title: Towards an integrated reporting framework for China

authors: Sun, Yanqi

subjects: Integrated reporting

abstract: Integrated Reporting (IR) has emerged as a new corporate reporting approach to communicating to stakeholders about organisational value creation. IR is expected to produce better corporate reporting for stakeholders and promote greater transparency and accountability in the capital market. IR is not currently mandatory for Chinese companies. However, in view of the serious environmental pollution and social problems facing China and given that IR has the potential to contribute to societal and environmental well-being, IR is expected to gain momentum. Although only one Chinese (mainland) company has published integrated reports, a number of Chinese companies have traces of IR in their corporate reports (i.e., annual reports, sustainability reports, and corporate social responsibility reports). IR is important for China but there is currently no Chinese specific IR framework that comprehensively considers factors that are context-specific to China. Thus, the overall research objective of this thesis is to develop an IR framework for China and apply the framework to evaluate IR disclosure practices of Chinese listed companies. 

There has been a proliferation of CSR, sustainability, and intellectual capital studies; however, IR-related studies in the Chinese context are scarce. IR studies have not designed a context-specific IR framework that comprehensively considers the contextual factors inherent in the jurisdictions they investigate. Moreover, very few studies adopt a combination of a weighted IR disclosure index and a scoring system that are specifically designed for a specific jurisdictional context to examine IR disclosure practices. In particular, the scoring systems of previous studies lack consideration of the connectivity between financial and non-financial information, and the connectivity between quantitative and qualitative information. Another gap in the extant IR literature is that although many studies have used stakeholder consultation to collect participants’ views on the implementation of IR, those studies lack the participation of a broad range of stakeholder groups.

This study provides an interpretation of the IR disclosure practices of Chinese companies using a framework of key theoretical underpinnings of stakeholder, agency, signalling, legitimacy, and institutional theories.

The research methodology adopted in this study is a mixed methods approach. The choice of the research methodology is appropriate for the interpretive and statistical analysis approach as well as influenced by the author’s worldview, training, and experience. After two rounds of questionnaire surveys, a weighted IR disclosure index consisting of 68 items is developed in consultation with 51 Chinese stakeholders. The weighted index takes into consideration China’s idiosyncratic cultural, economic, political, legal, international, social, and environmental factors. The weighted IR disclosure index and a scoring system are then applied as instruments for content analysis to the top 100 Chinese listed companies’ corporate reports for the years 2014-2018. The collected data are quantified and analysed to gauge the extent and quality of IR disclosures. Following the evaluation of IR disclosure practices, the study also conducts a number of hypothesis tests to examine the determinants of IR disclosure practices and the effect of IR disclosure practices on agency costs. Lastly, the third round of questionnaire survey is conducted to gain the opinions of 51 Chinese stakeholders on the barriers to the adoption of IR and their recommendations for IR implementation in China. These surveys, evaluations and tests form the basis for recommendations for a framework of best IR practices in China.

The results indicate that the IR disclosure practices of Chinese companies have been improving over the period 2014-2018. The extent of IR disclosures by Chinese listed companies is satisfactory, but the quality of IR disclosures still has significant room for improvement. Furthermore, there are a number of IR disclosure items that show a gap between the stakeholders’ expectations and the actual IR disclosure practices. This study indicates that there are differences in IR disclosure practices between A-share firms and dual A-and H-share firms, between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-SOEs, and between firms in China and firms in other countries. This study also finds that there are anomalies in the conciseness and readability of corporate reports of Chinese listed companies. The findings indicate that many Chinese companies have already initiated the adoption of an IR approach for presenting disclosures in their corporate reports. However, IR disclosure practices (the extent and quality of IR disclosures) by some Chinese companies are at a low level. It is also found that pressures from customers, employees, and communities drive IR disclosure practices. Financial leverage, independent directors, CEO duality, and profitability also impact the IR disclosure practices of Chinese firms. Moreover, both the extent of IR disclosures and the quality of IR disclosures negatively affect agency costs. Additionally, the analysis of stakeholder perceptions reveals that eleven factors are barriers or challenges to implementing IR in China. Further, successful implementation of IR practices in China requires the support of the government as well as initiatives on education, organisations, technology, assurance, and activities.

Several theoretical and practical implications are evident in the study. The findings indicate that there are three incentives motivating Chinese companies to adopt an IR approach: (1) to mitigate information asymmetry between the organisation and all stakeholders; (2) to signal superior quality, legitimacy and conformity to all stakeholders; and (3) to discharge accountability to all stakeholders. In this study, the findings regarding IR practices in China intensify socio-political theories (stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory, institutional theory). However, the findings both support and detract from economics-based theories (agency theory and signalling theory). The study also reveals that IR practices tend to be policy-driven and culturally-embedded in China. The study suggests that “integration” in IR means the integration of five dimensions: time (past-present-future); qualitative and quantitative information; financial and non-financial information; positive and negative information; and internal and external stakeholders. Specific policies and regulations for mandating IR can be designed with stakeholders’ participation, such as for certain sectors, for SOEs as well as non-SOEs, and for A- and H-share firms. The sustainability report and the annual report could be incorporated together; the pages should be shortened, and convoluted language and jargon should be avoided.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, the current study is the first to extensively investigate IR practices in China. Specifically, the current study is the first to provide a holistic contextual analysis of IR practices in the Chinese context by comprehensively considering a number of aspects. This thesis also contributes to the methodology of evaluating IR disclosure practices in a unique way that comprises a combination of a list of IR disclosure items (an unweighted IR disclosure index), a weighting system and a scoring system that are specifically designed for the Chinese context. Furthermore, both the extent and the quality of IR disclosures are used respectively to examine the relationship between a set of factors and IR disclosure practices by Chinese firms. Analysing the relationship between potential impact factors and IR disclosure practices provides insights on factors that influence IR disclosure practices. This study also provides direct evidence of the positive effect of IR disclosure practices on mitigating agency costs. 

There are seven critical reflections in this thesis. Firstly, IR practices in China are complex and multifaceted, requiring comprehensive attention to many aspects. Using the mixed methods approach in this study is appropriate and is important to the multi-objective of the thesis. Secondly, there are three considerations for choosing appropriate theories for IR studies: suiting the nature of IR, interconnecting, and being adaptive to the context. Thirdly, a contextual approach, which can reflect contextual features, is important to the contextual nature of IR. Fourthly, the ultimate purpose of IR is to tell the story of organisational value creation for all stakeholders well and effectively. Fifthly, the decision by the top management to adopt IR or to change IR disclosure practices depends on external pressures from stakeholders, external incentives, and internal incentives. Sixthly, Chinese contextual factors have been changing and their impacts on IR disclosure practices are dynamic. Further, tensions may exist between contextual factors, resulting in an effect on IR practices. Lastly, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, IR is in transition towards a new format.

Several lessons were learnt by the author in undertaking this study. Firstly, including all the possible disclosure items in an IR disclosure index is unrealistic. Secondly, the difficulty of content analysis limits the production of studies relating to IR disclosure practices. Thirdly, when doing survey studies, some cultural attributes in China may impede a researcher to successfully approach stakeholders who have no previous association with the researcher. Lastly, the IR framework for China established in this study will need to be adjusted and revised in the future according to changes in contextual factors.

text: Towards an integrated reporting framework for China Integrated Reporting (IR) has emerged as a new corporate reporting approach to communicating to stakeholders about organisational value creation. IR is expected to produce better corporate reporting for stakeholders and promote greater transparency and accountability in the capital market. IR is not currently mandatory for Chinese companies. However, in view of the serious environmental pollution and social problems facing China and given that IR has the potential to contribute to societal and environmental well-being, IR is expected to gain momentum. Although only one Chinese (mainland) company has published integrated reports, a number of Chinese companies have traces of IR in their corporate reports (i.e., annual reports, sustainability reports, and corporate social responsibility reports). IR is important for China but there is currently no Chinese specific IR framework that comprehensively considers factors that are context-specific to China. Thus, the overall research objective of this thesis is to develop an IR framework for China and apply the framework to evaluate IR disclosure practices of Chinese listed companies. 

There has been a proliferation of CSR, sustainability, and intellectual capital studies; however, IR-related studies in the Chinese context are scarce. IR studies have not designed a context-specific IR framework that comprehensively considers the contextual factors inherent in the jurisdictions they investigate. Moreover, very few studies adopt a combination of a weighted IR disclosure index and a scoring system that are specifically designed for a specific jurisdictional context to examine IR disclosure practices. In particular, the scoring systems of previous studies lack consideration of the connectivity between financial and non-financial information, and the connectivity between quantitative and qualitative information. Another gap in the extant IR literature is that although many studies have used stakeholder consultation to collect participants’ views on the implementation of IR, those studies lack the participation of a broad range of stakeholder groups.

This study provides an interpretation of the IR disclosure practices of Chinese companies using a framework of key theoretical underpinnings of stakeholder, agency, signalling, legitimacy, and institutional theories.

The research methodology adopted in this study is a mixed methods approach. The choice of the research methodology is appropriate for the interpretive and statistical analysis approach as well as influenced by the author’s worldview, training, and experience. After two rounds of questionnaire surveys, a weighted IR disclosure index consisting of 68 items is developed in consultation with 51 Chinese stakeholders. The weighted index takes into consideration China’s idiosyncratic cultural, economic, political, legal, international, social, and environmental factors. The weighted IR disclosure index and a scoring system are then applied as instruments for content analysis to the top 100 Chinese listed companies’ corporate reports for the years 2014-2018. The collected data are quantified and analysed to gauge the extent and quality of IR disclosures. Following the evaluation of IR disclosure practices, the study also conducts a number of hypothesis tests to examine the determinants of IR disclosure practices and the effect of IR disclosure practices on agency costs. Lastly, the third round of questionnaire survey is conducted to gain the opinions of 51 Chinese stakeholders on the barriers to the adoption of IR and their recommendations for IR implementation in China. These surveys, evaluations and tests form the basis for recommendations for a framework of best IR practices in China.

The results indicate that the IR disclosure practices of Chinese companies have been improving over the period 2014-2018. The extent of IR disclosures by Chinese listed companies is satisfactory, but the quality of IR disclosures still has significant room for improvement. Furthermore, there are a number of IR disclosure items that show a gap between the stakeholders’ expectations and the actual IR disclosure practices. This study indicates that there are differences in IR disclosure practices between A-share firms and dual A-and H-share firms, between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-SOEs, and between firms in China and firms in other countries. This study also finds that there are anomalies in the conciseness and readability of corporate reports of Chinese listed companies. The findings indicate that many Chinese companies have already initiated the adoption of an IR approach for presenting disclosures in their corporate reports. However, IR disclosure practices (the extent and quality of IR disclosures) by some Chinese companies are at a low level. It is also found that pressures from customers, employees, and communities drive IR disclosure practices. Financial leverage, independent directors, CEO duality, and profitability also impact the IR disclosure practices of Chinese firms. Moreover, both the extent of IR disclosures and the quality of IR disclosures negatively affect agency costs. Additionally, the analysis of stakeholder perceptions reveals that eleven factors are barriers or challenges to implementing IR in China. Further, successful implementation of IR practices in China requires the support of the government as well as initiatives on education, organisations, technology, assurance, and activities.

Several theoretical and practical implications are evident in the study. The findings indicate that there are three incentives motivating Chinese companies to adopt an IR approach: (1) to mitigate information asymmetry between the organisation and all stakeholders; (2) to signal superior quality, legitimacy and conformity to all stakeholders; and (3) to discharge accountability to all stakeholders. In this study, the findings regarding IR practices in China intensify socio-political theories (stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory, institutional theory). However, the findings both support and detract from economics-based theories (agency theory and signalling theory). The study also reveals that IR practices tend to be policy-driven and culturally-embedded in China. The study suggests that “integration” in IR means the integration of five dimensions: time (past-present-future); qualitative and quantitative information; financial and non-financial information; positive and negative information; and internal and external stakeholders. Specific policies and regulations for mandating IR can be designed with stakeholders’ participation, such as for certain sectors, for SOEs as well as non-SOEs, and for A- and H-share firms. The sustainability report and the annual report could be incorporated together; the pages should be shortened, and convoluted language and jargon should be avoided.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, the current study is the first to extensively investigate IR practices in China. Specifically, the current study is the first to provide a holistic contextual analysis of IR practices in the Chinese context by comprehensively considering a number of aspects. This thesis also contributes to the methodology of evaluating IR disclosure practices in a unique way that comprises a combination of a list of IR disclosure items (an unweighted IR disclosure index), a weighting system and a scoring system that are specifically designed for the Chinese context. Furthermore, both the extent and the quality of IR disclosures are used respectively to examine the relationship between a set of factors and IR disclosure practices by Chinese firms. Analysing the relationship between potential impact factors and IR disclosure practices provides insights on factors that influence IR disclosure practices. This study also provides direct evidence of the positive effect of IR disclosure practices on mitigating agency costs. 

There are seven critical reflections in this thesis. Firstly, IR practices in China are complex and multifaceted, requiring comprehensive attention to many aspects. Using the mixed methods approach in this study is appropriate and is important to the multi-objective of the thesis. Secondly, there are three considerations for choosing appropriate theories for IR studies: suiting the nature of IR, interconnecting, and being adaptive to the context. Thirdly, a contextual approach, which can reflect contextual features, is important to the contextual nature of IR. Fourthly, the ultimate purpose of IR is to tell the story of organisational value creation for all stakeholders well and effectively. Fifthly, the decision by the top management to adopt IR or to change IR disclosure practices depends on external pressures from stakeholders, external incentives, and internal incentives. Sixthly, Chinese contextual factors have been changing and their impacts on IR disclosure practices are dynamic. Further, tensions may exist between contextual factors, resulting in an effect on IR practices. Lastly, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, IR is in transition towards a new format.

Several lessons were learnt by the author in undertaking this study. Firstly, including all the possible disclosure items in an IR disclosure index is unrealistic. Secondly, the difficulty of content analysis limits the production of studies relating to IR disclosure practices. Thirdly, when doing survey studies, some cultural attributes in China may impede a researcher to successfully approach stakeholders who have no previous association with the researcher. Lastly, the IR framework for China established in this study will need to be adjusted and revised in the future according to changes in contextual factors.

year: 2021

title: Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in aluminium reduction cells

authors: Shin, Sung Nam

abstract: In aluminium reduction cells the intense magnetic fields and associated Lorentz forces drive steady flows in the cryolite and aluminium layers. Generally there is a discontinuity in velocity between the layers, which gives rise to a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and the study of this effect is the subject of the thesis. 

The role of the basic steady flow is focused in this analysis, while most previous MHD analyses neglect it and emphasise on the interaction between the interface wave and the electromagnetic field by the electromagnetic perturbation. The stationary magnetic field is considered important as a strong driving source for the steady velocity in our model. 

Steady velocity fields are studied in terms of a stream function and global stability criteria are discussed with disturbances. Non-linear evolution of flow is investigated to find a steady condition and show that steady flows are stable. A normal mode analysis is used to formulate wave evolution equations, which are integrated forwards in time. 

Also an improved treatment of electromagnetic damping is developed, which includes the effect of the induced electric field. 

Using a normal mode form of the steady-state current, magnetic field or flow, the scheme developed in this research is suitable for industrial application where these would be calculated numerically.

text: Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in aluminium reduction cells In aluminium reduction cells the intense magnetic fields and associated Lorentz forces drive steady flows in the cryolite and aluminium layers. Generally there is a discontinuity in velocity between the layers, which gives rise to a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and the study of this effect is the subject of the thesis. 

The role of the basic steady flow is focused in this analysis, while most previous MHD analyses neglect it and emphasise on the interaction between the interface wave and the electromagnetic field by the electromagnetic perturbation. The stationary magnetic field is considered important as a strong driving source for the steady velocity in our model. 

Steady velocity fields are studied in terms of a stream function and global stability criteria are discussed with disturbances. Non-linear evolution of flow is investigated to find a steady condition and show that steady flows are stable. A normal mode analysis is used to formulate wave evolution equations, which are integrated forwards in time. 

Also an improved treatment of electromagnetic damping is developed, which includes the effect of the induced electric field. 

Using a normal mode form of the steady-state current, magnetic field or flow, the scheme developed in this research is suitable for industrial application where these would be calculated numerically.

year: 2000

title: Effective implementation science processes for Māori and Indigenous health interventions

authors: Harding, Truely Janine

subjects: Implementation science

abstract: Background
This thesis considers the implications implementation science has for Indigenous communities, specifically in reducing health inequities for the Māori community of New Zealand. Implementation science has been discussed among many Western health interventions and this thesis adds to that body of literature while highlighting the impact implementation has for Indigenous communities. 
Implementation science is a growing body of literature that can identify the most effective processes for health organisations and governments to best engage with Indigenous communities facing health inequities. An important aspect of that is ensuring the Indigenous voices and perspectives are represented just as much as the academics and scholars in those fields. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the facilitators and barriers of implementing health interventions with Māori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. This thesis aims to contribute to the conversation about reducing health inequities Māori communities’ face in New Zealand by enhancing implementation effectiveness. Therefore, it is an effort to illuminate the importance of the inclusion of community voice and perspectives when implementing health interventions with Indigenous communities. The thesis is with publications and includes four distinct studies.
Methodology & Methods
The key methodologies used in this study were Kaupapa Māori methodology and the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) Implementation framework. Kaupapa Māori has been used as both a form of resistance and a methodological strategy, where research is created, developed, and carried within a Māori worldview with the aim to have positive outcomes that are beneficial for Māori. The HPW framework provided a holistic approach to guide this research through its key elements of: culture-centered approach, community engagement, systems thinking, and integrated knowledge translation. It is a forward-thinking approach as it is flexible in its design, which allows the framework to be tailored to a variety of implementation situations. The framework is centred in Kaupapa Māori methodology. Each principle of Kaupapa Māori and each element of HPW provide a holistic approach to implementation science.
Given this thesis includes four publications, a range of methods were employed for data collection. The first study was a systematic review of studies that was completed using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. This involved a stringent search strategy and inclusion criteria where studies included went through data extraction and methodological appraisal followed by an analysis through a qualitative synthesis of findings. Studies two and three employed semi-structured interviews that were analysed through thematic analysis. Study two included 19 participants who were either health professionals or researchers, and study three included 17 participants who were health professionals. The fourth study included an online cross-sectional survey of 200 health professionals and used statistical modelling to identify factors important for implementation effectiveness.
Results 
The first study included a systematic literature review to examine the implementation of a non-communicable disease health intervention for Indigenous communities using HPW as an evaluation tool. Twenty-one studies were included. Two thirds of these studies demonstrated high levels of community engagement and community voice/ agency, while 40% had individual-level outcomes with some systems thinking, and 33% included individual-level outcomes and limited systems thinking. Finally, almost 40% of studies included high levels of end-user engagement reflective of integrated knowledge translation, but nearly half had limited end-user engagement with the remaining neither high or low. This study found that the HPW Implementation Framework is a comprehensive model for understanding implementation effectiveness in Indigenous communities and highlighted the high levels of community engagement and community voice. It also brings to light that the long-term sustainability and translation of evidence to practice may be inhibited because of lower levels of systems thinking and integrated knowledge translation. 
The second study researched the perceptions health professionals have on co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities in New Zealand. Co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities presents many benefits and challenges. This study identified that the facilitators for co-designing health-promotion interventions with Māori communities were collaboration and community voice. Furthermore, the two key barriers identified were mismanaged expectations between the researcher and community and the research constraints placed by funding agencies. The findings support the development of more effective co-design health-promotion interventions within Māori communities which may address health inequities. 
The third study endeavoured to identify the facilitators and barriers in disseminating and adopting a health intervention developed by a community-academic partnership. This study explored general perceptions of the implementation process and also included a case study of an innovative intervention. The facilitators included community engagement, programme structure, programme adaptability and creators’ experience. The barriers consisted of funding access, funding constraints and organisational constraints. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement and adaptability suggesting a need for translation as well as diffusion. Additionally, this study identified nuanced aspects of funding and resources for organisations that constrain organisations in employing health interventions designed by others.
The final study identified factors that New Zealand health professionals rate as important for implementation effectiveness for health interventions with Māori communities. This study provided a unique perspective of health professionals on implementation effectiveness when working with Māori/Indigenous communities. Paired sample t-tests revealed four levels of importance for implementation effectiveness with organisational teamwork and community autonomy as most important. Only 24% of participants had prior experience with a previous health intervention with Māori communities. The two key overall factors that were associated with participants’ rating of implementation effectiveness in these previous interventions were process and community. This study identified the key areas of implementation effectiveness as community engagement and participatory process. Furthermore, the final study contributes to the body of literature that challenges traditional top-down approaches of implementation.
Conclusion
This research aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to disseminating and implementing health interventions with Māori communities in New Zealand. A synthesis of the four studies provided four key themes for this thesis. This thesis reinforces the position that Indigenous and Māori implementation science should be focused on the process and community engagement. In doing so, community engagement ensures a cultural-centred approach that prioritises Indigenous knowledge and autonomy in the process of implementation. Furthermore, the barriers identified in this thesis recognise the challenges that remain in limited funding for translating research into implementation practice and managing expectations amongst the implementation team. This thesis has implications for New Zealand district health boards and health organisations who are wanting to increase the effectiveness of the health interventions they are implementing with Māori communities, particularly when trying to address health inequities. Overall, this study is an attempt to bridge the gap between translating research and the processes of putting it into practice.

text: Effective implementation science processes for Māori and Indigenous health interventions Background
This thesis considers the implications implementation science has for Indigenous communities, specifically in reducing health inequities for the Māori community of New Zealand. Implementation science has been discussed among many Western health interventions and this thesis adds to that body of literature while highlighting the impact implementation has for Indigenous communities. 
Implementation science is a growing body of literature that can identify the most effective processes for health organisations and governments to best engage with Indigenous communities facing health inequities. An important aspect of that is ensuring the Indigenous voices and perspectives are represented just as much as the academics and scholars in those fields. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the facilitators and barriers of implementing health interventions with Māori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. This thesis aims to contribute to the conversation about reducing health inequities Māori communities’ face in New Zealand by enhancing implementation effectiveness. Therefore, it is an effort to illuminate the importance of the inclusion of community voice and perspectives when implementing health interventions with Indigenous communities. The thesis is with publications and includes four distinct studies.
Methodology & Methods
The key methodologies used in this study were Kaupapa Māori methodology and the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) Implementation framework. Kaupapa Māori has been used as both a form of resistance and a methodological strategy, where research is created, developed, and carried within a Māori worldview with the aim to have positive outcomes that are beneficial for Māori. The HPW framework provided a holistic approach to guide this research through its key elements of: culture-centered approach, community engagement, systems thinking, and integrated knowledge translation. It is a forward-thinking approach as it is flexible in its design, which allows the framework to be tailored to a variety of implementation situations. The framework is centred in Kaupapa Māori methodology. Each principle of Kaupapa Māori and each element of HPW provide a holistic approach to implementation science.
Given this thesis includes four publications, a range of methods were employed for data collection. The first study was a systematic review of studies that was completed using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. This involved a stringent search strategy and inclusion criteria where studies included went through data extraction and methodological appraisal followed by an analysis through a qualitative synthesis of findings. Studies two and three employed semi-structured interviews that were analysed through thematic analysis. Study two included 19 participants who were either health professionals or researchers, and study three included 17 participants who were health professionals. The fourth study included an online cross-sectional survey of 200 health professionals and used statistical modelling to identify factors important for implementation effectiveness.
Results 
The first study included a systematic literature review to examine the implementation of a non-communicable disease health intervention for Indigenous communities using HPW as an evaluation tool. Twenty-one studies were included. Two thirds of these studies demonstrated high levels of community engagement and community voice/ agency, while 40% had individual-level outcomes with some systems thinking, and 33% included individual-level outcomes and limited systems thinking. Finally, almost 40% of studies included high levels of end-user engagement reflective of integrated knowledge translation, but nearly half had limited end-user engagement with the remaining neither high or low. This study found that the HPW Implementation Framework is a comprehensive model for understanding implementation effectiveness in Indigenous communities and highlighted the high levels of community engagement and community voice. It also brings to light that the long-term sustainability and translation of evidence to practice may be inhibited because of lower levels of systems thinking and integrated knowledge translation. 
The second study researched the perceptions health professionals have on co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities in New Zealand. Co-designing health-promotion interventions with Indigenous communities presents many benefits and challenges. This study identified that the facilitators for co-designing health-promotion interventions with Māori communities were collaboration and community voice. Furthermore, the two key barriers identified were mismanaged expectations between the researcher and community and the research constraints placed by funding agencies. The findings support the development of more effective co-design health-promotion interventions within Māori communities which may address health inequities. 
The third study endeavoured to identify the facilitators and barriers in disseminating and adopting a health intervention developed by a community-academic partnership. This study explored general perceptions of the implementation process and also included a case study of an innovative intervention. The facilitators included community engagement, programme structure, programme adaptability and creators’ experience. The barriers consisted of funding access, funding constraints and organisational constraints. This study also highlights the importance of community engagement and adaptability suggesting a need for translation as well as diffusion. Additionally, this study identified nuanced aspects of funding and resources for organisations that constrain organisations in employing health interventions designed by others.
The final study identified factors that New Zealand health professionals rate as important for implementation effectiveness for health interventions with Māori communities. This study provided a unique perspective of health professionals on implementation effectiveness when working with Māori/Indigenous communities. Paired sample t-tests revealed four levels of importance for implementation effectiveness with organisational teamwork and community autonomy as most important. Only 24% of participants had prior experience with a previous health intervention with Māori communities. The two key overall factors that were associated with participants’ rating of implementation effectiveness in these previous interventions were process and community. This study identified the key areas of implementation effectiveness as community engagement and participatory process. Furthermore, the final study contributes to the body of literature that challenges traditional top-down approaches of implementation.
Conclusion
This research aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to disseminating and implementing health interventions with Māori communities in New Zealand. A synthesis of the four studies provided four key themes for this thesis. This thesis reinforces the position that Indigenous and Māori implementation science should be focused on the process and community engagement. In doing so, community engagement ensures a cultural-centred approach that prioritises Indigenous knowledge and autonomy in the process of implementation. Furthermore, the barriers identified in this thesis recognise the challenges that remain in limited funding for translating research into implementation practice and managing expectations amongst the implementation team. This thesis has implications for New Zealand district health boards and health organisations who are wanting to increase the effectiveness of the health interventions they are implementing with Māori communities, particularly when trying to address health inequities. Overall, this study is an attempt to bridge the gap between translating research and the processes of putting it into practice.

year: 2021