title: The rhetorical organisation of Maori discourse: An illustration

authors: Crombie, Winifred

subjects: Māori medium education

abstract: Almost 20% all Māori students in New Zealand schools are involved in some form of Māori-medium education. These students need to develop competence in using the language for a wide range of purposes. They need, therefore, to understand a range of written discourse conventions. In seeking to assist them in this task, elders and scholars are turning to the works of major Māori figures of the past, works composed when the language was used widely in a range of discourse contexts. However, scholars need ways of analysing these texts and of communicating their findings to others. The primary aim of this paper is to demonstrate one such approach. A single letter of condolence written in Māori is analysed here in terms of rhetorical discourse structure. On the basis of the analysis, a number of hypotheses concerning epistolary discourse in Māori are put forward. The primary hypothesis is that letters of condolence written in Māori by highly competent users of the language are likely to be characterized by an overall Problem-Solution rhetorical prototype involving spiral multilayering.

text: The rhetorical organisation of Maori discourse: An illustration Almost 20% all Māori students in New Zealand schools are involved in some form of Māori-medium education. These students need to develop competence in using the language for a wide range of purposes. They need, therefore, to understand a range of written discourse conventions. In seeking to assist them in this task, elders and scholars are turning to the works of major Māori figures of the past, works composed when the language was used widely in a range of discourse contexts. However, scholars need ways of analysing these texts and of communicating their findings to others. The primary aim of this paper is to demonstrate one such approach. A single letter of condolence written in Māori is analysed here in terms of rhetorical discourse structure. On the basis of the analysis, a number of hypotheses concerning epistolary discourse in Māori are put forward. The primary hypothesis is that letters of condolence written in Māori by highly competent users of the language are likely to be characterized by an overall Problem-Solution rhetorical prototype involving spiral multilayering.

year: 2001-02

title: Whānau Stories: Creating meaningful engagement and wellbeing for the indigenous culture of Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Cruse, Diana Caroline Annavale

subjects: Engagement

abstract: This research sees my interests coalesce into a particular focus on how collaborative partnerships with parents/caregivers can provide whānau Māori with opportunities to strengthen wellbeing in their own lives. It is located in Aotearoa New Zealand and within the context of Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996), Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum.  The Ministry of Education has a target that 98% of all children in Aotearoa New Zealand under 5 will attend an early childhood education setting (Ministry of Education, 2016), with Māori children having lower participation rates than the national participation rate (Ministry of Education, 2013).  The premise for this thesis is that meaningful whānau engagement in early learning contexts within Aotearoa New Zealand can empower whānau Māori, and honour the promises made in Te Tiriti o Waitangi of partnership, participation, and protection.
Therefore, this thesis sets out to examine what constitutes meaningful engagement for whānau Māori in an early childhood setting in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how meaningful engagement can assist whānau to enjoy an increase of wellbeing.
To explore this issue, I conducted research within an early childhood setting in Aotearoa New Zealand, using methodologies of Kaupapa Māori Research and Narrative Inquiry.  I listened to the narratives of whānau Māori indicating how meaningful engagement was created for them, and investigated if links were generated between engagement and wellbeing for their whānau. These links were identified in the literature as significant levers for educational success.
This research discovered three stages of engagement for the whānau Māori who participated in this study: establishing engagement, developing engagement and solidifying engagement.  Once created, meaningful engagement can lead to flourishing, indicating that there is relationship between meaningful engagement and whānau wellbeing.

text: Whānau Stories: Creating meaningful engagement and wellbeing for the indigenous culture of Aotearoa New Zealand This research sees my interests coalesce into a particular focus on how collaborative partnerships with parents/caregivers can provide whānau Māori with opportunities to strengthen wellbeing in their own lives. It is located in Aotearoa New Zealand and within the context of Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996), Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum.  The Ministry of Education has a target that 98% of all children in Aotearoa New Zealand under 5 will attend an early childhood education setting (Ministry of Education, 2016), with Māori children having lower participation rates than the national participation rate (Ministry of Education, 2013).  The premise for this thesis is that meaningful whānau engagement in early learning contexts within Aotearoa New Zealand can empower whānau Māori, and honour the promises made in Te Tiriti o Waitangi of partnership, participation, and protection.
Therefore, this thesis sets out to examine what constitutes meaningful engagement for whānau Māori in an early childhood setting in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how meaningful engagement can assist whānau to enjoy an increase of wellbeing.
To explore this issue, I conducted research within an early childhood setting in Aotearoa New Zealand, using methodologies of Kaupapa Māori Research and Narrative Inquiry.  I listened to the narratives of whānau Māori indicating how meaningful engagement was created for them, and investigated if links were generated between engagement and wellbeing for their whānau. These links were identified in the literature as significant levers for educational success.
This research discovered three stages of engagement for the whānau Māori who participated in this study: establishing engagement, developing engagement and solidifying engagement.  Once created, meaningful engagement can lead to flourishing, indicating that there is relationship between meaningful engagement and whānau wellbeing.

year: 2017

title: Incorporation of Environmental Issues into Banks’ Lending Decisions

authors: Mazahrih, Basman Jalal Saeed

subjects: lending decisions

abstract: This thesis examines commercial banks’ practice pertaining to the integration of environmental issues into their lending activities. There is evidence that over the last few decades some banks have considered the environmental impact of borrower activities as part of credit risk assessment and management. A number of academic surveys have identified a positive correlation between the environmental and financial performance of companies. These developments influence the level of bank support for responsible environmental management. For most commercial banks loans are a large percentage of assets. Hence appropriate management of loans is a priority for bank management, shareholders and other interested people. Traditionally, banks use financial instruments to measure the efficiency of their lending decisions and to ensure that payments are made on time. However, each lending operation may involve environmental risks. Adverse environmental outcomes may result in a reduction in the borrowers’ repayment capacity, a decline in the value of the collateral, a direct bank liability for environmental damage caused by its borrowing clients and potential risks to the bank’s reputation. For each of these risks the bank can determine the likelihood, extent, cost and impact should the damage actually occur. Bank lending occurs in a wider economic and social context of strategic importance for banks. Society’s quest for sustainable development involves the creation of new financing markets, such as markets for sustainable energy, water purification equipment, products for the financing of companies’ climate policies and groundbreaking technology. Banks can fulfil the role of a traditional financial intermediary or can step into this growing market to develop specific new products such as environmental loans. This market is rich in challenges and opportunities. Hence, it is crucial that banks have appropriate indicators to help them and stakeholders monitor performance. Against this background, this study investigates the practice of incorporating environmental issues into banks’ lending decisions, utilizing Westpac as a case study. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were adopted. A mixed method of data collection was used, consisting of an analysis of annual reports, semi-structured interview and a survey questionnaire. The Westpac study is used to develop and test an environmental sustainability framework to analyse the incorporation of environmental issues into lending decisions by financial institutions. The results from the research provide some evidence that Westpac incorporates environmental issues into lending decisions and is aware of environmental risks and opportunities. At the operational level, the bank assesses environmental risks before approving loans and finances projects with high environmental benefits. With regard to motivational drivers, the findings indicate that the bank’s incorporation of environmental issues into lending decisions is motivated by multiple reasons: managerial, financial and environmental. However, the environmental information reported was not consistently and sufficiently communicated to stakeholders. Further, the results from the research reveal that bank management should effectively consider environmental issues when making lending decisions and that they should take specific actions to have such issues effectively implemented. Although banks are motivated by a variety of factors, financial issues were considered the most important factor when banks are making lending decisions. This study also reveals that respondents did not know about bank effectiveness in addressing environmental issues when making lending decisions. Moreover, people who are likely to be better informed or knowledgeable about environmental issues were also found to have a low level of knowledge in this regard. Furthermore, the majority of respondents tend not to be satisfied with the interaction between banks and both the public and the New Zealand government. The literature to date suggests there is increasing stakeholder pressure on businesses to act with environmental responsibility, but this result suggests challenges still remain. A comparison of Westpac and HSBC stakeholder reports revealed that HSBC provided more appropriate environmental information than Westpac regarding their lending activities. The comparison reveals that there is a shift in how banks view the consideration of environmental performance as material to users of the annual reports. However, there is a gap in the information provided probably due to the voluntary nature of sustainability disclosures in annual reports. Thus, there is a need for improvement relating to the content and quality of environmental reporting. This research proposes an environmental sustainability framework, with specific focus on the lending process as a guideline for bank management, policy makers and other interested people. It facilitates effective measurement of environmental performance in two major areas: management and operations, and motivations. The framework includes indicators and processes to improve bank financial and environmental performance. The key findings of this study are instructive. Consideration of environmental issues when making lending decisions is important to banks, borrowers, the environment and stakeholders in general. Environmental risks, opportunities and the positive relationship between the environmental performance and financial performance give motivation to integrate environmental issues into lending activities. This study identified that Westpac and commercial banks more generally have an opportunity to provide further and consistent evidence concerning their managerial and operational performance and drivers when making lending decisions. Such actions would provide stakeholders with more accurate views on the bank’s environmental performance. It would also facilitate the bank’s ability to respond sufficiently and transparently to the international agreements and initiatives the bank is signatory to and/or a member of.

text: Incorporation of Environmental Issues into Banks’ Lending Decisions This thesis examines commercial banks’ practice pertaining to the integration of environmental issues into their lending activities. There is evidence that over the last few decades some banks have considered the environmental impact of borrower activities as part of credit risk assessment and management. A number of academic surveys have identified a positive correlation between the environmental and financial performance of companies. These developments influence the level of bank support for responsible environmental management. For most commercial banks loans are a large percentage of assets. Hence appropriate management of loans is a priority for bank management, shareholders and other interested people. Traditionally, banks use financial instruments to measure the efficiency of their lending decisions and to ensure that payments are made on time. However, each lending operation may involve environmental risks. Adverse environmental outcomes may result in a reduction in the borrowers’ repayment capacity, a decline in the value of the collateral, a direct bank liability for environmental damage caused by its borrowing clients and potential risks to the bank’s reputation. For each of these risks the bank can determine the likelihood, extent, cost and impact should the damage actually occur. Bank lending occurs in a wider economic and social context of strategic importance for banks. Society’s quest for sustainable development involves the creation of new financing markets, such as markets for sustainable energy, water purification equipment, products for the financing of companies’ climate policies and groundbreaking technology. Banks can fulfil the role of a traditional financial intermediary or can step into this growing market to develop specific new products such as environmental loans. This market is rich in challenges and opportunities. Hence, it is crucial that banks have appropriate indicators to help them and stakeholders monitor performance. Against this background, this study investigates the practice of incorporating environmental issues into banks’ lending decisions, utilizing Westpac as a case study. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were adopted. A mixed method of data collection was used, consisting of an analysis of annual reports, semi-structured interview and a survey questionnaire. The Westpac study is used to develop and test an environmental sustainability framework to analyse the incorporation of environmental issues into lending decisions by financial institutions. The results from the research provide some evidence that Westpac incorporates environmental issues into lending decisions and is aware of environmental risks and opportunities. At the operational level, the bank assesses environmental risks before approving loans and finances projects with high environmental benefits. With regard to motivational drivers, the findings indicate that the bank’s incorporation of environmental issues into lending decisions is motivated by multiple reasons: managerial, financial and environmental. However, the environmental information reported was not consistently and sufficiently communicated to stakeholders. Further, the results from the research reveal that bank management should effectively consider environmental issues when making lending decisions and that they should take specific actions to have such issues effectively implemented. Although banks are motivated by a variety of factors, financial issues were considered the most important factor when banks are making lending decisions. This study also reveals that respondents did not know about bank effectiveness in addressing environmental issues when making lending decisions. Moreover, people who are likely to be better informed or knowledgeable about environmental issues were also found to have a low level of knowledge in this regard. Furthermore, the majority of respondents tend not to be satisfied with the interaction between banks and both the public and the New Zealand government. The literature to date suggests there is increasing stakeholder pressure on businesses to act with environmental responsibility, but this result suggests challenges still remain. A comparison of Westpac and HSBC stakeholder reports revealed that HSBC provided more appropriate environmental information than Westpac regarding their lending activities. The comparison reveals that there is a shift in how banks view the consideration of environmental performance as material to users of the annual reports. However, there is a gap in the information provided probably due to the voluntary nature of sustainability disclosures in annual reports. Thus, there is a need for improvement relating to the content and quality of environmental reporting. This research proposes an environmental sustainability framework, with specific focus on the lending process as a guideline for bank management, policy makers and other interested people. It facilitates effective measurement of environmental performance in two major areas: management and operations, and motivations. The framework includes indicators and processes to improve bank financial and environmental performance. The key findings of this study are instructive. Consideration of environmental issues when making lending decisions is important to banks, borrowers, the environment and stakeholders in general. Environmental risks, opportunities and the positive relationship between the environmental performance and financial performance give motivation to integrate environmental issues into lending activities. This study identified that Westpac and commercial banks more generally have an opportunity to provide further and consistent evidence concerning their managerial and operational performance and drivers when making lending decisions. Such actions would provide stakeholders with more accurate views on the bank’s environmental performance. It would also facilitate the bank’s ability to respond sufficiently and transparently to the international agreements and initiatives the bank is signatory to and/or a member of.

year: 2011