title: Organisational transformations in the New Zealand retirement village sector:   A critical-rhetorical and -discursive analysis of promotion, community, and resident participation.

authors: Simpson, Mary Louisa

subjects: Retirement communities

abstract: This thesis examines quotcustomer-focusedquot communication and resident participation within the retirement village sector which is one part of the increasingly quotmarketisedquot aged-care services in New Zealand. In this respect the sector is no different from other domains of consumer life where marketing-oriented organisations aim to find out what their customers want and give it to them. This research examines communication related to customer-focused organisational activities and residents' enactment of participation within retirement village organisation (RVO) settings with respect to these processes of marketisation. 
Taking a critical-interpretive perspective, the thesis undertakes a collective case study involving two major New Zealand RVOs. Both organisations were defined as quotretirement villagesquot within the meaning of the Retirement Villages Act 2003, established in the 1990s, and offered quotretirement livingquot independent housing and apartments across a range of locations.  A significant part of the study also examined publicly available promotional material from six RVOs operating multiple sites in various New Zealand locations. 
This thesis explores retirement villages as co-productions between the corporate entities that develop and market villages and the residents who live in them.  The thesis also explores RVO rhetoric about quotretirement living for active 55 plusquot, RVO enactment of customer focused communication and activities, and residents responses to and expectations of both. It is argued that this co-production has implications for residents' participation, their roles and relationships with employees, as well as for organisational communication processes and structures. 
The rhetorical and critical discourse analysis reveals the complexity of what quotparticipationquot means for the residents. Through a close examination of these meanings, the thesis extends current understandings of relationships between quotcustomersquot and quotcustomer-focusedquot 
organisations and highlights the role of older people in Western Society as co-producers of the very product they purchase: the retirement village. It also raises practical and theoretical issues for organisational communication. At the practical level it highlights how communication messages, structures and processes within RVOs experience tensions in meeting the needs of both internal, current, and long-term customers, and external, potential, and future customers. The thesis offers insights into issues of individual action and freedom within the frame of market-driven and avowedly quotcustomer-focusedquot organisations and consequently suggests a reconsideration of participation in organisations in which customers are also quotinsidersquot.

text: Organisational transformations in the New Zealand retirement village sector:   A critical-rhetorical and -discursive analysis of promotion, community, and resident participation. This thesis examines quotcustomer-focusedquot communication and resident participation within the retirement village sector which is one part of the increasingly quotmarketisedquot aged-care services in New Zealand. In this respect the sector is no different from other domains of consumer life where marketing-oriented organisations aim to find out what their customers want and give it to them. This research examines communication related to customer-focused organisational activities and residents' enactment of participation within retirement village organisation (RVO) settings with respect to these processes of marketisation. 
Taking a critical-interpretive perspective, the thesis undertakes a collective case study involving two major New Zealand RVOs. Both organisations were defined as quotretirement villagesquot within the meaning of the Retirement Villages Act 2003, established in the 1990s, and offered quotretirement livingquot independent housing and apartments across a range of locations.  A significant part of the study also examined publicly available promotional material from six RVOs operating multiple sites in various New Zealand locations. 
This thesis explores retirement villages as co-productions between the corporate entities that develop and market villages and the residents who live in them.  The thesis also explores RVO rhetoric about quotretirement living for active 55 plusquot, RVO enactment of customer focused communication and activities, and residents responses to and expectations of both. It is argued that this co-production has implications for residents' participation, their roles and relationships with employees, as well as for organisational communication processes and structures. 
The rhetorical and critical discourse analysis reveals the complexity of what quotparticipationquot means for the residents. Through a close examination of these meanings, the thesis extends current understandings of relationships between quotcustomersquot and quotcustomer-focusedquot 
organisations and highlights the role of older people in Western Society as co-producers of the very product they purchase: the retirement village. It also raises practical and theoretical issues for organisational communication. At the practical level it highlights how communication messages, structures and processes within RVOs experience tensions in meeting the needs of both internal, current, and long-term customers, and external, potential, and future customers. The thesis offers insights into issues of individual action and freedom within the frame of market-driven and avowedly quotcustomer-focusedquot organisations and consequently suggests a reconsideration of participation in organisations in which customers are also quotinsidersquot.

year: 2007

title: Internationalization of the Yarra Valley Wine Industry Cluster

authors: Sedoglavich, Milan

subjects: internationalization process

abstract: This research investigates the ways in which firms in the cluster approach the process
of internationalization through exploring the influence of business clustering and how
it benefits firms in entering foreign markets. The purpose was to understand this
process to enable firms to develop successful international strategies to expand in
foreign markets. The focus of the study is on the Yarra Valley Wine Industry Cluster,
the oldest wine growing region in Victoria, Australia. This research examined of
Australian wineries to join together in order to achieve greater competitiveness in
collaboration when entering foreign markets due to ever increasing global
competition.
This paper was an exploratory study that used qualitative information gathered from
the case study firms to provide practical framework for the execution of the research
using a multiple-case study design.
The findings show the following: first, some of the wineries gain their perceptions of
the foreign markets from their relationships with, as well as, by the input and
suggestions of the distributors, agents, and partners in a particular market, while
others seem to distance themselves from their international environments and only
focus on serving domestic/local markets exclusively. Second, personal networks play
an important role when it comes to the internationalization process of the wineries
because they provide access to market knowledge. Third, cooperation among cluster
firms plays a very limited role in assisting wineries in foreign market expansion; it
has only been of benefit when it came to dealing with local issues. The cluster has
played only a minor role, if any, when it comes to the internationalization of the
cluster firms. Clustering has been identified as a place where wineries exchange
knowledge, and techniques, in regards to wine production, or come together in a joint
effort to sort out local issues. However, the cluster does not provide assistance to
individual wineries entering international marketplaces.
In conclusion there was a distinctive lack of active support and organization from the
cluster with regard to the international expansion due to the lack of leadership and
joint direction among cluster members. This is where local government could take
more proactive role to facilitate better usage of geographical clusters.
The findings could improve the company decision-making process. Understanding
the advantages and disadvantages of clustering as a means for the future international
expansion can be useful in helping to develop international strategies for firms. This
would be of great significance to business practitioners because this may have a
crucial impact on the competitive advantage of firms in foreign markets. In addition
to having significant implications for practice, the investigation has implications for
international business research because it provides a better understanding of the role
of a cluster in the internationalization.

text: Internationalization of the Yarra Valley Wine Industry Cluster This research investigates the ways in which firms in the cluster approach the process
of internationalization through exploring the influence of business clustering and how
it benefits firms in entering foreign markets. The purpose was to understand this
process to enable firms to develop successful international strategies to expand in
foreign markets. The focus of the study is on the Yarra Valley Wine Industry Cluster,
the oldest wine growing region in Victoria, Australia. This research examined of
Australian wineries to join together in order to achieve greater competitiveness in
collaboration when entering foreign markets due to ever increasing global
competition.
This paper was an exploratory study that used qualitative information gathered from
the case study firms to provide practical framework for the execution of the research
using a multiple-case study design.
The findings show the following: first, some of the wineries gain their perceptions of
the foreign markets from their relationships with, as well as, by the input and
suggestions of the distributors, agents, and partners in a particular market, while
others seem to distance themselves from their international environments and only
focus on serving domestic/local markets exclusively. Second, personal networks play
an important role when it comes to the internationalization process of the wineries
because they provide access to market knowledge. Third, cooperation among cluster
firms plays a very limited role in assisting wineries in foreign market expansion; it
has only been of benefit when it came to dealing with local issues. The cluster has
played only a minor role, if any, when it comes to the internationalization of the
cluster firms. Clustering has been identified as a place where wineries exchange
knowledge, and techniques, in regards to wine production, or come together in a joint
effort to sort out local issues. However, the cluster does not provide assistance to
individual wineries entering international marketplaces.
In conclusion there was a distinctive lack of active support and organization from the
cluster with regard to the international expansion due to the lack of leadership and
joint direction among cluster members. This is where local government could take
more proactive role to facilitate better usage of geographical clusters.
The findings could improve the company decision-making process. Understanding
the advantages and disadvantages of clustering as a means for the future international
expansion can be useful in helping to develop international strategies for firms. This
would be of great significance to business practitioners because this may have a
crucial impact on the competitive advantage of firms in foreign markets. In addition
to having significant implications for practice, the investigation has implications for
international business research because it provides a better understanding of the role
of a cluster in the internationalization.

year: 2009

title: Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling Certificate Programme: Agency placements and supervision. Summary of and evaluation

authors: Moeke-Pickering, Taima Materangatira

subjects: counselling

abstract: Three major characteristics in determining a potentially successful practicum were identified. Firstly, the importance of determining early on whether an agency can expose the student to the necessary counselling experience that enables students to meet the requirements of the course. Secondly, the importance of exposing students to information that enable them to efficiently achieve practicum placement goals. Thirdly, the need to utilise both reflective and skills based assessment to assess the development of counselling skills, as well as the completion of tasks and duties that are required of students. Further information was gleaned about the research participants' perspectives on supervision procedures, practicum contracts, benefits of having a practicum placement and suggested training areas for the proposed TWH supervision module.

text: Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling Certificate Programme: Agency placements and supervision. Summary of and evaluation Three major characteristics in determining a potentially successful practicum were identified. Firstly, the importance of determining early on whether an agency can expose the student to the necessary counselling experience that enables students to meet the requirements of the course. Secondly, the importance of exposing students to information that enable them to efficiently achieve practicum placement goals. Thirdly, the need to utilise both reflective and skills based assessment to assess the development of counselling skills, as well as the completion of tasks and duties that are required of students. Further information was gleaned about the research participants' perspectives on supervision procedures, practicum contracts, benefits of having a practicum placement and suggested training areas for the proposed TWH supervision module.

year: 1995-01-01