bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microstructural control of ZnO films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering for ultrasound transducers
Authors:   , Kivell Dayna-Maree
Published: November 2021

The aim of this study was to develop a deposition process using RF magnetron sputtering for the production of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on glass substrates. These ZnO films were to be used as the active piezoelectric element in very high frequency ultrasound transducers (> 300 MHz). In order to achieve piezoelectric activity the films had to be oriented with the c-axis of the ZnO grains perpendicular to the substrate surface. At the same time, a moderately high, at least 1 m=hr (17 nm=min) deposition rate was required for the production of practical devices. Prior to a full investigation into the sputtering parameters, an initial evaluation of the HHV Auto500 RF magnetron sputter coater system was performed. Using the original chamber configuration it was not possible to deposit ZnO at the required deposition rates. A modification of the growth chamber to allow a reduced target-substrate distance was successful in producing ZnO films at the required deposition rates. A systematic study into the deposition parameters and their effect on the ZnO film quality and deposition rates was then performed and it was found that strong c-axis oriented films could be deposited only when depositing at rates below 15 nm=min at a low substrate temperature (< 50 C). Depositions above this rate resulted in the growth of polycrystalline films. A two-step deposition process was designed to preserve c-axis orientation at high deposition rates up to 28 nm=min. The ZnO films were found to be highly strained due to inherent stress from the sputtering process. The deposition pressure was identified as the most critical deposition parameter for stress control. It was found that deposition above a critical pressure of 1:2 x10-² mbar was essential to prevent mechanical failure of the films. Post growth annealing was investigated and determined to be a viable technique to relax stress and improve the crystalline quality of the films. Finally a four-step deposition process was proposed to facilitate the growth of c-axis oriented ZnO films at relatively high deposition rates whilst minimising film stress.
Confucian Values and School Leadership in Vietnam
Authors:   , Truong Dinh Thang
Published: November 2021

This research focuses on school leadership in the Vietnamese context, particularly the Confucian-influenced context within Vietnamese cultural boundaries. Confucian values are believed to be the significant and dominant value structure within Vietnam, therefore this research seeks to understand how Vietnamese school leaders exercised leadership within the construct of a Confucian discourse. It examines how the exercise/practice of four leadership functions (exercising power, building relationship, making decisions, and conflict solving) are influenced by Vietnamese cultural values. A qualitative research approach was applied for this phenomenological interpretive study. Four methods of data collection were adopted, consisting of interviews (individual and focus-group interviews), observations, document analysis and questionnaires. School leaders and teachers, drawn from three case study schools were invited as participants. The findings suggest that, although Confucian thought has waned in the contemporary Vietnam, Confucian values are still reflected in participants' perceptions about school leadership and in the manner of everyday leadership and management practices, particularly in the four pre-defined leadership functions. Confucian authority chains, seen as the paternalistic culture of obedience and respecting authority, have transferred into contemporary Vietnamese school leadership and management. These are preserved and reinforced by the political and administrative structures and contemporary leadership practices. A reconceptualised model of có uy leadership is offered, together with suggestions for leadership effectiveness based on Confucian values within a Vietnamese context.
Modelling of Planetary Gravitational Microlensing Events
Authors:   , Miller Michael L. J.
Published: November 2021

This thesis describes and develops procedures for the generation of theoretical lightcurves that can be used to model gravitational microlensing events that involve multiple lenses. Of particular interest are the cases involving a single lens star with one or more orbiting planets, as this has proven to be an effective way of detecting extrasolar planets. Although there is an analytical expression for microlensing lightcurves produced by single lensing body, the generation of model lightcurves for more than one lensing body requires the use of numerical techniques. The method developed here, known as the semi-analytic method, involves the analytical rearrangement of the relatively simple ‘lens equation’ to produce a high-order complex lens polynomial. Root-finding algorithms are then used to obtain the roots of this ‘lens polynomial’ in order to locate the positions of the images and calculate their magnifications. By running example microlensing events through the root-finding algorithms, both the speed and accuracy of the Laguerre and Jenkins-Traub algorithms were investigated. It was discovered that, in order to correctly identify the image positions, a method involving solutions of several ‘lens polynomials’ corresponding to different coordinate origins needed to be invoked. Multipole and polygon approximations were also developed to include finite source and limb darkening effects. The semi-analytical method and the appropriate numerical techniques were incorporated into a C++ modelling code at VUW (Victoria University of Wellington) known as mlens2. The effectiveness of the semi-analytic method was demonstrated using mlens2 to generate theoretical lightcurves for the microlensing events MOA-2009-BLG-319 and OGLE-2006-BLG-109. By comparing these theoretical lightcurves with the observed photometric data and the published models, it was demonstrated that the semi-analytic method described in this thesis is a robust and efficient method for discovering extrasolar planets.
The Mythology of the Gap in the Work of James K. Baxter
Authors:   , Martin Gregory J
Published: November 2021

In 1967, New Zealand poet James K. Baxter reflected on his beginning as a poet with the statement that 'what happens is either meaningless to me, or else it is mythology' and that in his personal mythology 'first there was the gap, the void'. While the first of these comments has been frequently cited in connection to Baxter‘s work, few critics have taken its extreme implications seriously. This thesis also takes the second statement as crucial to understanding Baxter‘s creative process and the links his poetry makes between otherwise disparate experiences. These statements are a starting point for a study which maps out the consistencies and continuities underlying Baxter's vast literar output throughout his career as a poet. It considers Baxter's poetry alongside his published prose and unpublished papers in order to demonstrate the underlying patterns which characterise Baxter‘s output throughout his diverse career. The thesis first develops a framework for identifying the presence of gaps in Baxter‘s writing, tracing a network of symbolic and mythic relationships that comprise his evolving personal mythology of the gap. Having established this framework, I show how Baxter's engagement with 'the gap' evolves throughout his work. The thesis demonstrates the significance of gaps not only as central motifs in Baxter‘s work, but as a crucial part of the poet‘s creative process. Baxter‘s purposeful approach to poetic mythologising relies on notions of absence, division and descent: the 'gaps' out of which poems emerge. These gaps simultaneously create and are created by the temporary 'mythologising self' at the centre of the creative process. This is the poet as creator, shaping 'chaos' into 'cosmos' through the use of ordering tools. In Baxter's case these include the consistent use of three main mythic paradigms which address the imperatives of desire created by these gaps. As well as this parallel with the pattern of creation myth, Baxter's creative process is suggestive of the mythic 'journey to the centre' which is in turn recurrent throughout his poetry. In applying the 'chaos-ordering-cosmos' framework to Baxter's mythology, I reveal the consistent elements of his work on the underlying level of myth, symbol, origins and method, thus opening up new possibilities in the critical response to his work.
Knitting Ourselves Into Being: the Case of Labour and Hip Domesticity on the Social Network Ravelry.com
Authors:   , Hellstrom Maria
Published: November 2021

Thinking of social media participation in terms of doing work may seem a strange proposition. Yet, social network and handicrafts website Ravelry.com requires a great deal of labour from its members. From painstakingly hand-knitting fuzzy objects to photographing, recording and sharing these objects online, Ravelers must supply evidence of their hard work in order to fully participate in this online community. On Ravelry, “writing oneself into being” (Sundén 2002), or performing one’s self through a textual medium, encompasses much more than simply writing. One must knit oneself into being too. Social capital is then accumulated through extensive cataloguing of handmade items. These ‘finished objects’ of knitting and crochet are imbued with affective meaning as tokens of nurturing and gift-giving, consistent with a historicity in which handicrafts like knitting have been associated with gendered care-work. Yet, much of Ravelry’s activity centres on commodity exchange. Displaying commodity ownership is as important as displaying evidence of labour for the accrual of social capital. Recording and displaying domesticity as both acts of labour and acts of consumption fit within a wider trend of hip domesticity, where demonstrating one’s domesticity has become a facet of popular culture. This project examines Ravelry.com’s emphasis on the placement of a physical object between the self and the social network. The thesis argues that this incorporation of material objects into the structure of a social network challenges notions of disembodiment and immateriality. Ravelry.com demonstrates the need for a discussion of social media participant labour which goes beyond the immaterial and affective.
Assessment Practices in a Cambodian University: Through the Lens of Lecturers and Students
Authors:   , Nguon Sophal
Published: November 2021

Assessment is a key factor in enhancing student learning when appropriate assessment tasks are conducted. Assessments are used to grade students’ achievement, check learning progress, reflect teaching performance, and support further learning. Perceptions and experiences that lecturers and students in Cambodian tertiary education have about assessment practices are an important aspect to understand the current assessment practices before considering possible changes and how to implement the changes. These perceptions and experiences are the focus of this study which uses a mixed-method design. Eighteen lecturers and ninety-three third and fourth year students completed a 35-item questionnaire on the conceptualisation of assessment practices. Six lecturers participated in semi-structured interviews and 11 students participated in focus group discussions. Seventeen course outlines were analysed for assessment criteria and modes.   Results revealed three main perceived purposes of assessment: the provision of marks to students, measurement of students’ understanding, and satisfaction of university requirements. Furthermore, conventional assessment forms such as presentations, written assignments and examinations were found to be widely practiced in the faculty. Varying perceptions about explicit assessment criteria was also evident amongst lecturers and students. In addition the study identified that participants appear unfamiliar with the notion of innovative assessment practices, and that lecturers used a ‘transmission process’ type to provide feedback.   These findings are used to recommend ways of enhancing assessment practices in Cambodian tertiary education. Recommendations include activities to develop assessment practices and ensure the improvement of student learning, especially self-regulated learning. Further recommendations are the inclusion of alternative assessment, more clarity in assessment criteria, and the introduction of supportive and constructive feedback. Academic professional development and university support are also needed for enhancing assessment practices. Two avenues of further research are recommended to examine the impact of assessment practices on student learning: firstly, an investigation into the practices of innovative assessment and approaches to learning, and secondly a comparative study about assessment systems and learning careers between a developing country and a developed country.
Hatching Prosperity Together: A Dynamic Assessment of Relationships in Business Incubation in New Zealand
Authors:   , Starnes Brock
Published: November 2021

The concept of business incubators has attracted much attention in recent years, both as descriptive of an increasingly important phenomenon and as an effective public intervention in the economies of lagging cities, regions, and countries. However, little empirical research has explored this phenomenon.  To better understand what type of relationships contribute to the performance of newly hatched business ideas, the following study applies a social capital and proximity lenses to explore relationships in business incubation and how they contribute to start-up performance.  Through the use of open-ended questions this study carried out semi-structured interviews with 25 total participants of the New Zealand incubation system. These in-depth interviews allowed participants to express their perspectives on business incubation.  This study revealed that there are tensions that exist in the incubator environment which are as much about the relationship between the two central participants - incubator personnel and entrepreneur - and other stakeholders, as between the two central participants themselves. These tensions, if not aligned, restrict incubating entrepreneurs from gaining advantage from business incubators. Additionally, the study reveals that the role of geographical proximity in business incubation is surprisingly of less importance than other forms of proximity.
Host Community Perceptions of Volunteer Tourists in the Northern Tourist Circuit, Tanzania
Authors:   , Ezra Peter Marwa
Published: November 2021

The existing and growing body of volunteer tourism literature has broadly addressed a myriad of topics but with a major focus on volunteer tourists. Limited knowledge is available on how these volunteer tourists are perceived by the host communities. The current literature defines volunteer tourists based on the perspective from where the majority of volunteer sending organizations and volunteer tourists come from – the primarily Western, developed country perspective. This study argues that this Western-dominated and developed country conceptualization of volunteer tourism and volunteer tourists must be addressed. In response the study examines the perceptions and conceptualisations of ‘volunteer tourists’ from the perspective of a host community in a developing country, Tanzania. To capture a multitude of host community perspectives on volunteer tourists, a qualitative case study approach was adopted which focused on a village near Arusha on the Northern Tourist Circuit (NTC) of Tanzania. Forty five semi-structured interviews were conducted with different community stakeholders, including private sector and public sector employees, people working for the not-for-profit sector and local people without affiliation to any of these three sectors. Importantly, these interviews were conducted by a Tanzanian researcher in Swahili and/or English. This research reveals that various stakeholders within the host community have different meanings and understandings of volunteer tourists based on their expectations and experiences. For example, the local people and those working for the not-for-profit sector perceived volunteer tourists as donors and sponsors, while those working in the public sector perceive volunteer tourists as international workers and/or NGO employees; and the private sector respondents perceived volunteer tourists as niche tourists. The study also reveals that the host community attributes that influence their perceptions are based on economic, socio-cultural, environmental and legal and/or regulatory framework factors; this includes, for example, racial ethnicity and poverty. Moreover, this research found that the host community’s perceptions of volunteer tourists are shaped by the issues of trust and mistrust that transpire in the course of their interaction. The study highlights the need to consider the financial element of volunteer tourism as a positive aspect and stresses the involvement of host community in the operation and management of volunteer tourist organizations.
A Scenario Analysis of the 2030 German Spa Tourist and Tourism
Authors:   , Wolf Natalie
Published: November 2021

Tourism is affected by growing transformations of social change, globalisation and wealth creation. Uncertainty surrounding the development of the factors makes it difficult to predict and provide contingency for the future. This is especially so for the spa tourism industry given its enormous figures in revenue growth over the past two decades. Given the growth of the spa industry and the key uncertainties that will shape its future, it is important to understand how the landscape of the spa industry might change in the next few decades. Although there has been research done on the future of spa tourism, for example by the Global Spa and Wellness Summit, their work requires more development and is not country-specific. In response, this study is of value as it explores the future of spa tourism in terms of creating multiple potential pathways. It does this from the perspective of the German spa industry, and addresses the interrelationships of these uncertainties. By following the specific methodology of scenario planning, this study develops a scenario analysis of the future of the German spa industry and answers the questions “What will the German spa tourist and spa tourism industry look like in 2030?” The study consisted of 22 semi-structured interviews with a diverse expert panel in Germany. Interview participants identified twelve key drivers which were discussed in light of existing literature. The two most significant key drivers identified in the interviews were then positioned along a two- key matrix with the demanding consumer on the horizontal axis and new distribution of wealth on the vertical axis. Based on these drivers the study presents four plausible yet challenging and completely different scenarios for the development of the German spa tourist and tourism in 2030. The scenarios include prosperous society, highlighting a positive future for German spas due to the growth of the middle class and thus increasing demands and a multifaceted spa clientele; the power elite, concentrating on the super rich spa consumer and their extravagant consumer behaviour; middle class on the brink, presenting a squeezed middle class and a gradient decline of the spa industry; and the welfare state, a gloomy scenario with almost no spa tourism left. Through examination of significant questions and strategic implications, the study concludes that the spa industry needs to challenge its current linear ways of thinking by adopting new insights and perspectives of the future. Furthermore, the industry needs to establish standardised criteria for accreditation and operation of spa facilities. This needs to include a focus on staff training in order to continue to attract the German spa tourist and thus remain profitable in the future.
Imputation on the Food, Nutrition and Environment Surveys 2007 and 2009 data
Authors:   , Luo Maoxin
Published: November 2021

The Food Nutrition Environment Survey (FNES) is a survey of New Zealand early childhood centres and schools and the food and nutritional services that they provide for their pupils. The 2007 and 2009 FNES surveys were managed by the Ministry of Health. Like all the other social surveys, the FNES has the common problem of unit and item non-responses. In other words, the FNES has missing data. In this thesis, we have surveyed a wide variety of missing data handling techniques and applied most of them to the FNES datasets. This thesis can be roughly divided into two parts. In the first part, we have studied and investigated the different nature of missing data (i.e. missing data mechanisms), and all the common and popular imputation methods, using the Synthetic Unit Record File (SURF) which has been developed by the Statistics New Zealand for educational purposes. By comparing all those different imputation methods, Bayesian Multiple Imputation (MI) method is the preferred option to impute missing data in terms of reducing non-response bias and properly propagating imputation uncertainty. Due to the overlaps in the samples selected for the 2007 and 2009 FNES surveys, we have discovered that the Bayesian MI can be improved by incorporating the matched dataset. Hence, we have proposed a couple of new approaches to utilize the extra information from the matched dataset. We believe that adapting the Bayesian MI to use the extra information from the matched dataset is a preferable imputation strategy for imputing the FNES missing data. This is because the use of the matched dataset provides more prediction power to the imputation model.
The Effect of Valence and Arousal on Spatial Attention
Authors:   , Schaverien Polly M.
Published: November 2021

Conceptual metaphor theory suggests that to mentally represent abstract concepts we use metaphorical associations to map them onto more concrete constructs (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; 1999). Using a choice reaction time (CRT) task, Meier and Robinson (2004) found that positively valenced words primed attention to higher areas in vertical space, while negatively valenced words primed attention to lower areas in vertical space, consistent with the good is up/bad is down conceptual metaphor. Meier and Robinson (2004; 2005) suggest this provides evidence that emotional words create an automatic and obligatory metaphor-congruent shift in spatial attention, driven by a Valence x Position interaction. However, other research shows that the arousal level, not just the valence of emotional words can affect reaction time (Robinson, Storbeck, Meier & Kirkeby, 2004). This means concluding that valence alone is driving the shift in attention is premature. Furthermore, Brookshire, Irvy and Casasanto (2010) dispute Meier and Robinson’s claim that the relationship between affect and metaphor is automatic, instead suggesting that affect-metaphor associations are optional and only accessed under certain contextual conditions. The purpose of this thesis was therefore two-fold. First, it aimed to explore whether valence, arousal, or an interaction between the two was responsible for driving the metaphor-consistent shift in spatial attention observed by Meier and Robinson (2004). Second, it aimed to progress the discussion about when affective stimuli, in the form of emotional words, automatically activate the good is up/bad is down conceptual metaphor. Three CRT experiments were conducted in which (a) emotional stimulus words were differentiated by arousal level as well as valence and (b) the evaluation of stimulus words’ affective tone (pleasant/unpleasant) was manipulated. A Valence x Position interaction in relation to the good is up but not bad is down conceptual metaphor was found when the valence of priming words was evaluated, suggesting valence, rather than arousal or a combination of both, is driving the affect-metaphor relationship. No evidence for the automatic activation of affect-metaphor associations was found when the word’s affective tone was not evaluated. These findings suggest that while driven by valence, affect-metaphor associations are not fully automatic and occur only under certain contextual conditions. The implications for our understanding of how emotion impacts spatial attention are discussed, suggesting metaphors enrich, rather than monopolise our mental representation of abstract, affective concepts.
The Impact of Experiencing Outcomes on Delay and Probability Discounting
Authors:   , Greenhow Anna Karin
Published: November 2021

Temporal and probability discounting refer to the decrease in subjective value of rewards that are either delayed or uncertain. Comparatively high degrees of discounting have been linked to other indices of impulsivity in both animals and humans, but the study of human discounting has primarily relied on participant reports of preferences between hypothetical outcomes. A number studies to date have illustrated not only how sensitive these preferences are to manipulations within such hypothetical procedures, but also that tasks where each consequence is actually experienced are able to capture changes in behaviour that hypothetical tasks may not. The current thesis examined temporal and probability discounting using a novel experiential discounting task in the form of a computer game-based discounting task in which the delays or probabilities of the preferred outcomes were experienced following each choice. The game had participants collect points by skiing over jumps, and discounting choices between either immediate and delayed or certain and uncertain point outcomes provided additional opportunities for point gain. Discounting was examined across four samples primarily composed of university students. Experiment 1, a test of the newly created task in two parts, assessed the most appropriate descriptive model of both temporal and probability discounting, as well as examined the relation between the two, hypothetical discounting and self-report measures of impulsivity and risk taking. Experiment 2 examined the effect of magnitude manipulations on both temporal and probability discounting. Experiment 3 examined the effect on degree of temporal discounting of manipulations to post-reward delays and access to alternative reinforcement during this period. Lastly, Experiment 4 attempted to manipulate the association between delay and risk and examined the impact of this on discounting of delayed outcomes. Participants across all studies showed systematic decreases in subjective value of both delayed and uncertain point outcomes. However, the shape of this decrease in value differed across the two types of outcomes, as did the effect of the magnitude manipulations. Furthermore, neither post-reinforcement duration, access to alternative reinforcement, nor experience with risk influenced degree of temporal discounting. The results are discussed in terms of single process accounts of discounting, the implications for individual trait interpretations of discounting and the relevance of experiential and hypothetical discounting to the construct of impulsivity.
Masculinity, reading and the school library : smoothing the abrasive rub
Authors:   , McLean Anne Virginia
Published: November 2021

During the 1990s, governments and the education profession noticed that boys were lagging behind girls academically. Reading, or the lack or it was pinpointed as a major cause and it was observed in an Auckland high school library that significantly more books were issued to girls than boys over a six month period in 2004. The purpose of this study was to achieve a deeper understanding of how a purposefully selected sample of school librarians has successfully encouraged boys to read. A qualitative approach was employed using two methods of data collection: a questionnaire to gather largely statistical data and in-depth interviews to gather data about participants' experiences, knowledge and opinions. The study found that school librarians use a variety of strategies to promote reading to boys. A school library needs to be well stocked with a wide range of current, appealing, reading materials as boys are discerning, hybrid readers. Knowing the students and the library collection was central to matching boys with books and the library needs to be more than a book repository. It is concluded that Ranganathan's 'Five laws of library science' are still applicable today in the school library and school librarians need to be a professional, visible and approachable presence in the school.
The use of pragmatic devices by German non-native speakers of English
Authors:   , Terraschke Agnes
Published: November 2021

Mastering the pragmatic norms of another language is one of the greatest challenges to non-native speakers. One particularly difficult aspect of pragmatic conventions is the appropriate use of pragmatic devices such as like, you know, I think, and or something like that which have been found to serve a number of important textual and interactive functions in discourse. This study investigates the use of such devices by non-native speakers in cross-cultural conversations in terms of frequency and function in order to establish to what extent L2 usage differs from native speaker norms. In particular, the study examines the use of the English pragmatic devices like, eh and General Extenders (and things like that, or something like that) by German non-native speakers of English (GNNSE) in interactions with native speakers of New Zealand English (NSNZE). The results are compared with the use of these forms in native-native conversations in New Zealand English and the use of close equivalent forms in German by the same GNNSE. The analysis is based on a corpus of approximately 18 1⁄2 hours of dyadic conversation or about 224,338 words of transcription.
Studies on the Systematics and Anatomy of New Zealand Earthworms
Authors:   , Lee Kenneth Ernest
Published: November 2021

The study of New Zealand earthworms has been extensive, but has been confined principally to the systematics of the group. Only one family of the Oligochaeta, the Megascolecidae, is represented in the endemic fauna, but within this family, over eighty species, belonging to seventeen genera, have been recorded and described. Apart from the Megascolecidae, certain species, lumbricids, worldwide in their distribution, are present and are regarded as having been introduced through the agency of man. The family Megascolecidae is confined almost entirely to the Southern hemisphere, and the southern regions of the Northern hemisphere, and within these regions, the greatest number of species occur in New Zealand, South America, South Africa, and Australia. When the distribution of the Megascolecidae became known, in the late nineteenth century, its sporadic nature evoked a great deal of interest among zoo-geographers, since earthworms, being terrestrial, and unable to tolerate immersion in salt water, form an ideal basis for the consideration of dispersal problems among terrestrial animals as a whole. The interest thus aroused in the Megascolecidae led to much work on the group in New Zealand. Michaelsen (1913 (b)) accounts for the predominance of the Megascolecidae in the southern continental areas by postulating that originally the family had a wide distribution in the nothern and southern continents, and that other families (e.g. the Glossoscolecidae), evolved more recently in the northern continents, have gradually superseded the Megascolecidae in all but the most remote regions of their original area of distribution. Matthew (1915) came to a similar conclusion in regard to the origin of present southern faunas in the course of his work on the distribution and evolution of the Mammalia. Evidence in favour of Michaelsen's conclusions can also be derived from the distribution of slugs, spiders, Collembola, Coleoptera, littoral Echinoderms, Polychaeta and Brachiopoda in the southern land masses.
Visitor Satisfaction with Guided Package Tours in the Northern Tourist Circuit of Tanzania
Authors:   , Leguma Elisante Ombeni
Published: November 2021

The guided package tour is a special tourism product that is composed of many components that are organized and offered by a tour operator. The literature shows that many visitors prefer guided package tours because they are a convenient way of organising a holiday. Studies of visitor satisfaction with guided package tours are often conducted in developed economies, on coach tours in cities, and therefore less is known about guided package tours in developing economies where the principle attraction is wildlife and nature. This thesis investigates visitor satisfaction with guided package tours that feature safaris in the northern tourist circuit of Tanzania. The northern tourist circuit is the largest tourist destination in Tanzania that attracts more that 80% of international visitors in the country.   Quantitative research method is used in this study together with importance-performance analysis. Importance-performance analysis provides a structure for data analysis and the interpretation of research findings. This thesis explores the relative importance of different components of guided package tours; visitor satisfaction with different components of the guided package tour; the relationship between importance and performance of different components of the guided package tour; and the relationship between visitor satisfaction with the tour guide and overall satisfaction with the tour experience.   This research demonstrates that all components of the guided package tour are important to visitors, and visitors are very satisfied with the performance of the tour providers. Attractions, tour guides and transportation are considered very important and very satisfying components of the guided package tour in the northern tourist circuit. Visitor satisfaction with the tour guide makes the largest contribution to overall satisfaction with the tour experience. Similarly, visitor satisfaction with other components of the guided package tour contributes to overall satisfaction with the tour experience.   The findings of this study provide a better understanding of visitor satisfaction with guided package tours that feature safaris, and the application of importance-performance analysis in the study of visitor satisfaction in a rural wildlife area. The study provides several practical suggestions for guided package tour providers in the northern tourist circuit.
Vietnamese International Students' Experiences in a New Zealand University: A Narrative Study
Authors:   , Vu Ha Thuong
Published: November 2021

This narrative study explored the adjustment experiences of six Vietnamese international students at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Data for the study were based on two sources; in-depth interviewing and the researcher's field notes. Each of participants was interviewed twice on their adjustment experiences in New Zealand. Thematic analysis was applied to their stories and positioning theory provided a theoretical lens to further analyze and interpret the participants' stories.  The findings of the study indicated that the participants experienced many new and different things. Most experienced a stressful academic environment during their first few weeks but they felt better as time passed. The most common challenges they faced related to language issues. Difficulties came from differences between cultures with a mismatch between the participants' previous learning experiences and teaching and learning in the new environment. The participants felt stressed by the amount of self-directed learning expected. These challenges brought benefits such as becoming independent and self- regulated learners. After one trimester one participant had happily adapted and thought of a future life in New Zealand. Three participants had gradually adapted and come to enjoy their new life Two of the six students were clear that they did not belong in New Zealand and wanted to finish their degree and then go back to Vietnam.  The study concluded that the participants had diverse difficulties studying and living in New Zealand, mostly related to the different academic environment, language and culture. The participants used various coping strategies to deal with their challenges in the new environment and the main source of their support was from friends and families.
Te Reo Maori as a Language of New Zealand Law: The Attainment of Civic Status
Authors:   , Ahu Tai
Published: November 2021

In July 2011 the Waitangi Tribunal released Wai 262, its report on the indigenous flora and fauna claim. In the report, the Tribunal signalled "a deep-seated fear for the survival of te reo" and found that the language was in a state of "renewed decline". To date, revitalisation initiatives have focussed largely on stemming language decline in the community. Comparatively little attention has been given to the need to develop te reo Māori in the civic life of the state; in particular, as a language of law and legal process. This dissertation argues that if te reo Māori is to survive in the 21st century, it must develop as a fully functional language of New Zealand law. This dissertation critiques the domestic and international instruments that protect the right to use te reo Māori in civic contexts, and identifies three developments that are necessary for te reo Māori to achieve full functionality as a legal language. The first is the provision of an unqualified right to use Māori in the law-making process. The second is the use of Māori in the substantive enactment of law. The third is a principled and consistent approach to drafting and interpreting Māori words and provisions in statutes.
Funnel Plots for Assessing Institutional Performance
Authors:   , Jennings Amy
Published: November 2021

This thesis presents a comparison of maternal outcomes for births in New Zealand District Health Boards (DHBs).This is carried out through analysis of the National Minimum Dataset collected by the Ministry of Health for 2007.  The outcome compared is postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) the results are displayed using funnel plots, a useful tool for displaying unbiased information on performance outcomes when comparing institutions.   Exploration of the data found that there are differences in the demographics, maternal and birth characteristics among DHBs. The rates of PPH are different and the population mixes are made up of a range of different proportions of ethnic groups, ages and deprivation indexes. The exploratory analysis found that a large number of factors are associated with PPH. And that birth weight, parity and gestation had a large number of missing observations. These factors are not missing at random and require imputing prior to constructing the funnel plots.  Results show that there is divergence amongst DHBs in the postpartum haemorrhage rate. First a raw PPH rate was plotted and the results indicated there were differences among DHBs. As there are many potential predictors for PPHa logistic regression model was applied to find the most important factors related to PPH. This allows us to apply an adjusted rate for the funnel plot. The risk adjusted funnel plot also indicated differences among DHBs.  Two approaches are taken to account for the overdispersion. A winsorised estimate and a winsorised estimate with a random effects term are applied to the data. The approaches produced different results. The winsorised estimate widened the control limits and the random effects term narrowed the control limits. All four plots identified an extreme outlier and this was later removed from the analysis and the winsorisation funnel plots were rerun. The influential outlier made a difference and from this we can concluded that 2 out 20 DHBs lie outside the 95% control limits. These two DHBs could be stated as having a very low rate of PPH.
A Portrait of a Place: A New Frame to View Artwork in the Academic Library
Authors:   , Austin Celia Andrea Mallory
Published: November 2021

The act of displaying artwork and art objects in academic libraries has been called both a “natural idea and common practice” (Cirasella and Deutsch, 2012, p. 2), but this position lacks a considered and critical analysis. The motivation for displaying artwork in academic libraries and an evaluation of its impact on the library environment, as perceived by librarians, similarly lacks meaningful examination. This absence of previous inquiry provides a major stimulus for this research project, which uses a case study approach to examine and explore the ‘natural’ preoccupation for displaying artwork in academic libraries, and additionally considers such environments as public art spaces.
The communication networks used by special librarians in solo and small libraries
Authors:   , Burgess Nathan
Published: November 2021

This study is an exploration of how isolated special librarians communicate with other professionals in the library field. It examines the means in which they connect with librarians for professional development and social reasons; the value they place on this interaction; and the barriers that hinder this communication. The qualitative study used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a representative sample of seven special librarians in New Zealand. The specific population was professionals at special libraries with either a solo staff member or a very small staff. There were several common themes among the interviews. Most interviewees were members of at least one professional library association such as LIANZA, but were more likely to be active in groups that were targeted at their field or at special librarians. When faced with a need for information, advice, or collaboration, the librarians interviewed were most likely to call upon colleagues they had met or worked with in the past, rather than an organised network or purpose-created group. There were several barriers identified that kept librarians from communicating with others, being active in the library field, and engaging in professional development activities. These included lack of support from their managers, lack of support from professional associations, feelings of isolation, and personal responsibilities such as raising a family. The common concerns raised by the special librarians could be taken into consideration by professional associations, organisers of communication networks, and the librarians’ managers. For a clearer picture of special librarians’ communication habits, a quantitative survey could be conducted, with survey questions informed by the results of this study.
Royal Polis Policy in the Seleukid Heartland
Authors:   , de L'isle Christopher Mark
Published: November 2021

In the Hellenistic Period most of the Greek poleis (city-states) came under the control of the Greco-Macedonian kings. The ideology of the poleis, which stressed the importance of autonomy, conflicted with the reality of royal domination. In Western Asia Minor, this conflict was resolved by presenting the relationship between king and polis as one of free association, in which the poleis were allowed a large amount of autonomy. The kings used ideas of reciprocity to tie the poleis to them and worked to make their rule as amenable as possible, while the poleis of Western Asia Minor continued to aspire to complete independence.  This was not the only possible resolution of the conflict between polis autonomy and royal dominance, however. In the Seleukid heartland of Syria and Mesopotamia the Seleukids founded and maintained new poleis. By means of names, myths, and symbols, the identities of these poleis were closely linked to the Seleukid dynasty. As a result, expressions of polis identity were expressions of loyalty to the dynasty, rather than of opposition. Their internal structures were based around an alliance between the royally-appointed epistatēs and the magistrates of the city, who represented a small civic elite. Royal support was thus important to the internal power structure of these poleis.  The poleis of the Seleukid heartland did not pursue full independence, even when the Seleukid royal power collapsed at the end of the Hellenistic period because, entirely unlike the poleis of Western Asia Minor, submission to a higher power was a central part of their identities and internal structures.
A Preliminary Investigation of Marine Yeast Biodiversity in New Zealand Waters
Authors:   , Francis Melissa
Published: November 2021

This is the first known investigation of marine yeast biodiversity from waters surrounding New Zealand’s main Islands. Marine yeasts were cultured onto agar plates from algae sampled at three locations in the Wellington Region. DNA extractions and PCR amplifications of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were conducted, and resultant sequence data were used for isolate identification and phylogenetic analysis. Yeasts isolated during this investigation were not unique; seventy-four isolates were identified from a range of genera that are frequently detected in marine and terrestrial environments worldwide. Furthermore, high ITS sequence similarity was observed between yeasts isolated during this investigation and those from geographically distant locations. These findings may indicate that marine yeasts are ubiquitous at a global level, although evidence is insufficient as to whether yeasts also demonstrate biogeographic distribution patterns. Yeasts isolated during this investigation may have ecological implications in New Zealand’s marine environment; marine yeasts are likely to play a general saprophytic role and certain genera are pathogenic. Isolates were also identified from genera that have previously demonstrated beneficial properties and applications, including the production of useful compounds and highly nutritious yeast biomass, biocontrol potential against the postharvest decay of produce, and degradation abilities that may enable bioremediation of polluted marine environments.