title: The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Biodiversity Conservation: Implications for Conservation Education in Papua New Guinea

authors: Tiu, Sangion Appiee

subjects: conservation education

abstract: The research reported in this thesis focussed on exploring existing indigenous environmental knowledge of two indigenous communities in Papua New Guinea and how this knowledge was acquired, interpreted and disseminated to the next generation. The relevance of indigenous environmental knowledge in the promotion of biodiversity conservation efforts was investigated.

This research was conducted within an interpretive paradigm. A naturalistic/ethnographic methodology was used. Data was collected through semi structured interviews and observations. Participants in this case study were representatives of the community and included elders, adults, teachers and students.  

The findings in this study revealed indigenous environmental knowledge as useful for biodiversity conservation and promotes sustainable practices. It showed that indigenous family knowledge is essential for claiming land inheritance and indigenous environmental practices are consistent with sustainable practices and land use. Forest knowledge is found to be useful in identifying and locating resources and that sustainable practices ensured continuity of these resources. The study also identified spiritual knowledge and beliefs as fundamental for developing indigenous worldviews and environmental attitudes and values and that change in resource use may be both beneficial and harmful to biodiversity.
The findings also revealed indigenous education as flexible, holistic and informal in nature and uses mostly oral history through verbal instruction and various non-verbal means. They showed that IE uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches that utilise the environment as a tool and that learning venues provide a realistic learning experience. 
The thesis concludes that IEK promotes biodiversity conservation in many ways and that indigenous education uses situated context to promote realistic learning.  Indigenous environmental knowledge and education could therefore be used in biodiversity conservation education.

text: The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Biodiversity Conservation: Implications for Conservation Education in Papua New Guinea The research reported in this thesis focussed on exploring existing indigenous environmental knowledge of two indigenous communities in Papua New Guinea and how this knowledge was acquired, interpreted and disseminated to the next generation. The relevance of indigenous environmental knowledge in the promotion of biodiversity conservation efforts was investigated.

This research was conducted within an interpretive paradigm. A naturalistic/ethnographic methodology was used. Data was collected through semi structured interviews and observations. Participants in this case study were representatives of the community and included elders, adults, teachers and students.  

The findings in this study revealed indigenous environmental knowledge as useful for biodiversity conservation and promotes sustainable practices. It showed that indigenous family knowledge is essential for claiming land inheritance and indigenous environmental practices are consistent with sustainable practices and land use. Forest knowledge is found to be useful in identifying and locating resources and that sustainable practices ensured continuity of these resources. The study also identified spiritual knowledge and beliefs as fundamental for developing indigenous worldviews and environmental attitudes and values and that change in resource use may be both beneficial and harmful to biodiversity.
The findings also revealed indigenous education as flexible, holistic and informal in nature and uses mostly oral history through verbal instruction and various non-verbal means. They showed that IE uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches that utilise the environment as a tool and that learning venues provide a realistic learning experience. 
The thesis concludes that IEK promotes biodiversity conservation in many ways and that indigenous education uses situated context to promote realistic learning.  Indigenous environmental knowledge and education could therefore be used in biodiversity conservation education.

year: 2007

title: A framework for Go/No-Go decisions in high-tech R&D

authors: Woollaston, Owen

abstract: New product development (NPD) failure rates range from 40% (Cooper, 2019) to 90% (Kim et al., 2016), so firms must allocate resources effectively, including abandoning failing projects if necessary. However, when to abandon is often unclear, so portfolio managers risk commitment escalation (Eliens et al., 2018) and overinvesting. This study explored the research question: How should firms evaluate whether to continue or abandon projects in high-tech R&D? A dual approach was taken: First, to gain foundational insights, an innovative AI-assisted literature review method was developed and used to create a novel R&D decision-making framework. Second, to test the key concepts of the framework and illustrate its application, an agent-based simulation (Sulis & Taveter, 2022) compared the performance of the framework against risk-based and ROI-based approaches in a 1000-project portfolio. The framework outperformed the other strategies in simulations and emphasised the importance of gatekeeper independence, negotiating clear criteria up front and using formal decision gates. The simulation results also suggested actionable guidance for practitioners: For a feasibility phase to add value, it should cost less than 30% of the project budget and significantly improve cost estimates.
Theoretical contribution: This study integrated key NPD decision theories from real options, behavioural decision-making, and portfolio management and developed a novel decision-making framework while exemplifying the use of AI to enable rapid, scalable research. It then demonstrated that decision gates outperform ROI- and risk-based approaches in simulation.
Practical contribution: For R&D portfolio managers, the study provides a structured decision-making approach and guidance for sizing feasibility studies. For researchers, it provides a methodology for accelerating and scaling literature reviews.

text: A framework for Go/No-Go decisions in high-tech R&D New product development (NPD) failure rates range from 40% (Cooper, 2019) to 90% (Kim et al., 2016), so firms must allocate resources effectively, including abandoning failing projects if necessary. However, when to abandon is often unclear, so portfolio managers risk commitment escalation (Eliens et al., 2018) and overinvesting. This study explored the research question: How should firms evaluate whether to continue or abandon projects in high-tech R&D? A dual approach was taken: First, to gain foundational insights, an innovative AI-assisted literature review method was developed and used to create a novel R&D decision-making framework. Second, to test the key concepts of the framework and illustrate its application, an agent-based simulation (Sulis & Taveter, 2022) compared the performance of the framework against risk-based and ROI-based approaches in a 1000-project portfolio. The framework outperformed the other strategies in simulations and emphasised the importance of gatekeeper independence, negotiating clear criteria up front and using formal decision gates. The simulation results also suggested actionable guidance for practitioners: For a feasibility phase to add value, it should cost less than 30% of the project budget and significantly improve cost estimates.
Theoretical contribution: This study integrated key NPD decision theories from real options, behavioural decision-making, and portfolio management and developed a novel decision-making framework while exemplifying the use of AI to enable rapid, scalable research. It then demonstrated that decision gates outperform ROI- and risk-based approaches in simulation.
Practical contribution: For R&D portfolio managers, the study provides a structured decision-making approach and guidance for sizing feasibility studies. For researchers, it provides a methodology for accelerating and scaling literature reviews.

year: 2024

title: The presence of the past: Maori history in contemporary reflection

authors: Mahuika, Nepia

abstract: This is the opening line of a famous saying in my tribe. For our people - Ngāti Porou - these words have become embedded in our tribal identity as important directives that we are encouraged to aspire to. In the “days destined to you”, Ngata reminds us that each generation has its own mana (or authority), our own responsibilities and challenges, our own dreams and destinies to fulfil, and our own histories to tell about Ngāti Porou: who we are, our past, present, and future. If we consider this expectant, and I think hopeful, affirmation as a gift and responsibility, then taking real ownership of the “days destined to us” requires us to know what our forebears have entrusted us with. What are those historical gifts that we might use to “centre” and assert ourselves as Māori, as Ngāti Porou? We might look at this directly, i mua: the past before us because it is our history that is so crucial to us as we walk consciously, and with determination, into the future. Our past before us helps us to know where we are going, it helps us correc our course when we stray, keeps us mindful of the “kaupapa”: whatever that might be in our generation and corner of the Maori universe. We’ve heard already today from both Enoka and Arini how Māori, in our own ways, are engaging with our past, drawing on our korero tuku iho (our oral histories passed down across the generations), on our whakairo (our carving), to illuminate the many ways Māori do, and think about, the past.

text: The presence of the past: Maori history in contemporary reflection This is the opening line of a famous saying in my tribe. For our people - Ngāti Porou - these words have become embedded in our tribal identity as important directives that we are encouraged to aspire to. In the “days destined to you”, Ngata reminds us that each generation has its own mana (or authority), our own responsibilities and challenges, our own dreams and destinies to fulfil, and our own histories to tell about Ngāti Porou: who we are, our past, present, and future. If we consider this expectant, and I think hopeful, affirmation as a gift and responsibility, then taking real ownership of the “days destined to us” requires us to know what our forebears have entrusted us with. What are those historical gifts that we might use to “centre” and assert ourselves as Māori, as Ngāti Porou? We might look at this directly, i mua: the past before us because it is our history that is so crucial to us as we walk consciously, and with determination, into the future. Our past before us helps us to know where we are going, it helps us correc our course when we stray, keeps us mindful of the “kaupapa”: whatever that might be in our generation and corner of the Maori universe. We’ve heard already today from both Enoka and Arini how Māori, in our own ways, are engaging with our past, drawing on our korero tuku iho (our oral histories passed down across the generations), on our whakairo (our carving), to illuminate the many ways Māori do, and think about, the past.

year: 2016