title: Enablers and Disablers in the Communication of Sustainability Discourses between Local Government and Businesses

authors: Whitaker, Scott

subjects: Sustainability

abstract: Abstract New Zealand businesses have looked to position themselves within the global market place as pioneers of environmentally sustainable business practice. This strategic development of environmental sustainability as part of our national ‘brand’ gives us an innovative edge in the market place. But as environmental sustainability becomes an ever more contentious issue we need to ask questions about how we will continue to define and negotiate our understanding so we can continue to compete within a growing market of educated consumers. Our ideas of what it means to be environmentally sustainable are continually shifting under the influence of competing worldviews. And for New Zealand to continue to compete we must understand the negotiation of the meaning of environmental sustainability and ensure that each party is represented in this negotiation. Within wider society government and business operate to set benchmarks for environmentally sustainable practice. Thus the communication between these two stakeholder groups is to negotiate and create discourses and ideas about sustainable business practice which businesses take to the market place as their competitive advantage. The ways in which discourses regarding the issue are communicated between government and businesses within New Zealand’s Waikato region are important to understand in order to understand how this affects the potential for business to use sustainable practices within local and global market places. This is because our understanding of what sustainable business practice is directly affects the ways in which we in act it. The way we think is the way we act. This paper uses stakeholder theory to address two key research questions; what discourses are employed by key stakeholders in understanding and negotiating issues of sustainability within and between local government and local business sectors? And how do these discourses facilitate or impede the implementation of sustainable business practices? Using a mixed method approach of both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews of business leaders and governmental agencies this case study develops a snapshot of negotiated meanings of environmentally sustainable business practice. This project identifies distinct difficulties in the areas of stakeholder engagement stemming from a lack of clearly defined shared goals, differences which exist between the communication styles of various stakeholders, the presence of stakeholder hegemony and the lack of a clearly defined authority on sustainable action. The results from this project have drawn the researcher to provide recommendations to local government institutions which include a realignment of communication goals to more closely match business interests, a use of business orientated language and the development of a stream of communication which is aimed at educating small to medium enterprises on the benefits of sustainable action both within the local market place and within the international market place for those looking to trade internationally.

text: Enablers and Disablers in the Communication of Sustainability Discourses between Local Government and Businesses Abstract New Zealand businesses have looked to position themselves within the global market place as pioneers of environmentally sustainable business practice. This strategic development of environmental sustainability as part of our national ‘brand’ gives us an innovative edge in the market place. But as environmental sustainability becomes an ever more contentious issue we need to ask questions about how we will continue to define and negotiate our understanding so we can continue to compete within a growing market of educated consumers. Our ideas of what it means to be environmentally sustainable are continually shifting under the influence of competing worldviews. And for New Zealand to continue to compete we must understand the negotiation of the meaning of environmental sustainability and ensure that each party is represented in this negotiation. Within wider society government and business operate to set benchmarks for environmentally sustainable practice. Thus the communication between these two stakeholder groups is to negotiate and create discourses and ideas about sustainable business practice which businesses take to the market place as their competitive advantage. The ways in which discourses regarding the issue are communicated between government and businesses within New Zealand’s Waikato region are important to understand in order to understand how this affects the potential for business to use sustainable practices within local and global market places. This is because our understanding of what sustainable business practice is directly affects the ways in which we in act it. The way we think is the way we act. This paper uses stakeholder theory to address two key research questions; what discourses are employed by key stakeholders in understanding and negotiating issues of sustainability within and between local government and local business sectors? And how do these discourses facilitate or impede the implementation of sustainable business practices? Using a mixed method approach of both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews of business leaders and governmental agencies this case study develops a snapshot of negotiated meanings of environmentally sustainable business practice. This project identifies distinct difficulties in the areas of stakeholder engagement stemming from a lack of clearly defined shared goals, differences which exist between the communication styles of various stakeholders, the presence of stakeholder hegemony and the lack of a clearly defined authority on sustainable action. The results from this project have drawn the researcher to provide recommendations to local government institutions which include a realignment of communication goals to more closely match business interests, a use of business orientated language and the development of a stream of communication which is aimed at educating small to medium enterprises on the benefits of sustainable action both within the local market place and within the international market place for those looking to trade internationally.

year: 2011

title: Modernity in the Margins: A study of the introduction of typographic modernity in New Zealand, 1920-1940

authors: Faber, Mary

subjects: typography

abstract: Publications on New Zealand’s typographical history are few, particularly for the period of typographic Modernism. This study extends the knowledge of New Zealand’s typographic history through investigating typeface utilisation from 1920 to 1940, contextualising this use against developments from what are considered the metropolitan centres of the development of typographic Modernism. It examines the arrival and form of Modernism and modernity into twentieth century New Zealand through the medium of typography, and considers what the outcome reveals about conditions of New Zealand’s theoretical marginality, and the transfer of cultural forms. Focussing on type selection and use within the popular medium of New Zealand newspapers, this study aims to establish greater understanding of a critical period in type design. This research serves an important role in defining a New Zealand typographic identity, through revealing the way typography was utilised as a vehicle to introduce modernity into New Zealand, establishing greater understanding of our type selection and use. Essentially, this study proposes an alternate way of examining the introduction of modernity in New Zealand, and through this knowledge supporting and inspiring New Zealand type design today.

text: Modernity in the Margins: A study of the introduction of typographic modernity in New Zealand, 1920-1940 Publications on New Zealand’s typographical history are few, particularly for the period of typographic Modernism. This study extends the knowledge of New Zealand’s typographic history through investigating typeface utilisation from 1920 to 1940, contextualising this use against developments from what are considered the metropolitan centres of the development of typographic Modernism. It examines the arrival and form of Modernism and modernity into twentieth century New Zealand through the medium of typography, and considers what the outcome reveals about conditions of New Zealand’s theoretical marginality, and the transfer of cultural forms. Focussing on type selection and use within the popular medium of New Zealand newspapers, this study aims to establish greater understanding of a critical period in type design. This research serves an important role in defining a New Zealand typographic identity, through revealing the way typography was utilised as a vehicle to introduce modernity into New Zealand, establishing greater understanding of our type selection and use. Essentially, this study proposes an alternate way of examining the introduction of modernity in New Zealand, and through this knowledge supporting and inspiring New Zealand type design today.

year: 2011

title: The cost of aquatic weed control in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes

authors: Champion, Paul

abstract: We will present information on the costs of aquatic weed control in the Rotorua, Te Arawa Lakes and thank all of the people who have willingly given us their estimated costs. Hopefully, this provides guidance on what current activities cost and what future scenarios might be feasible.

text: The cost of aquatic weed control in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes We will present information on the costs of aquatic weed control in the Rotorua, Te Arawa Lakes and thank all of the people who have willingly given us their estimated costs. Hopefully, this provides guidance on what current activities cost and what future scenarios might be feasible.

year: 2017