Health Organisation, 2007). Over the past ten years there has been increasing calls for government organisations in the health and disability sector to involve consumers in their decision-making, service design and general governance. This has led government health and disability organisations in different countries to try and find ways to ensure consumers are consulted with and involved in decision-making processes (Coney, 2004). The potential benefits of effective consumer consultation are better quality services, policy and planning decisions that a more consumer focused, improved communications and greater ownership of the local health services. For consumers effective consultation can mean they get better outcomes of treatment and support, a more accessible and responsive service and improved health. For the community consultation can help bring about a reduction in health inequalities and provide a health service better able to meet the needs of its constituents (Anderson et al., 2002). There are a number of real and perceived barriers to consumer consultation. Consumers may be anxious that their views will not be taken seriously, that they will look foolish or that they won’t understand what’s being talked about. Staff and organisations might be anxious that their work will be criticised, that there will be unrealistic demands to change services or that their role and authority might be undermined (Fletcher & Bradburn, 2001). For consultation to work there needs to be commitment from the organisation to plan and provide adequate resources. Developing a strategy is critical before organisations start down this path. The UK Audit Commission (2003) believe developing a strategy will help organisations to define exactly what the purpose of the consultation is, what they want to achieve, help them identify the relevant stakeholders and assess what level of engagement to undertake. Consultation is an important part of designing, delivering and managing effective health and social services. There are many different ways of engaging consumers and finding the right way for each organisation takes planning, commitment, time and energy.
A Grounded Theory of Preneurial Agency in Information Technology Creation
Authors:   , Thistoll Anthony Mark
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine how entrepreneurs act to bring an Information Technology-based innovation into being. Successful realisation of such innovations requires collective effort, involving resources and actors both internal and external to the entrepreneur‘s own venture (Van de Ven, 1993a, 2005; Lavie, 2006). The study is qualitative in nature and uses the Glaserian variant of the grounded theory method to collect and analyse data obtained from interviewing entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and collective agents involved in creating IT innovation. Through undertaking open, selective, and theoretical coding and the process of constant comparative analysis, the research produces a substantive theory for explaining: A Grounded Theory of Preneurial Agency in IT Creation. The Grounded Theory of Preneurial Agency in IT Creation accounts for the actions of both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who are jointly called ―preneurs‖ within this study, and their interaction with collective agents to create IT innovation. The process of preneurial agency, the actions the preneur undertakes to create the innovative idea and make it a tangible reality, is shown as a triality involving the combined agency of the preneur and collective agents interacting within social structures established by the preneur. To support this abstracted view of entrepreneurship, the study develops and defines a family of terms to describe the process of preneurship, the preneur, preneurial agency, and the preneurial ba within which the actors interact to create IT-based innovation. The value of the research lies in its view of the preneur‘s process of transition from entrepreneur to intrapreneur and to institutional actor; and how the actions of both the entrepreneur and intrapreneur to create IT innovation can be shown in an abstracted process of preneurial agency. It is expected that through the application of a specific set of actions, presented in The Grounded Theory of Preneurial Agency in IT Creation as six theoretical propositions, practitioners will be better able to inform their practice, and enhance the self management of their preneurial agency and interaction with collective agents.
Empirical Analysis of Schemata in Genetic Programming
Authors:   , Smart Will
Published: November 2021

Schemata and buiding blocks have been used in Genetic Programming (GP) in several contexts including subroutines, theoretical analysis and for empirical analysis. Of these three the least explored is empirical analysis. This thesis presents a powerful GP empirical analysis technique for analysis of all schemata of a given form occurring in any program of a given population at scales not previously possible for the kinds of global analysis performed. There are many competing GP forms of schema and, rather than choosing one for analysis, the thesis defines the match-tree meta-form of schema as a general language expressing forms of schema for use by the analysis system. This language can express most forms of schema previously used in tree-based GP. The new method can perform wide-ranging analyses on the prohibitively large set of all schemata in the programs by introducing the concepts of maximal schema, maximal program subset, representative set of schemata, and representative program subset. These structures are used to optimize the analysis, shrinking its complexity to a manageable size without sacrificing the result. Characterization experiments analyze GP populations of up to 501 60- node programs, using 11 forms of schema including rooted-hyperschemata and non-rooted fragments. The new method has close to quadratic complexity on population size, and quartic complexity on program size. Efficacy experiments present example analyses using the new method. The experiments offer interesting insights into the dynamics of GP runs including fine-grained analysis of convergence and the visualization of schemata during a GP evolution. Future work will apply the many possible extensions of this new method to understanding how GP operates, including studies of convergence, building blocks and schema fitness. This method provides a much finer-resolution microscope into the inner workings of GP and will be used to provide accessable visualizations of the evolutionary process.
Discovery of Novel Antituberculosis Compounds Using an Intra-Macrophage Assay
Authors:   , Murikoli Rekha Veliyayi
Published: November 2021

The causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affects 2 billion of the world population and kills 1.8 million people annually. It is among the top three infectious killers in the world human immuno deficiency virus, TB and Malaria. Every year among 300-400 new cases of TB are reported in New Zealand according to a recent WHO 2008 report. The current treatment regimen for TB is very long and results in significant toxicity, development of resistant strains and is unable to eliminate the latent bacilli. The above reasons demonstrate the growing need of research for novel antimycobacterial compounds and novel targets for the treatment of TB. Many in vitro and biochemical screens are available for testing against different mycobacterium strains but none of these screens can be considered comprehensive. The reason for this can be the lack of resemblance of the in vitro screen model with the biological systems. Hence we chose the intra-macrophage infection screening model to look for novel antimycobacterial prodrugs which are not active in an in vitro screen but selectively active inside macrophage cell lines. We were successful in establishing and validating such an intra-macrophage infection model using the non-pathogenic M. smegmatis. The model was validated using common anti-tuberculosis drugs. A preliminary high throughput screen was then set up using a mini-library demo model, followed by screening with an actual Lopac synthetic library.
Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an EFL Classroom: The Case of a Class in a Private University in Indonesia
Authors:   , Kassing Rachmania Bachtiar
Published: November 2021

Students’ motivation in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom is affected by their perceptions of the teaching strategies used. These perceptions are influenced by the context in which they learn. This study aims to explore both tertiary students’ and their lecturers’ perceptions of teaching strategies that both groups consider impact on students’ motivation in learning EFL in an eastern region of Indonesia. This study used a qualitative research methodology. The case was composed of one cohort of student-teachers and their EFL lecturers in one Teacher Training and Education Faculty of one private university in the area of Sulawesi Island of Indonesia. The data were collected from semi-structured individual interviews with EFL (English as a Foreign Language) lecturers and focus groups with student- teachers. Both the lecturers and the student-teachers agreed that creating and maintaining relationships was a highly effective strategy to motivate students in an EFL classroom. However, the findings also showed that the two groups of participants put different values on the teaching strategies employed by EFL lecturers in this context. The study also found that some EFL lecturers were not aware of how some of the strategies that they used in teaching English impacted on their learners’ motivation. Lecturers’ time commitments outside this university proved to be a significant challenge in maximizing the use of some motivational teaching strategies in teaching English. These findings raise implications for lecturers’ practice. By being more aware of how students view specific teaching strategies in the EFL classroom, teachers can enhance students’ motivation, by generating, maintaining and building on initial motivation.
Atmospheric Perceptions in the Making: An Exploration of the Implications of the Immateriality of Climate on Our Perception of Space and in Its Making
Authors:   , Benton Delle
Published: November 2021

“[...] climate can replace typology, function, and form of what we use and define as architecture” (Rahm, 2008: accessed 11th March 2010, ). To what extent should we consider the invisible atmospheric conditions in the design process of architecture? This project will explore the implications of the immateriality of climate on both perception of space and in its making. The immaterial and material in architecture have long been regarded as a dichotomy; an opposing of ideas between governing architectural theory and practice. The immaterial is a popular discussion within contemporary architectural literature, yet has evidently not fully impacted within practice. Built examples of the immaterial remain few. Those that have been implemented have tended towards the temporal in nature, existing in the mode of installations or exhibitions, such as Diller + Scofidio’s Blur Pavillion, with its harnessing of misty atmospheric conditions (Diller & Scofidio, 1994). This research will firstly necessitate an exploration of the effect of atmospheric conditions (such as heat, light, humidity, sound, smell, taste, air movement) on spatial perception. This study refers to the immaterial in terms of such conditions and looks at the impact they can have on experience of space. It is noteworthy that many artworks, such as that of Olafur Eliasson, explore ideas of affective atmospheres “as an agent of human experience and social action, prompting a subjective transformation” (Frichot, 2008: p. 31), suggesting that these environments can transform perception. This research will secondly experiment with scenarios of dis-location where specific atmospheric conditions will be relocated to a site in which they might otherwise be foreign. This will be done in view of testing the qualities of the atmospheric that impact on perception and to challenge the notion of enhancement, detraction and of provocation of mood. It is anticipated that the research will provoke the design of a series of experimental works which will lead to a process of translation from discourse to installation to architecture through the development of design tools and strategies. Together with supporting theory, this will form an inquiry as to what extent we should consider the invisible atmospheric conditions in the design process of architecture.
Performance and Permeability: An investigation of the Mashrabiya for Use within the Gibson Desert
Authors:   , Samuels William
Published: November 2021

This study investigates a traditional Middle Eastern building element, the mashrabiya, and looks at the potential application of this device within the contemporary context of the Giles Weather Station in the Gibson Desert of Australia. The mashrabiya is a carved wooden screen used to control the fierce desert conditions of the Middle East. It created conditions of comfort within an extreme climate but is no longer prescribed due to the restrictive economic constraints involved with its construction. The research firstly considered the history of the mashrabiya and its various roles within the traditional Middle Eastern dwelling and then applied contemporary fabrication and design processes to its construction. The use of a CNC mill to construct the screen revealed new variables and opportunities for their manipulation, thereby providing for new design possibilities which transform the way in which it controls the desert conditions. The result was substantial improvements in cost, performance and versatility of the screen. Due to this program of research the mashrabiya was able to be applied to the Giles Weather Station in a much more ambitious manner than would otherwise have been possible. As a result of this the weather station aims to be architecturally unique, both in appearance and in functional performance.
Biodiversity Conservation Governance on the Tibetan Plateau: Cross-scale Linkages and Bridging Organizations
Authors:   , Schlick Katharina
Published: November 2021

The ‘roof of the world’ is one of the most ecologically diverse and vulnerable regions on earth. Tibetan pastoralists have developed an institutionalized system of checks and balances to regulate access to and conservation of natural resources. However, traditional resource management institutions are greatly transformed by government driven development and conservation projects. Recent studies on adaptive co-management have emphasized the importance of linking institutional and organizational structures at different scales for sustaining socio-ecological resilience and managing cross-scale problems of conservation. Extraordinary conservation accomplishments have been made in cases where government and local communities engage in partnerships for collaborative conservation management. The methodology for this study incorporated a social network approach that presents a unique analysis of the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in enabling more collaborative conservation governance arrangements in the Tibetan Plateau region. The study is based on a field research in China where I used semi-structured interviews to investigate NGOs perspectives about the main triggers and barriers to more collaborative conservation approaches on the Tibetan Plateau and their role in facilitating the communication among different stakeholder groups. My main findings are that NGOs have significant influence on enabling more collaborative conservation management initiatives. The creation of crossinstitutional partnerships, flexibility in conservation approaches, mutual learning, and trust building processes are seen as the most effective means to more collaborative conservation approaches. Conversely, unequal power relationships, different understandings of how to approach conservation issues and a diversity of partially conflicting interests and priorities are identified as the main barriers.
'Youth': Victim, Troublemaker or Peacebuilder? Constructions of Youth-in-Conflict in United Nations and World Bank Youth Policies
Authors:   , Pratley Elaine Mei Lien
Published: November 2021

Examination of how the United Nations ('UN') and World Bank construct youth affected by armed conflict and political instability (referred to as 'youth-in-conflict') in their respective youth policies reveals that the UN constructs youth-in-conflict as 'victims' requiring protection. This results in humanitarian/rights-based approaches to youth development. In contrast, the World Bank constructs youth-in-conflict as 'capital' that has potential to bring about economic growth, resulting in economics-driven policies. Such divergent identity constructions are because 'youth' and 'youth identity' are fluid concepts used in various ways by different people in different contexts. In peace and conflict studies, the dominant discourses in relation to youth-in-conflict are that youth are either 'victims' of war or 'troublemakers'. Both discourses are contested by an emerging third discourse of youth as peacebuilders, which challenges the representation of youth-in-conflict as passive victims or as negative threats. While the UN and World Bank’s respective humanitarian/development and neo-liberal economic approaches shape these divergent youth-in-conflict constructions, both institutions are also influenced by the global trends in youth-in-conflict discourses. This 'discursive' relationship means that as the UN and World Bank engage in the global youth debate and are shaped by more complete understandings of youth-in-conflict, they will also have an influential role in perpetuating or challenging dominant discourses.
Bacterial Community Structure, Function and Diversity in Antarctic Sea Ice
Authors:   , Cowie Rebecca Olivia MacLennan
Published: November 2021

Antarctic sea ice is an important feature of the southern ocean where at its maximum it can cover 8 % of the Southern Hemisphere. It provides a stable environment for the colonisation of diverse and highly specialised microbes which play a central role in the assimilation and regulation of energy through the Antarctic food web. Polar environments are sensitive to changes in the environment. Small changes in temperature can have large effects on sea ice thickness and extent and Antarctic sea ice cover is expected to shrink by 25 % over the next century. It is unknown how the sea ice microbiota will respond. In order to understand the effects of climate change on the sea ice ecosystem it is necessary to obtain information about the community structure, function and diversity and their reactions with the environment. Studies have focused on algal diversity and physiology in Antarctic sea ice and in comparison studies on the prokaryotic community are few. Although prokaryotic diversity has been investigated using clone libraries and culture based methods, it is likely that certain species have still not been described. Almost nothing is known about the Antarctic sea ice bacterial community spatial and temporal dynamics under changing abiotic and biotic conditions or their role in biogeochemical cycles. This is the first study linking Antarctic bacterial communities to function by using statistics to investigate the relationships between environmental variables and community structure. Bacterial community structure was investigated by extracting both the DNA and RNA from the environment to understand both the metabolically active (RNA) and total (DNA) bacterial community. The thickness of the sea ice and nutrient concentrations were key factors regulating bacterial community composition in Antarctic sea ice. Sea ice thickness is likely to have an effect on the physiological responses of algae leading to changes in photosynthate concentrations and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Further investigations into the relationships between enzymatic activity and community structure revealed that the composition of the DOM drove variation between bacterial communities. There was no relationship between bacterial abundance and chlorophyll-a (as a measure of algal biomass), suggesting a un-coupling of the microbial loop. However bacteria were actively involved in the hydrolysis of polymers throughout the sea ice core. Investigations using quantitative PCR (qPCR) found that the functional genes involved in denitrification and light energy utilisation were in low abundance therefore these processes are minor in Antarctic sea ice. These results confirm that sea ice bacteria are predominantly heterotrophs and have a major role in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen through the microbial loop ...
An Evaluation of an Environmental Leadership Development Programme in New Zealand Today
Authors:   , Tully Stephen Philip
Published: November 2021

This study evaluated a leadership development programme for managers in the New Zealand Department of Conservation. The programme is one of several initiatives taken by the Department to adapt its leadership and management to best respond to a variety of challenges. Theories of leadership styles and the efficacy of leadership development are well established, however, little consensus has been researched on the construct of environmental leadership and what makes leadership development for environmental managers successful. This study, which involved a constructivist/interpretivist approach, used mixed methods of research to evaluate the leadership development programme from the experiences and views of the programme participants and some of their managers. Kraiger’s model of evaluation was used to design the evaluation which focused on the programme’s content and design and the changes in the participants. Data confirmed the programme is of high relevance to the participants in their roles as leaders. A number of emerging themes of environmental leadership behaviours resulting from the programme were identified and these are aligned with the literature on leadership and environmental leadership theories. Impacts for future research and practices are suggested such as improving the accessibility of action learning and clarifying the opportunities for incorporating systems thinking.
Vision for Tertiary Education Under Free Market Policies: A Comparative Analysis of Contemporary Tertiary Education Policy of Zambia and New Zealand
Authors:   , Mbita Allan Kalapa
Published: November 2021

In the past two decades economic theories of the 'market' have permeated economic and social sector policies of both developed and developing countries. Market mechanisms have become the main policy option upon which economic and social sector reforms, including tertiary education, have been premised. In this study I have compared trends in contemporary tertiary education policy of two countries: Zambia and New Zealand. Prior to 1980 in both countries education was predominantly a public monopoly and free at all levels. However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s New Zealand and Zambia respectively embarked on radical economic and social sector reforms based on the competitive market model. I have argued that market mechanisms in education policy of both Zambia and New Zealand had their origins in economic theories of the competitive market. These theories gained popularity at a time when countries were going through unprecedented economic difficulties. Thus, although on the surface competitive market policies would seem to suggest that the aim of government was to improve efficiency and accountability and to increase equity and equality of opportunities in tertiary institutions, under conditions of increasing demand on declining public resources and at a time when demand for tertiary education was increasing, it would appear that the long-term intentions of governments in both countries were to reduce public appropriation to tertiary education by transferring part of the responsibility of funding education to institutions themselves and to the beneficiaries of tertiary education. I have also argued that because New Zealand already had a prolific education system in place and a comprehensive student support system it was in a better position to operate its tertiary education system along free market lines. An under-developed tertiary education sector and lack of comprehensive student-aid packages in Zambia have meant that the implementation of market-oriented policies in tertiary education are likely to impact more negatively on the students, education institutions and Zambian society in general.
The PRIDE Project: Assessing the Regional Approach to Basic Education Delivery
Authors:   , Mitchell Lucy
Published: November 2021

The PRIDE Project was conceived as a way to bolster the awareness, coordination and delivery of basic education in the Pacific region. The project‟s mandate was to enhance the capacity of Pacific education agencies to effectively plan and deliver quality basic education through formal and non-formal means. The project focused on the provision of technical assistance as well as support and advice to build national capacities through three key areas. First, the development of effective and realistic education strategic plans, secondly the implementation of plans (through sub-project activities) and thirdly sharing best practice through online networks, a resource centre and regional and sub- regional workshops. In total the project received €8 million from the European Union Development Fund and NZD$5 million from NZAID.1 2 The project‟s concept was developed by Pacific Ministers of Education who believed many past educational aid initiatives had not delivered successful, relevant or sustainable results. PRIDE was therefore established as a project that would be housed and operated from within the Pacific region. Being based out of the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, the project wanted to utilise and foster Pacific capacity, knowledge and ownership as much as possible. This thesis will explore The PRIDE Project‟s activities within the region. Discussion will focus on why the mandate of sector planning was chosen, and how it has many similarities to sector wide approaches. Investigation into PRIDE within the Solomon Islands will demonstrate that the project had an overoptimistic mandate which struggled to make any considerable achievements in the everyday delivery of basic education. The regional dynamics of this project will be analysed against local priorities and agendas, ultimately showing that they can sit uncomfortably next to each other. Discussion will highlight how ideas of complete Pacific ownership will continue to be a challenge for the region as capacity and infrastructure is limited. In addition, development projects need to move beyond top level sector planning to implementation and delivery if any significant changes to education provision are to be made.
Zones of Contention: A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Two Regimes of Enrolment Regulations in New Zealand
Authors:   , Stubbs Timothy James
Published: November 2021

A number of New Zealand studies have identified a relationship between enrolment regulations and school enrolments, in particular drawing attention to the negative impact that the abandonment of ‘home zones’ in 1991 have had on many lower decile and ethnically diverse schools. The progress of a group of secondary schools within a geographic area in New Zealand from before the introduction of Tomorrow’s Schools in 1989 up to 2009 is tracked using quantitative data from the Ministry of Education, New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Statistics New Zealand combined with qualitative data from interviews with those who were principals during the period. This mixed-methods approach shows that both enrolment numbers and academic achievement in three of the four schools fell and then rose almost simultaneously with the removal in 1991 and then reinstatement in 2000 of geographic home zones. The ethnic and socioeconomic polarisation that resulted from the earlier change, however, has not reversed. The quantitative and qualitative data together provide clear evidence that geographic home zones provide a level of stability and security in the provision of education at a local level that is not matched by the alternative regulatory regime that operated in the 1990s.
Bath and the Body, Bamboo and the Soul
Authors:   , Palamountain Dion
Published: November 2021

Bathing at a fundamental level is desired for two attributes cleansing the body, and cleansing the soul. Historically the act of bathing has been a combination of hot and cold water bathing; this act cleanses both the body and soul, and is seen as an enjoyable pastime for both eastern and western cultures. The priority then is to architecturally express the 'body and soul' through a careful material selection. The choice of materials reflects this, concrete and bamboo, expressing the solid (body) and the light (soul). Design precedents, material comparison, eastern and western beliefs are used to establish a rationale between the material contrast of body and soul. The location for the design reflects the natural connection between 'body and soul' in a location that references the land and water, geothermal and steam, lake and landscape. The final project includes detailing of non-penetrating fixings for the use in bamboo construction, including natural and industrial products into a public bath that compliments the body and the soul.
Feeling the Fear and Doing It Anyway: A Case Study of CHRS-City, an Intervention for Adolescent Mental Health
Authors:   , Thompson Lisa
Published: November 2021

Provision for adolescent mental health in New Zealand is in its infancy. CRHS-City is the first Ministry of Education funded initiative that addresses adolescent mental health and transition back to school in New Zealand. This thesis examines the experiences of students and their families attending CRHS-City and how they were supported to transition back to school or further education. This research is important as it focuses on a growing need and documents Central Regional Health School’s attempt to address it. The methodological approach was a multiple case study underpinned by a constructivist paradigm. A qualitative approach was appropriate for this study as the research wanted to capture the impact attending CRHS-City had on a specific group of students and their transition back to a regular school or further education. Three students and their families identified they would be willing to be interviewed as part of this study. Eight overarching themes emerged from the research. Participants described positive outcomes from their experience of attending CRHS-City. This study has found being at CRHS-City helped the participants explore different ways of managing their mental health condition and gain confidence in their abilities to do so, which in turn supported the overall goal of a return to school or further education. However this was not an easy process for either the students or their parents. The findings from this research identified recommendations specific to CRHS-City and for the education sector in general to support students who have a mental health condition continue with their education goals. Support for the student’s family and the regular school is an essential part of this process. Research into effective interventions within mainstream schools to support students who have mental health needs is seen as a logical next step.
The Molecular Pharmacology of Pateamine A
Authors:   , Matthews James Henry
Published: November 2021

Pateamine A is a cytotoxic terpenoid isolated from the marine sponge Mycale hentscheli that induces apoptosis in mammalian cell lines and is growth inhibitory to yeasts and fungi, yet shows no inhibitory action in prokaryotes. The targets of pateamine in mammalian cell lines were isolated and identified using a combination of affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry, putative targets included the DEAD-Box helicase eIF4A family of proteins, β-tubulin and actin. In vitro assessment of tubulin and actin polymerization showed pateamine was able to affect them only at high micromolar concentrations, whereas the effect on eIF4A in vitro was shown by others to occur at nanomolar concentrations. Additionally, pateamine was shown to inhibit cap-dependent protein synthesis in vivo, suggesting eIF4A as a primary target. The generation of a pateamine resistance-conferring mutation in the yeast eIF4A encoding gene TIF1, suggested further that eIF4A is a primary target in both mammalian and yeast cells, and allows the speculation of the position of the binding site for pateamine on the N-terminal lobe of eIF4A and the proposal of potential covalent interaction between this drug and its target. Given the size of the DEAD-Box helicase family, all of which share considerable homology with the eIF4As, FAL1 especially which is essential for rRNA maturation, a chemogenomic screen was performed in an attempt to establish the breadth of functional interactions of pateamine. The results of hierarchical clustering of these screen results suggest that pateamine has a mode-of-action distinct from other compounds screened previously, despite its effect on protein synthesis it failed to cluster with any other protein synthesis inhibitors regardless of their separate mechanisms, though, as a class, protein synthesis inhibitors were not found to form a discrete cluster in any of the variations of cluster analysis performed. Functional analysis, by GO term enrichment, of the genes whose deletions are hypersensitive to pateamine indicates that deletions of genes involved in numerous aspects of RNA metabolism affect pateamine sensitivity, however clear results regarding the involvement of FAL1 or any other non-eIF4A target in pateamine’s mode-of-action were not found.
Expression and Emotion: Cultural Diplomacy and Nation Branding in New Zealand
Authors:   , MacDonald Katherine
Published: November 2021

States need to be recognised by other states to be legitimate and diplomacy is the way in which states represent their interests overseas. Cultural diplomacy is an important part of this diplomacy as it allows states to present their culture internationally and use it to build and maintain relationships that will be of value. Historically, cultural diplomacy has been a long term project, and the benefits to the state are not always immediate. In recent years, the more short term and immediate benefits of nation branding have become popular with states. Nation branding allows a state to promote itself and its products, resulting in quick and often very profitable economic benefits to the country. Like cultural diplomacy, nation branding draws heavily on the culture and imagery of the nation and uses it to gain an advantage. This thesis looks at New Zealand’s cultural diplomacy programmes and the very successful 100% Pure New Zealand nation brand. It looks at the way in which the cultural diplomacy programme meets New Zealand’s aims and is able to build long term relationships, promote understanding and protect its cultural sovereignty, and examines the way in which the new Zealand nation brand has managed to build such a distinctive image and attract customers. The thesis argues that the traditional long term cultural diplomacy is beginning to be changed as economic aims take precedence and it discusses some implications of this for New Zealand.