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    Productivity in road pavement maintenance & rehabilitation projects : perspectives of New Zealand roading contractors on the constraints and improvement measures : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Construction, School of Built Environment, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Haji Karimian, Saeed
    Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation contractors (RMRCs) – and indeed all contractors handling public sector projects – face the challenge of performance-based rewards, which seek to maximise tax dollars by ensuring whole-of-life best value in the project delivery process. To be successful, a contractor’s productivity and performance should remain high and resilient to internal and external constraints in the project environment. There is a lack of research on a practical approach to modelling and prioritising performance constraints in the roading sector. This study aimed to investigate the priority constraints RMRCs face in New Zealand (NZ) as well as strategies for improvement. The thesis presents the final findings of interview-based qualitative surveys of medium- to large-sized roading contractors in NZ, followed by a questionnaire survey (quantitative) to prioritise the constraints found during the first stage of the research. Empirical data then were analysed using descriptive statistics and SPSS-based principal component analysis. The results showed - in diminishing order of influence - the following four principal items extracted from the initial 68 constraints identified from the interviews: process, operating environment; input; and output constraint groups. The most influential constraints in the four groups are inclement weather, frequency of design changes, inadequate supply or high cost of required resources, and post-construction defective or non-compliant work. The findings contribute to the relevant body of knowledge by revealing critical factors constraining the productivity performance of NZ RMRCs and associated improvement measures. The Input-Process-Environment-Output (IPEO) constraint model is seen as being more practical and easy to follow by industry stakeholders than the internal-external risk approach reported in the literature; it presents new and more enriching perspectives into how contractors could leverage their limited resources to address key constraints.
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    Property and maintenance management framework for New Zealand's state schools: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Construction at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Le, An Thi Hoai
    School buildings and infrastructure are considered fundamental elements of any community. The buildings and infrastructure are not only supposed to provide a pleasant, and safe environment for staff and students, but they are also a clearly visible presentation of the education system. As a result, it is important to ensure that school properties are well maintained through proactive management. In New Zealand (NZ), state school properties are owned by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and managed and operated by the school board of each school with the assistance of external consultants. This research aims to develop a framework which helps those involved in managing school buildings and infrastructure in New Zealand's state schools by focusing on improving the collaboration among the key stakeholders. Previous research on managing existing property and associated theoretical concepts, such as asset management, property management, maintenance management, stakeholders’ involvement, and maturity model frameworks, were reviewed to identify research problems. In order to refine the research objectives, a preliminary study was conducted that involved the researcher attending training courses on property and maintenance management to understand processes, make connections, conduct interviews with other attendees, and distribute a survey among them. Findings from the preliminary study highlighted the central role of stakeholders’ collaboration for the provision of efficient property and maintenance management, but other issues were also identified. A further in-depth study based on interviews with school managers was undertaken to cover the current activities and processes, challenges, roles, and responsibilities of the key stakeholders in managing existing buildings and infrastructure in state schools in New Zealand. Based on findings from the literature review and interviews, a maturity assessment model was developed, and a questionnaire was distributed to explore the maturity levels of different management processes currently in place with the aim of identifying the priorities for process improvement actions. The maturity level scores revealed the most needed improvement areas that the key stakeholders should focus on, including the reporting system, performance evaluation, staff training, lesson sharing, communication, and continuous improvement. In addition, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to explore the relationships among key stakeholders and test the research hypotheses. The results of PLS-SEM assessment prove that there are undeniable relationships between the key stakeholders. This also highlighted that all stakeholders are responsible to work closely as a team as they have both direct and indirect effects on each other's performance. Close teamwork contributes to the overall outcome of property and maintenance management for NZ's state schools. A property and maintenance management framework for NZ's state schools was then developed based on the findings of the literature review, and data analysis using the key concepts of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. The proposed framework comprises five stages (Establish, Plan, Implement, Evaluate, and Improve - E-PIE-I, and shortened to PIE) and includes activities in each stage. More activities were added in the Establish phase in order to address the need to provide staff training programmes and improve the collaboration between people involved in the processes. Moreover, the proposed PIE features a feedback loop in the Evaluate and Improve stages which helps assess performance of the processes and obtain feedback and learning outcomes for continuous improvements. Validation interviews with school managers were conducted and the results show that the PIE framework could help improve the property and maintenance management for New Zealand's state schools. The research contributes to the property and maintenance management field with a focus on the collaboration between the people involved in the process. The research also reveals other challenges and issues in managing school property in state schools and proposes solutions to overcome these challenges. More importantly, this research produces a set of diagrams in the PIE framework which can be used as guidelines for school managers and other stakeholders to perform their roles effectively. The study finally produces recommendations for improvements in managing school property at both the school and the MoE level. The findings should be of interest to top management, schools, service providers, and researchers dealing with the management of existing buildings and infrastructure in schools.
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    It is not rocket science : a sharper focus is required for New Zealand’s road bridges : a 60-credit Journalism project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Journalism at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Scannell, Mazz
    Bridge collapses due to age and external events occur all over the world, and New Zealand is no exception. Two recent bridge collapses in New Zealand have been attributed to adverse weather events. The ability of bridges to withstand environmental events is based on the quality of the bridge inspection regime and the resulting repairs and maintenance. This research aims to investigate the inspection regime of road bridges in New Zealand. Using case studies, it analyses how bridges are inspected, data is managed and the role of the asset manager in determining repair and maintenance programmes. Influencing factors including bridge age and the inspection practices and procedures of councils are compared to the bridge inspection guidelines published by the New Zealand Transport Agency. This paper will also investigate if New Zealand is ready to address the large number of bridges that are nearing the end of their useful life and will soon either require replacement or substantial remediation. The results show that local authorities are using the official guidelines as a guide rather than a minimum standard. The research and its findings are expected to allow for a better insight into decision making and priority setting for asset managers working in bridge management.
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    Solvent neurotoxicity in vehicle collision repair workers : a thesis by publications presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Keer, Samuel John
    Previous studies have shown that vehicle collision repair workers may be at risk of solvent-induced symptoms of neurotoxicity. Changes in industry practices have likely resulted in reduced exposure, but little research has been conducted to assess whether this has reduced the risk of neurotoxicity. This thesis describes a series of studies, which aimed to assess: i) contemporary airborne solvent exposures in collision repair workers; ii) the determinants of airborne solvent exposures; iii) the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of neurotoxicity and objectively measured neuropsychological performance, compared to an unexposed reference group; iv) dose-response associations; and v) the effect of personal protective equipment (PPE) and good workplace hygiene on symptom prevalence. In total, 370 vehicle collision repair and 211 construction workers (reference group) were recruited. Personal airborne solvent exposure was assessed in 85 collision repair workers, and information on demographics, work practices and symptoms was collected by questionnaire. A sub-group of 47 collision repair and 51 reference workers also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests. Full-shift, airborne exposures were well below New Zealand and international occupational exposure limits (range, 0.04 – 16.5 ppm). Job title was the strongest predictor of exposure, and non-spraying tasks (e.g. mixing paint and cleaning equipment) were associated with higher exposures than spray painting itself. Collision repair workers reported significantly more symptoms of neurotoxicity than the reference group, with odds ratios (ORs) of 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.3; 2.4, 1.2-4.8; and 6.4, 1.8-23.0, for reporting ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 symptoms, respectively. They also performed more poorly on neuropsychological tests, particularly those that measure attention/concentration and motor speed/dexterity (e.g. reference vs. collision repair group score on the RBANS total attention scale, -9.5, 95% CI, -15.9, -2.8). Consistent use of PPE (particularly gloves) and good workplace hygiene practices were strongly protective against symptoms, with reductions in risk of up to 90% for those who most consistently wore PPE. In conclusion, despite relatively low airborne exposure levels, collision repair workers continue to be at risk of solvent-induced neurotoxicity. These findings provide a strong evidence-base for the development and implementation of intervention programmes to reduce solvent exposures and associated morbidity in this population.
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    Cleared to disconnect? : a study of the interaction between airline pilots and line maintenance engineers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation at Massey University, Manawatũ, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Fisher, Tahlia Jane
    Accurate information regarding the maintenance status of an aircraft is essential for safe and efficient airline operations, yet there is evidence to suggest that pilots and line maintenance engineers do not always communicate effectively with each other. To date the majority of this evidence has been anecdotal, and formal studies have focused primarily on the shortcomings of the aircraft logbook as a communication medium. Despite the notion that poor communication between these two groups can potentially have undesirable consequences, there has been little discussion about how this might manifest within an airline environment. The studies undertaken for this research examined three distinct aspects of the pilot-maintenance interface: 1) the intergroup relationship between airline pilots and line maintenance engineers, 2) operational radio communications between airline pilots and line maintenance engineers, and 3) the effects of deficient pilot-maintenance communication on aircraft operations and flight safety. Thematically analysed discourse from a series of focus groups held at a large New Zealand airline, found that communication difficulties are primarily the result of an interrelating set of organisational, physical and psychosocial barriers, all of which influence the nature of the intergroup relationship between pilots and line maintenance engineers. The use of Interaction Process Analysis (IPA) to examine radio calls between pilots and maintenance personnel identified that while the two groups share similar communication patterns and styles, indications of these barriers were present within their communication exchanges. The effects of deficient communication were then examined using data from the United States Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). Using Correspondence Analysis (CA) to map associations between deficient pilot-maintenance communication and adverse outcomes, evidence was found that poor communication can be associated with both schedule disruptions and potential safety ramifications. Ultimately, this research has important implications for airlines, particularly given the degree to which organisational factors can influence the efficacy of communication between these two groups. In light of the findings which suggest that problematic interactions between pilots and maintenance personnel can have both commercial implications and pose a threat to flight safety, it is recommended that airlines give consideration to facilitating joint Crew Resource Management (CRM) training for these two groups.
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    Examining the influence of error climate on aviation maintenance performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Hodges, Megan Elizabeth
    Error climate is a relatively new construct that refers to employees shared perceptions of organisational practices regarding errors and is divided into two types, error management climate (EMC) and error aversion climate (EAC). An EMC acknowledges the inevitability of error and has practices that deal effectively with error. An error aversion climate (EAC) conversely, denies error and is characterised by a fear of error and a reluctance to discuss error. The current study revealed two facets of EAC, these were error strain and covering up errors. EAC and EMC were negatively correlated. Higher levels of EMC were associated with better supervision and psychological health and lower levels of EAC, violations and errors. Higher levels of EAC were associated with the opposite pattern of findings, more violations and errors, worse psychological health, poorer supervision and lower levels of EMC. Two types of violations were found, situational violations which were related to getting the job done in the face of situational constraints and routine violations which reflected rule defiance. Significant predictors of situational violations were routine violations, covering up errors, stress, position (seniority) and general psychological health while significant predictors of routine violations were situational violations and fatigue. Significant predictors of errors were routine violations and position. The effect of error climate on errors was partially mediated by violations. This result is consistent with that of safety climate which is a well established predictor of unsafe acts. Unexpectedly, psychological health did not act as a mediator. These findings suggest that error climate is an important organisational factor in safety and aviation maintenance performance that warrants further examination.