title: Blood money: A grounded theory of corporate citizenship; Myanmar (Burma) as a case in point

authors: Black, Nicola Mary

subjects: Corporate Citizenship

abstract: Corporate Citizenship as a social phenomena spans a growing body of
corporate initiatives, nascent policy frameworks, and global civil society action.
Corporate engagement with fragile states, and other situations identified as
contexts of conflict and/or weak governance, is the subject of scholarly and
practitioner research by those with an interest in Corporate Citizenship. In this
thesis I represent the corporation as a legal entity with significant political and
socio-economic impacts. Responsibility for these impacts is the subject of
ongoing social critique and contest. I consider the corporate form as a site of
broad protest at the environmental devastation and social dislocation that has
accompanied the globalisation and intensification of neo-liberal economic
activity. My analytic focus is the range of social processes involving actors from
the private, civil and political sphere, through which understandings of
responsible, potentially 'constructive' corporate engagement in fragile states are
created, contested and transformed. Further, efforts to embed Corporate
Citizenship as the normative basis for global business practice broadly reflect
aspirations for greater social justice. In identifying and describing intentions,
aspirations and forms of corporate engagement in fragile states, and the social
process through which these change, I critically examine the discourses of
development, security and governance which underpin Corporate Citizenship
efforts.
In this thesis I offer a grounded theory of Corporate Citizenship in Fragile
States I have developed through an empirical case study of the oil and gas
industry in Myanmar (Burma). Working within a social constructivist perspective
in the grounded theory research tradition, I have employed an iterative analytic
process to develop the theory presented. In this process the sampling of data was
undertaken to challenge and develop concepts in the emerging theory, concepts
identified using a method of constant comparison within and between sets of data.
I continued these concurrent processes of data-collection, analysis and theoretical
development until I judged the theory to be a sufficiently complete description of
the focus of inquiry. A total of seven broad sets of data informed the
development of the theory presented. These datasets include over a hundred
interviews in seven countries with stakeholders in three joint-venture offshore
exploration and production projects in Myanmar (Burma) undertaken from July
2006 to August 2009. The datasets also draw from an extensive body of corporate
and advocacy group publications regarding foreign investment in Myanmar, along
with other secondary data sources.
In this inquiry I have explored the multiple interactions between corporate,
state and civil society actors through which understandings of 'responsible'
corporate engagement in Myanmar are created, enacted and transformed. I have
identified and conceptualised four social processes at work in these interactions,
which I describe in the grounded theories of:
(1) Commercial Diplomacy (describing the use of enterprise as a conduit
for foreign policy by states, particularly as it relates to 'ethical' business
activity)
(2) Stakeholder Activism (critiquing the aims and strategies of
transnational civil society organisations who advocate for 'responsible'
corporate engagement)
(3) Corporate Engagement (explaining variation in the motivations and
terms of corporate engagement, specifically different forms of divestment
or engagement, as strategic responses to stakeholder activism, commercial
diplomacy and other factors which influence the enterprise context)
(4) Constructive Corporate Engagement (a conceptual framework,
grounded in multiple stakeholder-views and drawing from the
international development discourses of state fragility and human security,
for considering the potentially constructive impacts of corporate
engagement).
Working within and between these four theories, I generated an overarching
grounded theory of (5) Corporate Citizenship in Fragile States. From these
theories I offer a critical analysis of Corporate Citizenship as the normative basis
for a new articulation between the economic, social and political spheres in
pursuit of a more equitable global order.

text: Blood money: A grounded theory of corporate citizenship; Myanmar (Burma) as a case in point Corporate Citizenship as a social phenomena spans a growing body of
corporate initiatives, nascent policy frameworks, and global civil society action.
Corporate engagement with fragile states, and other situations identified as
contexts of conflict and/or weak governance, is the subject of scholarly and
practitioner research by those with an interest in Corporate Citizenship. In this
thesis I represent the corporation as a legal entity with significant political and
socio-economic impacts. Responsibility for these impacts is the subject of
ongoing social critique and contest. I consider the corporate form as a site of
broad protest at the environmental devastation and social dislocation that has
accompanied the globalisation and intensification of neo-liberal economic
activity. My analytic focus is the range of social processes involving actors from
the private, civil and political sphere, through which understandings of
responsible, potentially 'constructive' corporate engagement in fragile states are
created, contested and transformed. Further, efforts to embed Corporate
Citizenship as the normative basis for global business practice broadly reflect
aspirations for greater social justice. In identifying and describing intentions,
aspirations and forms of corporate engagement in fragile states, and the social
process through which these change, I critically examine the discourses of
development, security and governance which underpin Corporate Citizenship
efforts.
In this thesis I offer a grounded theory of Corporate Citizenship in Fragile
States I have developed through an empirical case study of the oil and gas
industry in Myanmar (Burma). Working within a social constructivist perspective
in the grounded theory research tradition, I have employed an iterative analytic
process to develop the theory presented. In this process the sampling of data was
undertaken to challenge and develop concepts in the emerging theory, concepts
identified using a method of constant comparison within and between sets of data.
I continued these concurrent processes of data-collection, analysis and theoretical
development until I judged the theory to be a sufficiently complete description of
the focus of inquiry. A total of seven broad sets of data informed the
development of the theory presented. These datasets include over a hundred
interviews in seven countries with stakeholders in three joint-venture offshore
exploration and production projects in Myanmar (Burma) undertaken from July
2006 to August 2009. The datasets also draw from an extensive body of corporate
and advocacy group publications regarding foreign investment in Myanmar, along
with other secondary data sources.
In this inquiry I have explored the multiple interactions between corporate,
state and civil society actors through which understandings of 'responsible'
corporate engagement in Myanmar are created, enacted and transformed. I have
identified and conceptualised four social processes at work in these interactions,
which I describe in the grounded theories of:
(1) Commercial Diplomacy (describing the use of enterprise as a conduit
for foreign policy by states, particularly as it relates to 'ethical' business
activity)
(2) Stakeholder Activism (critiquing the aims and strategies of
transnational civil society organisations who advocate for 'responsible'
corporate engagement)
(3) Corporate Engagement (explaining variation in the motivations and
terms of corporate engagement, specifically different forms of divestment
or engagement, as strategic responses to stakeholder activism, commercial
diplomacy and other factors which influence the enterprise context)
(4) Constructive Corporate Engagement (a conceptual framework,
grounded in multiple stakeholder-views and drawing from the
international development discourses of state fragility and human security,
for considering the potentially constructive impacts of corporate
engagement).
Working within and between these four theories, I generated an overarching
grounded theory of (5) Corporate Citizenship in Fragile States. From these
theories I offer a critical analysis of Corporate Citizenship as the normative basis
for a new articulation between the economic, social and political spheres in
pursuit of a more equitable global order.

year: 2009

title: Implementing the theory of multiple intelligences in the junior secondary school

authors: Scapens, Mennie (Mary-Ann)

subjects: theory of multiple intelligences

abstract: First published in 1983, the theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983) struck a chord with thousands of educators across the world, providing a philosophical and structural framework that helped them make sense of and cater for the vast range of individual difference they encountered daily in their classrooms. However, while MI theory has found a ready audience amongst early childhood and primary school educators, and has been associated with a wide range of positive outcomes across a variety of educational settings, it continues to have little impact on secondary school practice.
The aim of this qualitative action research project was to establish a collaborative research group of four junior secondary school teachers, who were interested in exploring MI theory and its implications for learning and teaching. In documenting their experiences, the project aimed to find out whether an MI-based programme was feasible in a junior secondary school context, and to identify the difficulties and barriers that impeded the participating teachers' endeavours to implement MI in their classrooms.
The following research questions provided the focus for the project:
1. Can an MI-based approach to teaching and learning be successfully implemented in a junior secondary school programme?
2. What are the issues that secondary school teachers face when implementing MI into their classroom programmes?
3. What are the best ways to address these issues?
iii
A multiple case study approach provided an effective means of illustrating the individual complexity of teachers' situations, as they interacted with their students, the curriculum, their colleagues and their school environment, and was also flexible enough to accommodate the open-ended and evolving nature of the investigation.
The following outcomes for teachers as a result of the MI project were noted:
(a) Increased awareness and understanding of student diversity.
(b) Extended teaching practice and enhanced teacher creativity.
(c) Improved planning framework.
(d) Teachers' beliefs about learning and intelligence were affirmed and extended.
(e) Teachers experienced improved confidence in their abilities as teachers.
(f) The emergence of a cohesive student-centred curriculum.
(g) Improved collegiality.
As a result of the project, many barriers to implementing MI theory into junior secondary school classrooms were identified, under the following categories:
(a) Barriers relating to teacher culture
(b) Barriers relating to management requirements
(c) Barriers relating to time
(d) Barriers relating to personnel
(e) Barriers relating to external pressures on the school
The outcomes of this project confirm findings in the research literature, which suggest that MI theory can provide a valuable philosophical and structural
iv
framework that helps teachers develop a greater awareness of student diversity and enhanced teaching practice, as well as the understanding that a uniform approach to teaching and learning meets the needs of too few. However, a number of entrenched structural and cultural barriers characteristic of the secondary school context were also identified, which suggest that the adoption of MI-based teaching practices on a wider scale is unlikely without an in-depth school-wide professional development initiative.

text: Implementing the theory of multiple intelligences in the junior secondary school First published in 1983, the theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983) struck a chord with thousands of educators across the world, providing a philosophical and structural framework that helped them make sense of and cater for the vast range of individual difference they encountered daily in their classrooms. However, while MI theory has found a ready audience amongst early childhood and primary school educators, and has been associated with a wide range of positive outcomes across a variety of educational settings, it continues to have little impact on secondary school practice.
The aim of this qualitative action research project was to establish a collaborative research group of four junior secondary school teachers, who were interested in exploring MI theory and its implications for learning and teaching. In documenting their experiences, the project aimed to find out whether an MI-based programme was feasible in a junior secondary school context, and to identify the difficulties and barriers that impeded the participating teachers' endeavours to implement MI in their classrooms.
The following research questions provided the focus for the project:
1. Can an MI-based approach to teaching and learning be successfully implemented in a junior secondary school programme?
2. What are the issues that secondary school teachers face when implementing MI into their classroom programmes?
3. What are the best ways to address these issues?
iii
A multiple case study approach provided an effective means of illustrating the individual complexity of teachers' situations, as they interacted with their students, the curriculum, their colleagues and their school environment, and was also flexible enough to accommodate the open-ended and evolving nature of the investigation.
The following outcomes for teachers as a result of the MI project were noted:
(a) Increased awareness and understanding of student diversity.
(b) Extended teaching practice and enhanced teacher creativity.
(c) Improved planning framework.
(d) Teachers' beliefs about learning and intelligence were affirmed and extended.
(e) Teachers experienced improved confidence in their abilities as teachers.
(f) The emergence of a cohesive student-centred curriculum.
(g) Improved collegiality.
As a result of the project, many barriers to implementing MI theory into junior secondary school classrooms were identified, under the following categories:
(a) Barriers relating to teacher culture
(b) Barriers relating to management requirements
(c) Barriers relating to time
(d) Barriers relating to personnel
(e) Barriers relating to external pressures on the school
The outcomes of this project confirm findings in the research literature, which suggest that MI theory can provide a valuable philosophical and structural
iv
framework that helps teachers develop a greater awareness of student diversity and enhanced teaching practice, as well as the understanding that a uniform approach to teaching and learning meets the needs of too few. However, a number of entrenched structural and cultural barriers characteristic of the secondary school context were also identified, which suggest that the adoption of MI-based teaching practices on a wider scale is unlikely without an in-depth school-wide professional development initiative.

year: 2007

title: He oranga tō te wai: Māori Pedagogies - A Culturally Responsive View of Aquatic Education and Drowning Prevention in Aotearoa

authors: Haimona, Mark Waihape

abstract: Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death and hospitalisation among Māori in Aotearoa. Drowning reports (Water Safety New Zealand, 2010, 2016, 2019) indicate Māori are over-represented in drowning compared to non-Māori, and on average account for up to a quarter of all drowning fatalities each year. Māori male aged 15-44 years and Māori children under five are most at risk of drowning (WSNZ, 2018, 2). A recent Aotearoa study on children’s water survival skills suggest changes are needed to improve how children develop fundamental aquatic skills and how teachers can best teach those skills (Button et al., 2017). In particular, the teaching of water safety skills for broader use in the open water environments of Aotearoa. 
Māori pedagogies within physical education, health, and education in the outdoors (Hemara, 2000; Jackson et al, 2016; Phillips, 2018) have demonstrated the benefits of Māori teaching methods that foster positive learning outcomes for Māori. (Bishop & Berryman, 2006, 2009). As such, this research investigated core components of Māori pedagogies that can improve aquatic education for Māori. It sought to validate traditional and contemporary aquatic teachings and water safety practices that Māori exercise as an expression of ira tangata (human development) and their relationship with te ao tūroa (the long-standing world). By means of kaupapa Māori research and the development of a new framework - Tāne Whānau Mārama, this thesis offers valuable insights into the importance of culturally responsive pedagogies in aquatic education that will enhance the health, educational achievements, and well-being of Māori whānau and communities.

text: He oranga tō te wai: Māori Pedagogies - A Culturally Responsive View of Aquatic Education and Drowning Prevention in Aotearoa Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death and hospitalisation among Māori in Aotearoa. Drowning reports (Water Safety New Zealand, 2010, 2016, 2019) indicate Māori are over-represented in drowning compared to non-Māori, and on average account for up to a quarter of all drowning fatalities each year. Māori male aged 15-44 years and Māori children under five are most at risk of drowning (WSNZ, 2018, 2). A recent Aotearoa study on children’s water survival skills suggest changes are needed to improve how children develop fundamental aquatic skills and how teachers can best teach those skills (Button et al., 2017). In particular, the teaching of water safety skills for broader use in the open water environments of Aotearoa. 
Māori pedagogies within physical education, health, and education in the outdoors (Hemara, 2000; Jackson et al, 2016; Phillips, 2018) have demonstrated the benefits of Māori teaching methods that foster positive learning outcomes for Māori. (Bishop & Berryman, 2006, 2009). As such, this research investigated core components of Māori pedagogies that can improve aquatic education for Māori. It sought to validate traditional and contemporary aquatic teachings and water safety practices that Māori exercise as an expression of ira tangata (human development) and their relationship with te ao tūroa (the long-standing world). By means of kaupapa Māori research and the development of a new framework - Tāne Whānau Mārama, this thesis offers valuable insights into the importance of culturally responsive pedagogies in aquatic education that will enhance the health, educational achievements, and well-being of Māori whānau and communities.

year: 2023