title: The adoption of communication technologies by the Aotearoa New Zealand public relations industry: Social media and artificial intelligence

authors: Leeming, Isabel

subjects: Diffusion of Innovation Theory

abstract: Purpose of research
This research aims to explore the factors that challenge or enable the adoption of new communication technologies by Aotearoa New Zealand's public relations industry. More specifically, it investigates the adoption of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, identifying associated ethical issues. The research will use past experiences of adopting social media to provide important lessons for today’s adoption of AI and highlight the importance of proactive learning, responsible experimentation, strong ethical frameworks and securing a place for public relations voices in technology policy discussions.

Design and methodology
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to detect senior professionals’ experiences and insights regarding the adoption of both social media and AI. Interviewees were selected based on their years of experience, allowing the researcher to ensure a comparison between the adoption of social media and the current adoption of AI. This meant participants had to have at least 14-15 years of experience. Based on the interviews’ content, the researcher created a questionnaire, which was distributed to 3,010 Aotearoa New Zealand public relations professionals through the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand’s newsletter. In addition, the researcher directly contacted 16 public relations professionals known to the researcher in Aotearoa New Zealand and posted the survey through the researcher’s LinkedIn page which reached 418 other LinkedIn members.

The survey questionnaire and interviews guideline were designed to gather data on public relations professionals’ initial understanding of social media, as well as their organisations’ initial attitude, how their social media policy was created and how they currently used social media in their work. It also sought to understand the current adoption trends of AI by gathering information and attitudinal perceptions from the respondents’ organisation, their opinions on AI, if their organisation had an AI policy, their involvement and if they had used AI in their work, as well as any future opportunities they see if adopting AI.

The major question the guide this study was:
What are the factors that challenge or enable the adoption of new communication technologies by the public relations industry?

Findings
Social media blurred the boundaries between personal and professional identities, creating new ethical and reputational considerations for public relations professionals. Social media expanded public relations responsibilities to include real-time engagement, content creation and analytics. AI has the power to enhance productivity, however the need for upskilling and training as AI becomes more prominent in communication workflows is crucial. There are explicit knowledge and skills gaps related to AI, particularly in areas such as ethical use, content verification and integration into strategic communication. Public relations pracitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand feel underprepared for AI’s rapid evolution, and there is limited access to formal training tailored specifically to public relations applications, due to organisational barriers, unclear policies and resistance to change.

Originality/value
This research is original in its dual focus on the adoption of both social media and AI in the public relations industry, using the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory as a unifying analytical framework. While previous studies have examined these technologies separately, this research is among the first to compare their adoption patterns side by side, offering a longitudinal perspective on how public relations professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand, respond to digital transformation over time. The study uniquely highlights the parallels between past and present adoption behaviours, revealing recurring organisational hesitations, generational divides and evolving role expectations. It also contributes new insight into current AI knowledge and skills gaps, which have yet to be comprehensively addressed in existing public relations scholarship. By drawing on real-world practitioner narratives, this research adds depth to theoretical understanding and offers practical implications for how the profession can better prepare for emerging technologies.

text: The adoption of communication technologies by the Aotearoa New Zealand public relations industry: Social media and artificial intelligence Purpose of research
This research aims to explore the factors that challenge or enable the adoption of new communication technologies by Aotearoa New Zealand's public relations industry. More specifically, it investigates the adoption of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, identifying associated ethical issues. The research will use past experiences of adopting social media to provide important lessons for today’s adoption of AI and highlight the importance of proactive learning, responsible experimentation, strong ethical frameworks and securing a place for public relations voices in technology policy discussions.

Design and methodology
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to detect senior professionals’ experiences and insights regarding the adoption of both social media and AI. Interviewees were selected based on their years of experience, allowing the researcher to ensure a comparison between the adoption of social media and the current adoption of AI. This meant participants had to have at least 14-15 years of experience. Based on the interviews’ content, the researcher created a questionnaire, which was distributed to 3,010 Aotearoa New Zealand public relations professionals through the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand’s newsletter. In addition, the researcher directly contacted 16 public relations professionals known to the researcher in Aotearoa New Zealand and posted the survey through the researcher’s LinkedIn page which reached 418 other LinkedIn members.

The survey questionnaire and interviews guideline were designed to gather data on public relations professionals’ initial understanding of social media, as well as their organisations’ initial attitude, how their social media policy was created and how they currently used social media in their work. It also sought to understand the current adoption trends of AI by gathering information and attitudinal perceptions from the respondents’ organisation, their opinions on AI, if their organisation had an AI policy, their involvement and if they had used AI in their work, as well as any future opportunities they see if adopting AI.

The major question the guide this study was:
What are the factors that challenge or enable the adoption of new communication technologies by the public relations industry?

Findings
Social media blurred the boundaries between personal and professional identities, creating new ethical and reputational considerations for public relations professionals. Social media expanded public relations responsibilities to include real-time engagement, content creation and analytics. AI has the power to enhance productivity, however the need for upskilling and training as AI becomes more prominent in communication workflows is crucial. There are explicit knowledge and skills gaps related to AI, particularly in areas such as ethical use, content verification and integration into strategic communication. Public relations pracitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand feel underprepared for AI’s rapid evolution, and there is limited access to formal training tailored specifically to public relations applications, due to organisational barriers, unclear policies and resistance to change.

Originality/value
This research is original in its dual focus on the adoption of both social media and AI in the public relations industry, using the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory as a unifying analytical framework. While previous studies have examined these technologies separately, this research is among the first to compare their adoption patterns side by side, offering a longitudinal perspective on how public relations professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand, respond to digital transformation over time. The study uniquely highlights the parallels between past and present adoption behaviours, revealing recurring organisational hesitations, generational divides and evolving role expectations. It also contributes new insight into current AI knowledge and skills gaps, which have yet to be comprehensively addressed in existing public relations scholarship. By drawing on real-world practitioner narratives, this research adds depth to theoretical understanding and offers practical implications for how the profession can better prepare for emerging technologies.

year: 2025

title: Establishing a conceptual model for residential development in New Zealand

authors: Bishop, Joel

subjects: environmental planning

abstract: There is growing concern among planners, policymakers, regulators, urban economists, and the general public that the contemporary housing market is failing to either provide an adequate supply of affordable housing. Mainstream thought attributes the ‘housing crisis’ primarily to the restriction of new housing supply by the planning system, creating an impetus to deregulate and liberalise urban land use through programmes of mass upzoning like the Auckland Unitary Plan. However, current models of urban land use change often ignore the way that diversity in developer behaviour and decision-making may affect development and land use outcomes.  Significant features of this developer diversity in a New Zealand context include the strong and growing role of Māori in development and the importance of small homeowners and investors. 

There is also growing concern that contemporary housing development does not  adequately account for natural hazard risk and the future impacts of climate change. There is a lack of research investigating how developers react to natural hazard risks, mapping, and policy settings.  

To remedy this weakness in the literature, this research identified and analysed diversity in the behaviour and decision-making of housing developers in New Zealand when deciding whether to purchase, develop, and/or sell sites. Special attention was given to sites subject to significant natural hazard risk(s) and the impact of policy interventions intended to control or manage development in at-risk areas. This was achieved through a review of the existing conceptual models of development and typologies of developers in the literature and a series of surveys and interviews with diverse developers throughout New Zealand. It outlines key conceptual features of the housing sector in New Zealand and proposes a new typology of housing developers that is specific to this context. 

Key findings include the significant diversity that exists between developer types in the prioritisation of key variables and values that determine whether they choose to invest in an at-risk site; diversity of reactions to natural hazard risks and disparities in the efficacy of common risk communication tools between regions; and the vital role of the insurance sector in determining future land use change patterns and natural hazard risk exposure. 

This research reveals the importance of a detailed and nuanced understanding of diverse developer behaviour and decision-making for future policymaking land use change modelling. It also highlights regional and local disparities in developer responses to current natural hazard mapping projects and the vital role of the insurance sector in determining future land use change patterns and natural hazard risk exposure by influencing in the site selection and development behaviour of housing developers.

text: Establishing a conceptual model for residential development in New Zealand There is growing concern among planners, policymakers, regulators, urban economists, and the general public that the contemporary housing market is failing to either provide an adequate supply of affordable housing. Mainstream thought attributes the ‘housing crisis’ primarily to the restriction of new housing supply by the planning system, creating an impetus to deregulate and liberalise urban land use through programmes of mass upzoning like the Auckland Unitary Plan. However, current models of urban land use change often ignore the way that diversity in developer behaviour and decision-making may affect development and land use outcomes.  Significant features of this developer diversity in a New Zealand context include the strong and growing role of Māori in development and the importance of small homeowners and investors. 

There is also growing concern that contemporary housing development does not  adequately account for natural hazard risk and the future impacts of climate change. There is a lack of research investigating how developers react to natural hazard risks, mapping, and policy settings.  

To remedy this weakness in the literature, this research identified and analysed diversity in the behaviour and decision-making of housing developers in New Zealand when deciding whether to purchase, develop, and/or sell sites. Special attention was given to sites subject to significant natural hazard risk(s) and the impact of policy interventions intended to control or manage development in at-risk areas. This was achieved through a review of the existing conceptual models of development and typologies of developers in the literature and a series of surveys and interviews with diverse developers throughout New Zealand. It outlines key conceptual features of the housing sector in New Zealand and proposes a new typology of housing developers that is specific to this context. 

Key findings include the significant diversity that exists between developer types in the prioritisation of key variables and values that determine whether they choose to invest in an at-risk site; diversity of reactions to natural hazard risks and disparities in the efficacy of common risk communication tools between regions; and the vital role of the insurance sector in determining future land use change patterns and natural hazard risk exposure. 

This research reveals the importance of a detailed and nuanced understanding of diverse developer behaviour and decision-making for future policymaking land use change modelling. It also highlights regional and local disparities in developer responses to current natural hazard mapping projects and the vital role of the insurance sector in determining future land use change patterns and natural hazard risk exposure by influencing in the site selection and development behaviour of housing developers.

year: 2025

title: Māori cultural definitions of sexual violence.

authors: Pihama, Leonie

abstract: Exploring definitions of sexual violence in Aotearoa highlights that on the whole such definitions are located within dominant Pākehā frameworks that do not provide adequately for understanding the context of sexual violence for Māori. As such Māori working in the area of healing the trauma of sexual violence have been developing frameworks which are enabling of culturally defined understandings and traditional knowledge as a basis by which to understand sexual violence in Aotearoa. Informed by te reo and tikanga Māori (Māori language and culture) Māori healers, social workers and health providers have moved beyond western definitions and have highlighted the link between acts of sexual violence and the violence of colonial invasion. This article explores Māori perspectives of the origins and impacts of sexual violence for Māori and advocates for Kaupapa Māori and decolonising approaches to be more fully supported and engaged in dealing with these issues within our communities.

text: Māori cultural definitions of sexual violence. Exploring definitions of sexual violence in Aotearoa highlights that on the whole such definitions are located within dominant Pākehā frameworks that do not provide adequately for understanding the context of sexual violence for Māori. As such Māori working in the area of healing the trauma of sexual violence have been developing frameworks which are enabling of culturally defined understandings and traditional knowledge as a basis by which to understand sexual violence in Aotearoa. Informed by te reo and tikanga Māori (Māori language and culture) Māori healers, social workers and health providers have moved beyond western definitions and have highlighted the link between acts of sexual violence and the violence of colonial invasion. This article explores Māori perspectives of the origins and impacts of sexual violence for Māori and advocates for Kaupapa Māori and decolonising approaches to be more fully supported and engaged in dealing with these issues within our communities.

year: 2016