title: Cult on the rise? Students' perspectives on cult issues in secondary and national high schools in Papua New Guinea

authors: Drawii, Judy Tatu

subjects: cult issues

abstract: In the last five years there has been a dramatic increase in perceived levels of
antisocial behaviour amongst students in Secondary and National High schools
in Papua New Guinea. Certain events have caught the public's attention, such
as the burning down of school buildings and reports of Satanic worship.
Despite widespread concern, there seems to be little understanding of why such
problems are occurring and no systematic studies to estimate the exact extent of
such behaviours or their underlying cause.
The main objective of this study was to collect information about the
students' perspectives on the nature and extent of these perceived problems. For
ethical reasons, and with regard to ease of access to participants within the time
frame of the study, data were collected from the first year student teachers at
Madang Teachers' College, Papua New Guinea, who had been
Secondary/National High school students only a few months previously. As this
was an exploratory investigation, and it was not known whether participants
would feel more at ease talking one-on-one with the researcher or in groups,
two methodologies were used: focus group discussions and individual
interviews. The research was conducted over a period of three weeks in June
2007, and involved a total of 21 participants (three focus groups of five, five
and six people respectively, and six individual interviewees, one of whom also
joined a group).
The main findings to emerge from these discussions were as follows.
First, the participants explained their own and other students' behaviour in terms
of exploring old and new traditions of school life. Second, although several
participants reported knowledge of supernatural practices, many of the group
activities described in the discussions were normal activities among peer cliques
that provided a sense of belonging and positive support for school achievement.
There were no major differences in the stories told by male and female
participants, and no obvious differences in the type of information provided
under different research conditions.
There was some disagreement among participants as to whether or not school
authorities should take strong action to eliminate the possibility of cult
practices.
The findings are interpreted with reference to both Western
psychological ideas about the nature of adolescence, and to local traditions,
practices, and understandings of lifespan development. In particular, the notion
of 'searching for identity' stands out in these accounts of student behaviour.
This was an exploratory study and not designed to yield results that
provide an overall picture of the situation in the Secondary/National High
schools of Papua New Guinea. Nevertheless, participants' reports did relate to
events experienced in the majority of PNG Secondary and National High
schools, and some recommendations are tentatively offered.

text: Cult on the rise? Students' perspectives on cult issues in secondary and national high schools in Papua New Guinea In the last five years there has been a dramatic increase in perceived levels of
antisocial behaviour amongst students in Secondary and National High schools
in Papua New Guinea. Certain events have caught the public's attention, such
as the burning down of school buildings and reports of Satanic worship.
Despite widespread concern, there seems to be little understanding of why such
problems are occurring and no systematic studies to estimate the exact extent of
such behaviours or their underlying cause.
The main objective of this study was to collect information about the
students' perspectives on the nature and extent of these perceived problems. For
ethical reasons, and with regard to ease of access to participants within the time
frame of the study, data were collected from the first year student teachers at
Madang Teachers' College, Papua New Guinea, who had been
Secondary/National High school students only a few months previously. As this
was an exploratory investigation, and it was not known whether participants
would feel more at ease talking one-on-one with the researcher or in groups,
two methodologies were used: focus group discussions and individual
interviews. The research was conducted over a period of three weeks in June
2007, and involved a total of 21 participants (three focus groups of five, five
and six people respectively, and six individual interviewees, one of whom also
joined a group).
The main findings to emerge from these discussions were as follows.
First, the participants explained their own and other students' behaviour in terms
of exploring old and new traditions of school life. Second, although several
participants reported knowledge of supernatural practices, many of the group
activities described in the discussions were normal activities among peer cliques
that provided a sense of belonging and positive support for school achievement.
There were no major differences in the stories told by male and female
participants, and no obvious differences in the type of information provided
under different research conditions.
There was some disagreement among participants as to whether or not school
authorities should take strong action to eliminate the possibility of cult
practices.
The findings are interpreted with reference to both Western
psychological ideas about the nature of adolescence, and to local traditions,
practices, and understandings of lifespan development. In particular, the notion
of 'searching for identity' stands out in these accounts of student behaviour.
This was an exploratory study and not designed to yield results that
provide an overall picture of the situation in the Secondary/National High
schools of Papua New Guinea. Nevertheless, participants' reports did relate to
events experienced in the majority of PNG Secondary and National High
schools, and some recommendations are tentatively offered.

year: 2008

title: Interfirm Alliance Linkages and Knowledge Transfer:An Exploratory Analysis of Mutual Cooperative Learning in an International Joint Venture in the Chinese Automotive Industry

authors: Ding, Qiang

subjects: Interfirm alliance

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to extend existing knowledge in interfirm knowledge transfer research and provide a rich description of the dynamic knowledge transfer process in alliance arrangements. An exploratory case study methodology is employed, and one international joint venture (IJV) project is investigated. The empirical evidence was derived from the researcher’s involvement with one auto IJV – Shanghai GM, an IJV formed between Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) from P.R. China and General Motors (GM) from the United States. Data collection was conducted through primary and secondary sources including fieldwork interviews with Chinese and American executives respectively in the IJV, selected published sources as well as government officials, and consultants who were directly or indirectly involved with the case companies. Using CATPAC software as an analytical tool for textual analysis of the collected data, the following findings emerged. First, partner firms in Shanghai-GM reinforce the development of international cooperation as a means of increasing knowledge exchange and adaptation, such as enlarging the product ranges, and developing new car models. Second, partner firms are motivated to increase their knowledge transfer activities to increase competitive advantage levels to match or exceed those of other competitors. Both partner companies initially contributed differentiated sets of idiosyncratic and nonsubstitutable resources that are distinctively under the control of each partner. The Chinese side brings in locally embedded resources and country-specific knowledge. The foreign side contributes technology, managerial abilities, brand image, and financial resources. There is thus an asymmetrical relationship between the objectives of partners and the resources brought into the alliance: each partner firm tries to gain access to what the other puts into the joint venture. Third, relevant important preconditions and situational factors regarding knowledge transfer effectiveness in alliance context are also mentioned. Certain elements are identified as a critical barrier during the process. Fourth, IJV knowledge transfer actually occurred over a longitudinal period involving intensive interactions between the partners. Different types of knowledge were transferred over time starting with key technologies, management skills, followed by the tacit social and cultural knowledge. As time passed, both partner firms demonstrated effort and commitment in facilitating interfirm knowledge transfer practices. The IJV knowledge transfer performance finally influenced the nature of the interfirm partnership. This thesis provides a unique example which looks at the two-way learning processes for true knowledge creation and sharing in a cross-border collaborative organisation, demonstrating the performance of partner organisations in the process of IJV knowledge transfer. Based on literature reflections, tangible facts and interpretations, this thesis provides a deeper understanding of the organisational activities involving cooperation and the dynamic knowledge transfer routines, which is a significant extension of past static cross-sectional conceptualisations. This thesis also proposes an interfirm knowledge transfer and cooperative learning framework, which is emphasised that the issue of sharing knowledge in IJVs and bringing IJVs into profitability requires partner companies to engage in interpartner learning and to be able to benefit from the transfer of knowledge. A key implication for the firm, therefore, is the critical ability to deal effectively and efficiently with the transfer of knowledge resources and in so doing to gain a competitive advantage.

text: Interfirm Alliance Linkages and Knowledge Transfer:An Exploratory Analysis of Mutual Cooperative Learning in an International Joint Venture in the Chinese Automotive Industry The purpose of this thesis is to extend existing knowledge in interfirm knowledge transfer research and provide a rich description of the dynamic knowledge transfer process in alliance arrangements. An exploratory case study methodology is employed, and one international joint venture (IJV) project is investigated. The empirical evidence was derived from the researcher’s involvement with one auto IJV – Shanghai GM, an IJV formed between Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) from P.R. China and General Motors (GM) from the United States. Data collection was conducted through primary and secondary sources including fieldwork interviews with Chinese and American executives respectively in the IJV, selected published sources as well as government officials, and consultants who were directly or indirectly involved with the case companies. Using CATPAC software as an analytical tool for textual analysis of the collected data, the following findings emerged. First, partner firms in Shanghai-GM reinforce the development of international cooperation as a means of increasing knowledge exchange and adaptation, such as enlarging the product ranges, and developing new car models. Second, partner firms are motivated to increase their knowledge transfer activities to increase competitive advantage levels to match or exceed those of other competitors. Both partner companies initially contributed differentiated sets of idiosyncratic and nonsubstitutable resources that are distinctively under the control of each partner. The Chinese side brings in locally embedded resources and country-specific knowledge. The foreign side contributes technology, managerial abilities, brand image, and financial resources. There is thus an asymmetrical relationship between the objectives of partners and the resources brought into the alliance: each partner firm tries to gain access to what the other puts into the joint venture. Third, relevant important preconditions and situational factors regarding knowledge transfer effectiveness in alliance context are also mentioned. Certain elements are identified as a critical barrier during the process. Fourth, IJV knowledge transfer actually occurred over a longitudinal period involving intensive interactions between the partners. Different types of knowledge were transferred over time starting with key technologies, management skills, followed by the tacit social and cultural knowledge. As time passed, both partner firms demonstrated effort and commitment in facilitating interfirm knowledge transfer practices. The IJV knowledge transfer performance finally influenced the nature of the interfirm partnership. This thesis provides a unique example which looks at the two-way learning processes for true knowledge creation and sharing in a cross-border collaborative organisation, demonstrating the performance of partner organisations in the process of IJV knowledge transfer. Based on literature reflections, tangible facts and interpretations, this thesis provides a deeper understanding of the organisational activities involving cooperation and the dynamic knowledge transfer routines, which is a significant extension of past static cross-sectional conceptualisations. This thesis also proposes an interfirm knowledge transfer and cooperative learning framework, which is emphasised that the issue of sharing knowledge in IJVs and bringing IJVs into profitability requires partner companies to engage in interpartner learning and to be able to benefit from the transfer of knowledge. A key implication for the firm, therefore, is the critical ability to deal effectively and efficiently with the transfer of knowledge resources and in so doing to gain a competitive advantage.

year: 2011

title: Māori men's positive and interconnected sense of self, being and place

authors: Rua, Mohi

subjects: Maori men, interconnected self, pluralistic identities, relational health

abstract: Māori  men are on the wrong side of the ledger when it comes to illness and crime rates. Correspondingly, there is a significant amount of research into issues such as abuse and premature death involving Māori men, who are also often characterised in public discourse as inarticulate, deviant and incapable of maintaining positive relationships. There is very little research on positive practices among Māori men who are caring and expressive, and who do not harm their partners, families, and communities. This thesis explores how Māori men negotiate a positive sense of self, relationships and a place in our society, which is awash with negative characterisations of Māori men. I document how Māori men's identities are pluralistic and on-going projects. These identities are negotiated within the settler society through interactions with other people and media characterisations. These identities are also negotiated within the Māori world through interactions with whānau (immediate and extended family) and participation in cultural rituals, including tangihanga (traditional Māori death ritual/funeral process). This research involves two separate, yet interrelated studies, and is guided by kaupapa Māori research, Māori cultural concepts, Māori relational understandings of being and health, and relevant social science theory and research. Study one explores Māori men’s relationships with other men, their families and media depictions of men in the settler society. The participants from study one are working class men who were also part-time members of a Territorial Army unit within which Māori and Pākehā  men come together through mutual interests and negotiate meaningful relationships, and various cultural similarities and differences. Study one drew upon an ethnographic orientation that included direct observations, narrative interviews, media diaries and photo elicitation projects to understand the everyday lived realities of participants’ in settler society. Study two explores the constructive engagement of working class ex-Army Māori men back in their communities of origin in order to investigate key aspects of their identities and relationships as men within the Māori world. An ethnographic approach was also used in study two and involved direct observations, participation in shared practices and narrative interviews. Overall, findings from these studies demonstrate how Māori men construct a positive sense of self that extends beyond the deficit-orientated characterisations offered by academic research and mainstream media depictions. In constructing understandings of themselves and their place in the world, my participants emphasise their meaningful relationships with partners, children, colleagues, friends and communities. These men invoke a positive sense of self through accounts of belonging, reciprocity, dialogue, intimacy, and care for themselves, their whānau, and traditions. Participants’ positive Māori self-constructions are fundamentally interconnected with other people, cultural traditions, physical and symbolic places, and shared practices. My research sheds light on Māori men’s ways of belonging and being that span, but manifest in unique ways within, the settler society and the Māori world. This research also contributes to scholarship on men that takes a strengths-based approach by considering the valuable everyday functions men serve within their families and communities.

text: Māori men's positive and interconnected sense of self, being and place Māori  men are on the wrong side of the ledger when it comes to illness and crime rates. Correspondingly, there is a significant amount of research into issues such as abuse and premature death involving Māori men, who are also often characterised in public discourse as inarticulate, deviant and incapable of maintaining positive relationships. There is very little research on positive practices among Māori men who are caring and expressive, and who do not harm their partners, families, and communities. This thesis explores how Māori men negotiate a positive sense of self, relationships and a place in our society, which is awash with negative characterisations of Māori men. I document how Māori men's identities are pluralistic and on-going projects. These identities are negotiated within the settler society through interactions with other people and media characterisations. These identities are also negotiated within the Māori world through interactions with whānau (immediate and extended family) and participation in cultural rituals, including tangihanga (traditional Māori death ritual/funeral process). This research involves two separate, yet interrelated studies, and is guided by kaupapa Māori research, Māori cultural concepts, Māori relational understandings of being and health, and relevant social science theory and research. Study one explores Māori men’s relationships with other men, their families and media depictions of men in the settler society. The participants from study one are working class men who were also part-time members of a Territorial Army unit within which Māori and Pākehā  men come together through mutual interests and negotiate meaningful relationships, and various cultural similarities and differences. Study one drew upon an ethnographic orientation that included direct observations, narrative interviews, media diaries and photo elicitation projects to understand the everyday lived realities of participants’ in settler society. Study two explores the constructive engagement of working class ex-Army Māori men back in their communities of origin in order to investigate key aspects of their identities and relationships as men within the Māori world. An ethnographic approach was also used in study two and involved direct observations, participation in shared practices and narrative interviews. Overall, findings from these studies demonstrate how Māori men construct a positive sense of self that extends beyond the deficit-orientated characterisations offered by academic research and mainstream media depictions. In constructing understandings of themselves and their place in the world, my participants emphasise their meaningful relationships with partners, children, colleagues, friends and communities. These men invoke a positive sense of self through accounts of belonging, reciprocity, dialogue, intimacy, and care for themselves, their whānau, and traditions. Participants’ positive Māori self-constructions are fundamentally interconnected with other people, cultural traditions, physical and symbolic places, and shared practices. My research sheds light on Māori men’s ways of belonging and being that span, but manifest in unique ways within, the settler society and the Māori world. This research also contributes to scholarship on men that takes a strengths-based approach by considering the valuable everyday functions men serve within their families and communities.

year: 2015