Research Reports

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    Corporate governance in the New Zealand public health sector: a 152.785 research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management (Management) at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (2010-07-07T00:19:08Z) Whitfield, Kyle
    This research report considers corporate governance within the public health sector, an area which has undergone significant changes in terms of structures, focus, and demand for service and funding. As there has been little research conducted in this specific area, the report?s major findings are based on a critical examination of the literature on governance in private and public sectors along with an analysis of the changes that have occurred in the New Zealand Health sector over time. A review of the governance literature provides evidence that good corporate governance, if it is initiated and maintained properly, has benefits that can be organisation wide. The literature review provides evidence that effective governance can enhance the outcomes in the New Zealand health organisations that are part of a sector that has undergone four major restructures since 1989. It appears that these restructures have largely been driven by post-election political ideology and in most cases the changes have had little success in improving corporate governance within this sector. This research report concludes that some small, but significant, changes are necessary if the effectiveness of District Health Boards is to be improved. This report suggests three key changes. The first is to improve the structure by introducing new governance positions within District Health Boards. This position is based at the executive level and offers impartial advice to the board on all corporate governance issues. The second suggestion is that boards need to increase their diversity in order to improve performance, especially in geographical areas which have a large proportion of Pacific and Asian communities. The final recommendation is that board members are offered individual remuneration linked directly to their attendance and performance. These three changes, in turn, will help District Health Boards to become more effective in the way they operate.
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    How do Maori land owners judge whether the management of Maori incorporations is successful? : a 52.786 research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Business Systems at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) White, Paul I.
    This research report has looked at the question of how Maori land owners judge success. The study has focused on the management of Maori incorporations and has engaged 47 Maori people in the exercise. It attempted to establish Maori perspectives on what constitutes successful management and to develop a framework of factors to order and describe the judgement of landowners. This framework could then be used to compare management, and to give weighting to the factors identified as being most important to success. The research findings have illustrated that the perspectives of Maori land owners in the Tai Tokerau can be described by a complex amalgam of factors. These factors include cultural, social, political, financial, physical, and operational concerns. Many of these concerns have the potential to be at variance with each other. The research has also revealed the many differences in thinking between various sub-groups of Maori land owners. The results suggest that successful management is likely to be about managing the tensions that arise between the different types of success Maori are seeking. Managing Maori land to meet the aspirations of success held by large numbers of owners is an increasingly complex matter. The findings of this research contrast with the limited literature in relation to Maori land management and success. Most written material emphasizes the importance of financial considerations, and relies heavily on western concepts and perspectives of business success in terms of profit, growth in share value, and dividends. It is hoped that the findings will act as a stimulus for debate among Maori and lead to the identification of a series of key factors that contribute to success and failure. Unless those people managing Maori land have the necessary training and experience, management will not be successful. However, without knowledge of what Maori land owners consider to be successful management, training is not likely to be well designed and targeted. This research will enable strategies to be identified to ensure that Maori land managers and custodians have the best training and advice available to them to increase their chances of success in Maori terms.