title: A Thai culture-centred study of communication between Thai immigration police officers and English-speaking travellers at the northern borders of Thailand

authors: Rodpan, Sommai

subjects: Thai Culture-Centred Study

abstract: This qualitative study explores communication where English is the 'third' language used between participants whose cultures are different. The purpose was to investigate the communication experiences of Thai Immigration Police Officers (ITIPOs) and travellers to understand TIPOs' role within an orgnaisational and cultural context. I took a Thai culture-centred approach incorporating Thai values, Buddhist teachings, the organisational context, and TIPO's communication goals in the interactions. My thesis is that individual language skills, communication competence and goals, organisational roles and functions, and Thai cultural values influence communication at the border. 
Data-collection methods included: (1) Semi-structured interviews with 18 TIPOs and 71 travellers at five immigration offices in two Thai provinces (January-April 2018); (2) Documents from the Thai Royal Police and Thai Immigration Bureau that informed the TIPO role. The thematic analysis resulted in three main findings. 
The first finding centred on TIPO and travellers’ perceptions of each other's communication politeness. Results suggest that TIPOs' English-language competence influenced travellers' perceptions of the TIPO’s ability to communicate politely. Travellers saw TIPOs’ competence in spoken language as essential for TIPOs to communicate successfully with them. Also, travellers perceived politeness in TIPOs’ ability to engage in relational communication rather than just focusing on the task. This finding has implications for TIPOs’ communicating relational and identity goals at the border. Limited English-language competence impacted TIPOs' ability to communicate politely (relational goals), undermining their identity communication goals to be seen and respected as police officers. 
The second finding concerned the influence of the role requirements for TIPOs in their interactions with travellers. First, TIPOs needed to enact Buddhist values upheld by the Thai Royal Police and Thai Immigration Bureau while managing the power distance between themselves as law enforcers and travellers. Second, TIPOs needed to enact a “service mind” when serving travellers while exercising the authority inherent in the role. The implications centre on TIPOs communicating their instrumental, relational, and identity communication goals; that is, they need to be seen as Thai Immigration Police (identity) while simultaneously enforcing the law (task) and serving the traveller (relational). 
The third finding featured the practicalities, benefits, restraints, and opportunities for TIPOs in enacting Thai values and Buddhist teachings in their service provision interaction with travellers. At the interaction level, TIPOs responded to travellers' communications with Thai terms incorporating Thai values. However, the TIPO’s responsibility to enforce the law constrained TIPOs in fully enacting Thai values and Buddhist teachings. Even so, TIPO had some latitude in observing Thai values. The findings have implications for organisational commitment to Thai and Buddhist values (identity goals) and support for TIPOs to serve travellers (relational goals) in carrying out tasks associated with enforcing the law (instrumental goals). 
Taking a Thai culture-centred approach to investigate TIPO-traveller interactions at the border, was significant in revealing the task, identity and relational communication challenges for TIPOs in enacting their role. Further research opportunities lie in investigating how the organisation’s values, processes and training can help TIPO in managing such challenges at the border.

text: A Thai culture-centred study of communication between Thai immigration police officers and English-speaking travellers at the northern borders of Thailand This qualitative study explores communication where English is the 'third' language used between participants whose cultures are different. The purpose was to investigate the communication experiences of Thai Immigration Police Officers (ITIPOs) and travellers to understand TIPOs' role within an orgnaisational and cultural context. I took a Thai culture-centred approach incorporating Thai values, Buddhist teachings, the organisational context, and TIPO's communication goals in the interactions. My thesis is that individual language skills, communication competence and goals, organisational roles and functions, and Thai cultural values influence communication at the border. 
Data-collection methods included: (1) Semi-structured interviews with 18 TIPOs and 71 travellers at five immigration offices in two Thai provinces (January-April 2018); (2) Documents from the Thai Royal Police and Thai Immigration Bureau that informed the TIPO role. The thematic analysis resulted in three main findings. 
The first finding centred on TIPO and travellers’ perceptions of each other's communication politeness. Results suggest that TIPOs' English-language competence influenced travellers' perceptions of the TIPO’s ability to communicate politely. Travellers saw TIPOs’ competence in spoken language as essential for TIPOs to communicate successfully with them. Also, travellers perceived politeness in TIPOs’ ability to engage in relational communication rather than just focusing on the task. This finding has implications for TIPOs’ communicating relational and identity goals at the border. Limited English-language competence impacted TIPOs' ability to communicate politely (relational goals), undermining their identity communication goals to be seen and respected as police officers. 
The second finding concerned the influence of the role requirements for TIPOs in their interactions with travellers. First, TIPOs needed to enact Buddhist values upheld by the Thai Royal Police and Thai Immigration Bureau while managing the power distance between themselves as law enforcers and travellers. Second, TIPOs needed to enact a “service mind” when serving travellers while exercising the authority inherent in the role. The implications centre on TIPOs communicating their instrumental, relational, and identity communication goals; that is, they need to be seen as Thai Immigration Police (identity) while simultaneously enforcing the law (task) and serving the traveller (relational). 
The third finding featured the practicalities, benefits, restraints, and opportunities for TIPOs in enacting Thai values and Buddhist teachings in their service provision interaction with travellers. At the interaction level, TIPOs responded to travellers' communications with Thai terms incorporating Thai values. However, the TIPO’s responsibility to enforce the law constrained TIPOs in fully enacting Thai values and Buddhist teachings. Even so, TIPO had some latitude in observing Thai values. The findings have implications for organisational commitment to Thai and Buddhist values (identity goals) and support for TIPOs to serve travellers (relational goals) in carrying out tasks associated with enforcing the law (instrumental goals). 
Taking a Thai culture-centred approach to investigate TIPO-traveller interactions at the border, was significant in revealing the task, identity and relational communication challenges for TIPOs in enacting their role. Further research opportunities lie in investigating how the organisation’s values, processes and training can help TIPO in managing such challenges at the border.

year: 2024-07-23

title: Declining towns and rapidly growing cities in New Zealand: developing an empirically-based model that can inform policy

authors: Brabyn, Lars

abstract: Understanding and predicting spatial patterns in population change has significant implications for infrastructure, property investments, and national spatial planning. It is also at the core of understanding what motivates people to move to different places, and the underlying geographical conditions that are important to people. During recent times, the population growth of large cities in New Zealand (particularly Auckland, but Tauranga has had faster growth) has resulted in severe social and infrastructural problems, such as sky-rocketing house prices, homelessness, and congestion of roads. At the same time, many small towns have had significant population decline, with no proposed solutions apart from acceptance or undertaking so-called “managed decline” (McMillan 2016; Wood 2017). As will be described in this article, net migration has been a significant component of the spatial variation in population change, while natural change does not have a significant spatial variation and has been generally positive for all urban places. A policy response to the spatial variation of net migration needs to be based on an empirically based understanding of what drives net migration.

text: Declining towns and rapidly growing cities in New Zealand: developing an empirically-based model that can inform policy Understanding and predicting spatial patterns in population change has significant implications for infrastructure, property investments, and national spatial planning. It is also at the core of understanding what motivates people to move to different places, and the underlying geographical conditions that are important to people. During recent times, the population growth of large cities in New Zealand (particularly Auckland, but Tauranga has had faster growth) has resulted in severe social and infrastructural problems, such as sky-rocketing house prices, homelessness, and congestion of roads. At the same time, many small towns have had significant population decline, with no proposed solutions apart from acceptance or undertaking so-called “managed decline” (McMillan 2016; Wood 2017). As will be described in this article, net migration has been a significant component of the spatial variation in population change, while natural change does not have a significant spatial variation and has been generally positive for all urban places. A policy response to the spatial variation of net migration needs to be based on an empirically based understanding of what drives net migration.

year: 2017

title: Māori in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: An analysis of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science data records from 1997-2002

authors: Ashwell, Allanah

subjects: Maori students

abstract: The Ministry of Education has compiled annual reports on the participation of Maori in
tertiary education. The 2002 report presented a comprehensive description of Maori
participation across all tertiary institutions within New Zealand in that year. The figures
show that Maori are markedly under-represented in tertiary institutions, particularly
universities.
The barriers encountered by Maori students can either directly or indirectly impact on
Maori participation, retention and success. The more disturbing outcome is that of
withdrawal or dropping out of higher education, is more likely when a Maori student
experiences and has to confront multiple rather than single barriers.
With this in mind, the aim of this study was to examine and identify trends apparent in
data records of Maori students enrolled in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences at the University of Waikato between 1997 and 2002 and to make
recommendations to the Faculty about how negative trends might be addressed. Specific
areas for analysis are detailed in the report.

text: Māori in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: An analysis of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science data records from 1997-2002 The Ministry of Education has compiled annual reports on the participation of Maori in
tertiary education. The 2002 report presented a comprehensive description of Maori
participation across all tertiary institutions within New Zealand in that year. The figures
show that Maori are markedly under-represented in tertiary institutions, particularly
universities.
The barriers encountered by Maori students can either directly or indirectly impact on
Maori participation, retention and success. The more disturbing outcome is that of
withdrawal or dropping out of higher education, is more likely when a Maori student
experiences and has to confront multiple rather than single barriers.
With this in mind, the aim of this study was to examine and identify trends apparent in
data records of Maori students enrolled in courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences at the University of Waikato between 1997 and 2002 and to make
recommendations to the Faculty about how negative trends might be addressed. Specific
areas for analysis are detailed in the report.

year: 2003-06