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The long-term effectiveness of a community-based tourism approach in Bolivia using the lens of community resilience : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2025) Hoey, Clare
This study explores the factors that influence the long-term success of community-based tourism (CBT) projects in Bolivia and examines the degree to which CBT initiatives contribute to increased community resilience (CR). Adopting a community resilience lens, the research explores economic, social, cultural, environmental and structural indicators of resilience to investigate how participation in CBT projects impacts overall community resilience within communities. A qualitative approach was adopted, and primary data was collected through a grey literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with representatives from communities, NGOs, and tourism organisations involved in CBT within Bolivia. The data was coded and analysed using a thematic analysis in which the data was sorted by CBT success factors and the four potential indicators of CR to identify key patterns. Findings suggest that while CBT projects can strengthen community cohesion, cultural pride and aid in economic diversification, their long-term success may be constrained by structural and institutional weaknesses. Although many communities remained dependent on NGOs for technical support and funding, projects that integrated training, partnerships with external organisations and local leadership were found to be more resilient. This study concluded that CBT could serve as a valuable pathway for strengthening CR when supported by consistent policy frameworks, long-term training and supportive governance structures. However, without addressing systemic issues such as limited infrastructure and institutional dependence, the potential of CBT to achieve enduring resilience remains restricted.
Operationalising neuroinclusive work systems: A multi-method framework for organisational research
(Elsevier, 2026-08-19) Tootell B; Rao V
Research on neurodiversity in employment has expanded rapidly, but organisational studies remain fragmented across employee experiences, accommodation practices and recruitment initiatives. The absence of a standardised method for operationalising neuroinclusive work systems limits comparison, replication and cumulative theory development. This article addresses that gap by presenting a replicable four-phase framework integrating conceptual synthesis, longitudinal panel modelling, organisational multilevel analysis and experimental recruitment simulation.This article presents a multi-method research framework for operationalising neuroinclusive work systems in organisational research. The framework integrates four complementary methodological components: conceptual synthesis, longitudinal panel modelling, organisational multilevel analysis, and experimental recruitment simulation. Drawing on HRM systems theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework, the method enables researchers to examine how organisational systems generate demand-resource environments that influence employee wellbeing, job satisfaction, retention, and earnings outcomes. The framework is designed for replication across publicly available panel datasets, linked employer–employee datasets, and controlled recruitment experiments. This article provides procedural guidance for implementing the framework and demonstrates how triangulation across methods strengthens inference regarding work accessibility.
Root growth and function in New Zealand pasture systems: a perspective on research needs, methods, and system integration
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2026) Roca Fraga FJ; Wijenayakage WPT; Volder A; Cartmill DL; Tozer KN; Almeida GA; Donaghy DJ; Cartmill AD; Zadworny M
Understanding root growth and phenology is essential for improving the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of pasture-based systems. However, roots remain one of the most difficult components of plant systems to measure and monitor, particularly in managed, high-turnover pastures, such as those in New Zealand (NZ) dairy systems. As a result, root processes are often underrepresented in both experimental studies and pasture system models. This perspective paper identifies critical, but underdeveloped areas in root research, with particular focus on root phenology. Current studies are limited by insufficient temporal resolution, a lack of species- and cultivar-specific trait data in mixed swards, and weak integration of root dynamics into breeding programmes and farm system models. These constraints limit our ability to link root processes to pasture persistence, nutrient cycling, and climate resilience. To address this gap, we propose that root phenology should be treated as a dynamic functional trait that links plant responses to environmental and management drivers with ecosystem-level outcomes. This framing provides a conceptual foundation for integrating root dynamics into pasture research and modelling, particularly in systems subject to frequent defoliation and environmental variability. We further highlight opportunities arising from rapid advances in sensing technologies, automation, and data analytics, which enable continuous, high-resolution root monitoring systems at multiple scales. However, realising this potential requires integration of complementary measurement approaches and alignment with system-level research questions. In this context, NZ provides a unique platform for developing scalable, pasture-based root monitoring framework that integrates science, management and policy. We argue for a coordinated effort that bridges fundamental root biology with applied pasture management, supported by long-term datasets, methodological integration, and engagement with end users. Embedding root traits and phenological dynamics into the next generation of pasture models and decision-support tools will be critical for improving system performance and environmental outcomes. This perspective aims to stimulate a shift towards more integrated, temporally explicit approaches for studying root systems in pasture environments, with relevance to grazing system beyond NZ and across temperate regions.
Can circular economy advance Pacific SIDS SDG and NDC targets while maintaining self-determination? : a mixed methods approach : a thesis with publication presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economics at Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026-09-02) Vea-Simpson, Litia; Professor Roskruge , Matthew
This study explored whether circular economy (CE) strategies could advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) while upholding self-determination. It contributes to the field of sustainable transition (ST) by addressing three interlinked areas of enquiry: (i) Objective 1 identified that while CE activities existed in Pacific SIDS, they remained fragmented and unsupported by cohesive policy frameworks; (ii) Objective 2 conducted the first Economy-Wide Material Flow Analysis (EW-MFA) for Tonga, which revealed zero percent circularity and structural inefficiencies; and (iii) Objective 3 introduced the Indigenous Triple Helix (I-TH) model, a culturally grounded framework rooted in Pacific governance and knowledge systems, as a context-specific pathway for ST. The first study employed a mixed-methods approach to examine CE adoption in Samoa, the Cook Islands, and Tonga, focusing on local institutions and transition policies. Using the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Butterfly Diagram and institutional coevolutionary analysis, the research found that community-led initiatives such as biogas and solar projects in Samoa and the Cook Islands more effectively advanced sustainability goals. In contrast, Tonga’s top-down strategies struggled with efficiency and long-term viability. The second employed EW-MFA for Tonga to address a measurement gap. Results revealed high dependence on imported fossil fuels and biomass products, underscoring the need for context-specific CE strategies reflective of local material and energy use patterns, illustrated by Samoa’s decentralised biomass energy initiative. The final study undertook a conceptual analysis by developing the I-TH model, adapting the Triple Helix framework (Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 1998, 2000) to Pacific Indigenous contexts. While the original model emphasised collaboration among government, academia, and industry, the I-TH reframed development through the interwoven authorities of spiritual governance (God), kinship-based land stewardship (People and Land), and heritage preservation (Inheritance). Collectively, the three studies showed that while CE could support SDG and NDC objectives, their success in Pacific SIDS depended on embedding strategies within Indigenous governance systems. By extending CE thinking through a culturally grounded lens, the thesis contributes more broadly to the global field of ST, where advancing self-determination is essential to achieving climate goals under the Paris Agreement.
Frogging the Waterfront: The Role of Artistic Ritual in Built Environment Climate Adaptation
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2026-07-22) Tilley E; Gabriel S
This article examines the neglected role of artistic ritual in built environment climate adaptation, using the knitting metaphor of “frogging” (the deliberate unravelling of existing work) to explore processes of unmaking and remaking socio-ecological relationships. Based on a five-day participatory art installation, I’m Y(e)arning For Something, at The Performance Arcade in Aotearoa New Zealand, we analyze how creative, ritualized encounters surfaced affective responses to climate change that are often overlooked in formal planning processes. Ethnographic observations and conversations with participants revealed how grief, nostalgia, and loss aversion can shape resistance to urban transitions, delaying or preventing managed retreat from increasingly vulnerable infrastructure. The article shows how artistic ritual can create temporary spaces in which communities acknowledge, process, and symbolically release attachments to unsustainable places. It argues that embedding ritualized, participatory art practices into adaptation planning could strengthen community readiness for transformational change and improve the social legitimacy of difficult decisions. We conclude that artistic ritual constitutes a low‑cost but powerful cultural technology for crossing the emotional thresholds of climate adaptation.