title: Environmental sustainability and family businesses

authors: Kariyapperuma, Kariyapperuma Athukoralage Nishanthi Renuka

subjects: Environmental sustainability

abstract: For centuries, individuals, businesses, and countries have attempted to preserve nature, yet despite their efforts, environmental issues persist. Family businesses (FBs) are a key player in the global economy, and cumulatively, their impact on environmental sustainability (ES) is significant. FBs also provide a unique organisational context to study the influence of family, founding owners, and the next generation in relation to ES in family firms. This is a thesis with publications positioned at the intersection of ES and the family business (FB). The research adopts a two-phase design. The first phase addresses the research question: How and why do family firms vary in their engagement with ES? The second phase considers how family firms can continue an environmental values legacy. 
The thesis includes three research papers. Manuscript 1 presents a structured literature review (135 research papers published during the last 20 years) that evaluates the body of knowledge at the intersection of ES and FBs.  Manuscript 2 reports on the results from a qualitative content analysis of information on ES and family narratives disclosed in the corporate websites of 72 FBs.  Manuscript 3 is based on two qualitative methods - a qualitative content analysis and multiple case studies regarding the socialisation context of the founding and the next generation family members.  The context for the empirical studies is family businesses operating in New Zealand’s wine industry. Most of the firms in the industry are owned and operated by small to medium-sized FBs. The theory of family logic and familiness was applied in the first two manuscripts, while the theory of multi-layered socialisation was used in the third manuscript.
The three manuscripts complement each other. Manuscript 1 uses the extant literature to show how family logics (e.g., socioemotional wealth) and family resources (e.g., social capital) influence ES in family firms. Manuscript 2 empirically investigates the above association and identifies family values, founding values, and nonfinancial goals of the family as dominant family logics that could influence FB engagement with ES. Manuscript 3 develops this idea further and explores how families develop an ongoing environmental values legacy in FBs. 
The results show that the family itself is the primary source of heterogeneities among FBs in their approach to ES. Family logics and familiness act as a frame of reference for the dominant coalition in their behaviour towards ES. A conceptual model was developed that linked the variables (family logic, familiness, family firms, and ES) and provided a holistic view of how and why heterogeneities exist in family firms. Three typologies of family firms were developed: Family-First, Business-First, and Upstart. 
Regarding environmental values formation and transmission in FBs, it was found that early childhood is the most critical age of developing environmental values. Early childhood exposure to FB and nature interaction has also been identified as part of the primary socialisation. Three categories of environmental values were developed related to economic, social, and emotional needs that the founding or the next generation family members attempted to satisfy through engagement with ES. There is evidence for resocialisation of values, and a dyadic transmission of environmental values exist between parents and children. Implications of the multi-layered socialisation process are discussed.
The first contribution of this thesis is to theoretically and empirically review the “family behind the family firm” to explain how variations in the family variables influence heterogeneities among family firms in their approach to ES. The second contribution of this thesis is to develop the existing knowledge in the intersection of family business and ES, regarding the continuity of environmental values in FBs.
At the conclusion of the thesis, the original contributions of the thesis are highlighted. Limitations of the research and future research directions are also outlined.

text: Environmental sustainability and family businesses For centuries, individuals, businesses, and countries have attempted to preserve nature, yet despite their efforts, environmental issues persist. Family businesses (FBs) are a key player in the global economy, and cumulatively, their impact on environmental sustainability (ES) is significant. FBs also provide a unique organisational context to study the influence of family, founding owners, and the next generation in relation to ES in family firms. This is a thesis with publications positioned at the intersection of ES and the family business (FB). The research adopts a two-phase design. The first phase addresses the research question: How and why do family firms vary in their engagement with ES? The second phase considers how family firms can continue an environmental values legacy. 
The thesis includes three research papers. Manuscript 1 presents a structured literature review (135 research papers published during the last 20 years) that evaluates the body of knowledge at the intersection of ES and FBs.  Manuscript 2 reports on the results from a qualitative content analysis of information on ES and family narratives disclosed in the corporate websites of 72 FBs.  Manuscript 3 is based on two qualitative methods - a qualitative content analysis and multiple case studies regarding the socialisation context of the founding and the next generation family members.  The context for the empirical studies is family businesses operating in New Zealand’s wine industry. Most of the firms in the industry are owned and operated by small to medium-sized FBs. The theory of family logic and familiness was applied in the first two manuscripts, while the theory of multi-layered socialisation was used in the third manuscript.
The three manuscripts complement each other. Manuscript 1 uses the extant literature to show how family logics (e.g., socioemotional wealth) and family resources (e.g., social capital) influence ES in family firms. Manuscript 2 empirically investigates the above association and identifies family values, founding values, and nonfinancial goals of the family as dominant family logics that could influence FB engagement with ES. Manuscript 3 develops this idea further and explores how families develop an ongoing environmental values legacy in FBs. 
The results show that the family itself is the primary source of heterogeneities among FBs in their approach to ES. Family logics and familiness act as a frame of reference for the dominant coalition in their behaviour towards ES. A conceptual model was developed that linked the variables (family logic, familiness, family firms, and ES) and provided a holistic view of how and why heterogeneities exist in family firms. Three typologies of family firms were developed: Family-First, Business-First, and Upstart. 
Regarding environmental values formation and transmission in FBs, it was found that early childhood is the most critical age of developing environmental values. Early childhood exposure to FB and nature interaction has also been identified as part of the primary socialisation. Three categories of environmental values were developed related to economic, social, and emotional needs that the founding or the next generation family members attempted to satisfy through engagement with ES. There is evidence for resocialisation of values, and a dyadic transmission of environmental values exist between parents and children. Implications of the multi-layered socialisation process are discussed.
The first contribution of this thesis is to theoretically and empirically review the “family behind the family firm” to explain how variations in the family variables influence heterogeneities among family firms in their approach to ES. The second contribution of this thesis is to develop the existing knowledge in the intersection of family business and ES, regarding the continuity of environmental values in FBs.
At the conclusion of the thesis, the original contributions of the thesis are highlighted. Limitations of the research and future research directions are also outlined.

year: 2021

title: Decoding injury risk: Exploring the impact of asymptomatic hypermobility on lower limb injury risk factors in young female volleyball players

authors: Hanzlíková, Ivana

subjects: Beighton score

abstract: Generalized hypermobility is associated with higher rates of musculoskeletal injuries, a trend also observed in volleyball. We aimed to investigate how asymptomatic hypermobility affects other suggested lower limb injury risk factors. Fifty female volleyball players (22 hypermobile, 28 non-hypermobile) were assessed using Beighton scores (BS) and lower limb injury risk factors based on the Landing Error Scoring System, single-leg dynamic balance, and Limb Symmetry Index (LSI) for single-leg hop and triple hop for distance. Spearman’s correlations assessed relationships between BS and the risk factors, and t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests compared risk factors between non-hypermobile and asymptomatic hypermobile groups. No significant associations were found between BS and most risk factors, except for a negative correlation with the centre of pressure range of motion in the medio-lateral direction during dynamic balance on the non-dominant leg (ρ = -0.332; p = 0.015). The only significant group difference was in the LSI for single-leg hop distance, where the hypermobile group showed greater symmetry (r = 0.28, p = 0.041). The association between BS and dynamic balance was weak, with no clear difference in injury risk factors were observed between groups, suggesting hypermobile players may not need specialized training programs.

text: Decoding injury risk: Exploring the impact of asymptomatic hypermobility on lower limb injury risk factors in young female volleyball players Generalized hypermobility is associated with higher rates of musculoskeletal injuries, a trend also observed in volleyball. We aimed to investigate how asymptomatic hypermobility affects other suggested lower limb injury risk factors. Fifty female volleyball players (22 hypermobile, 28 non-hypermobile) were assessed using Beighton scores (BS) and lower limb injury risk factors based on the Landing Error Scoring System, single-leg dynamic balance, and Limb Symmetry Index (LSI) for single-leg hop and triple hop for distance. Spearman’s correlations assessed relationships between BS and the risk factors, and t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests compared risk factors between non-hypermobile and asymptomatic hypermobile groups. No significant associations were found between BS and most risk factors, except for a negative correlation with the centre of pressure range of motion in the medio-lateral direction during dynamic balance on the non-dominant leg (ρ = -0.332; p = 0.015). The only significant group difference was in the LSI for single-leg hop distance, where the hypermobile group showed greater symmetry (r = 0.28, p = 0.041). The association between BS and dynamic balance was weak, with no clear difference in injury risk factors were observed between groups, suggesting hypermobile players may not need specialized training programs.

year: 2025

title: The Mātauranga Māori in Mathematics Directive: Exploring the place of mātauranga Māori in Mathematics teaching and learning

authors: Williams, Jessica Elizabeth

subjects: mathematics education

abstract: This thesis explores issues concerning mātauranga Māori in mathematics teaching and learning here in Aotearoa. The Ministry of Education has directed that mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori be embedded in teaching, learning, and assessment. Thus, this research primarily aims to understand the development leading to the directive of including mātauranga Māori in education policies. For the English-medium secondary education settings, the second and third aims of this research are to explore what mātauranga Māori means to teachers of mathematics and to consider the connections between mātauranga Māori and mathematics teaching and learning. To investigate these aims, a semi-structured group discussion with four secondary mathematics teachers from an English-medium setting was conducted. The results of this thesis highlight the confusion and challenges secondary mathematics educators have toward defining, and subsequently, implementing mātauranga Māori in their classrooms. This thesis also found that there is enthusiasm and interest around learning how to ensure indigenous and marginalised learners reach their mathematics potential. Believing that indigenous worldviews have the potential to shift education outcomes for minority learners, this thesis adds to literature related to indigenous education, secondary mathematics education, and English-medium education of Māori learners.

text: The Mātauranga Māori in Mathematics Directive: Exploring the place of mātauranga Māori in Mathematics teaching and learning This thesis explores issues concerning mātauranga Māori in mathematics teaching and learning here in Aotearoa. The Ministry of Education has directed that mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori be embedded in teaching, learning, and assessment. Thus, this research primarily aims to understand the development leading to the directive of including mātauranga Māori in education policies. For the English-medium secondary education settings, the second and third aims of this research are to explore what mātauranga Māori means to teachers of mathematics and to consider the connections between mātauranga Māori and mathematics teaching and learning. To investigate these aims, a semi-structured group discussion with four secondary mathematics teachers from an English-medium setting was conducted. The results of this thesis highlight the confusion and challenges secondary mathematics educators have toward defining, and subsequently, implementing mātauranga Māori in their classrooms. This thesis also found that there is enthusiasm and interest around learning how to ensure indigenous and marginalised learners reach their mathematics potential. Believing that indigenous worldviews have the potential to shift education outcomes for minority learners, this thesis adds to literature related to indigenous education, secondary mathematics education, and English-medium education of Māori learners.

year: 2023