Massey Documents by Type
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294
Browse
19 results
Search Results
Item Risk factors, work-related stressors and social support for ambulance personnel in New Zealand : an exploration of organisational and operational stressors and the importance of perceived social support : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2021) Reti, TaylaAmbulance personnel have one of the most stressful jobs across a wide range of occupations, and frequently experience operational and organisational stressors and are exposed to an increased level of traumatic events. As a result of these work-related stressors, ambulance personnel can experience psychological distress, specifically, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depression. A frequently researched coping strategy used to protect against psychological distress is social support. Thus, this research provides an exploration of work-related stressors, psychological distress and the impact social support can have on psychological distress for New Zealand ambulance personnel. A total of 183 ambulance personnel participated in the current research by completing an online survey. The final sample consisted of 125 ambulance personnel. Results showed that direct traumatic exposure, organisational stressors, male gender, and perceived support significantly associated with psychological distress. Operational stress did not relate to psychological distress, and organisational stress was more strongly related to depression. Perceived social support predicted both depression and PTSS, whereas received support did not predict either type of psychological distress. Perceived support was mildly associated with received support, depression and all three sources of support (spouse/family, colleagues and supervisors). Received support was not associated with either type of psychological distress, although did show a relationship with spouse/family support and supervisor support. Spouse/family support was perceived as the strongest source of support, followed by colleague support and lastly supervisor support. Social support did not impact the relationship between direct traumatic exposure and PTSS. Implications of these results are discussed. This research contributes to the literature focused on work-related stressors, and perceived support, highlighting the important impact both organisational stressors and perceived support can have on ambulance personnel. It is hoped that conclusions drawn from this research will have beneficial implications for ambulance personnel, their families and the organisations in which they work in.Item The effects of received social support on posttraumatic stress symptoms and social adjustment of New Zealand and Philippine emergency responders : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Guilaran, Johnrev BarelloEmergency response work is associated with a wide range of psychological outcomes. One of the most commonly observed psychological consequences is posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In addition, traumatic exposure of these types are also seen to affect social adjustment, which may take the form of changes in satisfaction with social relationships and performance of social and occupational roles. In these highly stressful conditions, social support, behaviours and social interactions that provide actual assistance and embed people in loving and caring social networks (Hobfoll & Stokes, 1988), has been shown to be associated with favourable consequences. This research was conducted to test the effects of social support on PTSS and social adjustment in emergency responders – those who are mandated to protect and preserve life, property, and the environment (Prati & Pietrantoni, 2010) in the aftermath of emergencies and disasters. This thesis specifically focusses on received social support, which is the situational-environmental facet of social support. The first two manuscripts are meta-analyses on the associations of social support on psychological outcomes, to chart the topography of research in the area. Manuscript One is a systematic review and meta-analysis on the associations of social support on various psychological outcomes in emergency responders working in disasters. Manuscript Two is a meta-analysis on the influence of social support on posttraumatic stress symptoms in emergency responders, in general. In both meta-analyses, differential effects of social support were found, but there was a domination of studies on perceived social support and a scarcity of literature on received social support. Manuscripts Three through Five, which cover the results, then focussed on the association of received social support in 223 emergency responders from New Zealand (n = 195) and the Philippines (n = 28). Manuscript Three tested the main and moderating effects of received social support on PTSS while Manuscript Four tested its effect on social adjustment. For both studies, the effects of the different sources (i.e., family, peers, supervisor) and forms (i.e., emotional, tangible, informational) of received social support were also tested. Furthermore, to understand the protective assistance process between received and perceived social support, Manuscript Five tested the mediating effects of social support effectiveness and negative consequences on the relationship between received and perceived social support. The results of these studies highlight three key points. First, received social support is consistently shown to have main effects on PTSS and social adjustment. Second, reverse buffering effects were observed only in received supervisor support on PTSS. Third, support effectiveness and negative consequences do not mediate the link between received and perceived support in emergency responders. These findings suggest the limits of the effectiveness of social support on psychological outcomes, but at the same time, also suggest the potential of this naturally-occurring intervention element to enhance positive outcomes.Item Identity construction by Aotearoa/New Zealand entrepreneurial professionals on LinkedIn : a tensional approach : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Organisational Communication at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Barnett, Sandra JaneThis study explores if, and how, the business social media site, LinkedIn, is providing for Aotearoa/New Zealand entrepreneurial professionals an alternative site for the construction of identity. The two foci of this study are; firstly, a shift to where we increasingly live our lives, the world of social media; and secondly, the tensions that this shift creates for identity and identity construction, or the basic human need to know ‘who we are’ and ‘how we fit in the social world’. The study began with the observation of family, friends and acquaintances, who had taken up self-employment, and were becoming involved in a virtual world of work-related social media through LinkedIn. The researcher’s interest was in if, and how, this virtual world acts as a site for construction of this new work identity, for an entrepreneur or small-business person. The definition of this identity was widened to include ‘professional’ when participants in the study repeatedly referred to themselves as ‘professionals’; thus, the study became a study of a hybrid identity, i.e. the entrepreneurial professional. The specific group identified was Aotearoa/New Zealand entrepreneurial professionals who engaged on LinkedIn. This research therefore is boundary spanning in that it spans the disciplines of: organisational communication and new forms of organisation; ICT and social media use; identity and identity construction, entrepreneurial, professional and digital; and globalisation, by juxtaposing the globalising effect of social media with local discourse. The research approach was from a social/constructionist paradigm, utilising a qualitative methodology. This methodology was considered appropriate as it emphasises an inductive relationship between theory and research that is consistent with the assumptions of the interpretive/ constructionist paradigm, by foregrounding the ways in which individuals interpret their social world, and embodying a view of social reality that is constantly shifting and emergent (Tracy, 2013). As this was an exploratory interpretive study, the researcher was concerned not to predict or pre-empt the findings. Accordingly, the exploration of the participants’ experience on LinkedIn was not organised around predicted or possible themes, but three interrelated communicative processes on LinkedIn identified by Putnam, Phillips, & Chapman, (1996) as three metaphors of communication itself. These were; ‘engagement’ in general terms, with an emphasis on the participants’ engaging in and making sense of the context of social media, secondly, ‘connecting’ or ‘networking,’ and thirdly, ‘interacting’. All three align with an overarching constructionist approach, but each highlight certain features that other two perspectives neglected and provide important and interrelated insights into identity construction on LinkedIn. Twenty-five in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with those who responded to a request, on NZ SME groups on LinkedIn, to be participants. The interview transcripts analysed through thematic analysis. In the process of analysis, tensions, contradictions and paradoxes emerged as a dominant concern. Tensions, such as identity tensions, have long been identified a part of organisational experience (Trethewey & Ashcraft, 2004), and a growing body of literature posits that irrationality is a normal condition of organisational life, and is reflected in the tensions evident in the discourses around the construction of identity in organisations (C. A. Clarke, Brown, & Hailey, 2009; Larson & Gill, 2017; Tracy & Trethewey, 2005; Trethewey & Ashcraft, 2004).These tensions have increased as work increasingly moves to alternative or “less predictable settings of organizing”(Cheney & Ashcraft, 2007, p. 161). The participants’ discourses revealed evidence that LinkedIn was in fact being utilised as a necessary, and for many a normal, site for the construction of entrepreneurial professional identity, yet one fraught with tensions. The identified tensions were complex and interrelated and were interpreted through the analysis as occurring in different levels and dimensions. Tensions at the first level were: two tensions around engagement in the virtual context of identity construction, four tensions around networking and making connections, and finally, five identity construction tensions around interacting and relationship-building on LinkedIn. Further interpretation of these tensions indicated underlying and overlaying tensions, or meta tensions, woven through the participants’ discourses in two dimensions One dimension identifies the tensions specific to the contexts of LinkedIn, Aotearoa/ New Zealand, and entrepreneurial professionals. This dimension of analysis accords with the advice of Cheney and Ashcraft (2007) to pay “particular sensitivity to institutional and contextual variation” (p.161) when researching identity construction in unpredictable organisational settings. The second dimension of analysis identified meta-tensions or overlaying tensional themes around identity work in organisations, that have taken on a different emphasis and character when experienced in the LinkedIn context. These tensions in two dimensions are presented as an integrated framework of identity construction tensions. For each individual these tensions will intersect at different points, illustrating that identity resides not in the person themselves, but in the context, in the broadest sense, in which they engage. The study makes several contributions. Firstly, it identifies the tensions inherent in engaging in LinkedIn and constructing a digital identity there. Secondly, it provides evidence that LinkedIn has, in fact, become, or at least was in the process of becoming, an alternative organisational site, and thus a site for organisational identity construction. Thirdly, it presents in a multi-level and two-dimensional framework for analysis of identity construction in this context. In one dimension it suggests that identity construction on LinkedIn needs to be understood, in the context of personal work situation of the individual, of a local yet global site of communication, and in the context the unique features of a virtual social world. In another dimension, the identity construction can be understood as the tensions likely in an organisational setting. Lastly it suggests utilising the lenses of three different metaphors of communication to explore communication on LinkedIn, engagement, networking, and interaction, and to analyse identity construction on LinkedIn. The study concludes with a discussion of how an understanding of managing these tensions can be utilised in tertiary education courses and to inform small business owners about LinkedIn use.Item An examination of the relationships between activity participation, social relations, and meaning in life among older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2018) Smith, Jessie EvaPrevious research suggests that a sense of meaning in life (MIL) contributes to physical and psychological well-being among older adults. Given the positive outcomes associated with MIL, it is important to identify sources of MIL and understand how MIL arises among older adults. The increasing proportions of older adults engaging in employment, volunteering, and informal caregiving suggests that it may be important to consider the influence of these activities on MIL. Furthermore, while there is evidence that receiving social support enhances MIL, there does not appear to be any research on the effects of providing social support on an individual’s sense of MIL. This research examines relationships between health, MIL, and volunteering, employment, and informal caregiving, and the role of social support in these relationships among a sample of older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition, this research aims to examine how different aspects of caregiving relate to MIL among older adults who are informal caregivers. This research was secondary data analysis of a large sample of community-dwelling older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand. Relationships were examined using standard quantitative statistical procedures with linear hierarchical regression being the primary technique. MIL was found to be associated with psychological but not physical health with the exception of older adult informal caregivers for whom MIL was associated with both dimensions of health. Consistent with previous research, volunteering was associated with higher MIL among older adults and this relationship was mediated by the provision of social support. Results also indicated that informal caregiving may enhance MIL indirectly through the provision of social support. However, no evidence was found that participation in paid employment is associated with either higher or lower MIL. Among informal caregivers, perceived social support was the only aspect of caregiving which remained a significant predictor of MIL after controlling for demographic and health variables. The research suggests MIL is an important resource for the psychological health of older adults, supporting the incorporation of MIL into psychological interventions for this population. Volunteering and other roles which present opportunities to provide support for others may be particularly effective for enhancing MIL. Further research is needed to investigate how different aspects of employment relate to MIL in order to better understand how employment may be structured to contribute to MIL. Considering the socio-historical context in which older adulthood is lived out, the research contributes to the growing body of literature on MIL, providing insight into how MIL might be promoted among older adults.Item Determining the impact of trauma and daily organisational hassles on psychological distress and burnout in New Zealand police officers; and the moderating role of social support : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology, at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Geeson, NikkiThroughout the course of their career police officers are exposed to traumatic events and work hassles. Work hassles which are minor irritating aspects of work, such as work overload, have been found to have a stronger association with pathogenic outcomes than traumatic events. Among police samples work hassles have been commonly studied in relation to psychological distress, and traumatic events have been commonly studied in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress. There have been fewer studies with burnout as an outcome, even though work hassles have been strongly associated with burnout in other occupations. Traumatic events are rarely studied in relation to burnout among police samples, even though they have been related to exhaustion, which is one of the core components of burnout. In relation to traumatic events and work hassles, social support has been found to have a moderating effect on both psychological distress and burnout. The moderating role of supervisor, colleague and family/friend social support was evaluated in this study, and an understanding of social support was further extended by exploratory research, which explored police officers preferences for sources of social support across different work events. The sample in this study consisted of 603 New Zealand police officers from three separate districts, who completed a web based survey. Evaluated in this study was the impact of traumatic event exposure on psychological distress and burnout, and the impact of work hassles on psychological distress and burnout, along with the moderating role of social support. It was found that traumatic event exposure and work hassles were associated to psychological distress. Traumatic event exposure was associated to exhaustion, and work hassles were associated to exhaustion, cynicism and lower levels of professional efficacy. The exploratory research found that police officers preferences for social support did change across events.Item An analytical approach to modelling epidemics on networks : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Mathematics at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2016) McCulloch, KarenA significant amount of effort has been directed at understanding how the structure of a contact network can impact the spread of an infection through a population. This thesis is focused on obtaining tractable analytic results to aid our understanding of how infections spread through contact networks and to contribute to the existing body of research that is aimed at determining exact epidemic results on finite networks. We use SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) and SIS (Susceptible- Infected-Susceptible) models to investigate the impact network topology has on the spread of an infection through a population. For an SIR model, the probability mass functions of the final epidemic size are derived for eight small networks of different topological structure. Results from the small networks are used to illustrate how it is possible to describe how an infection spreads through a larger network, namely a line of triangles network. The key here is to correctly decompose the larger network into an appropriate assemblage of small networks so that the results are exact. We use Markov Chain theory to derive results for an SIS model on eight small networks such as the expected time to absorption, the expected number of times each individual is infected and the cumulative incidence of the epidemic. An algorithm to derive the transition matrix for any small network structure is presented, from which, in theory, all other results for the SIS model can be obtained using Markov Chain theory. In theory, this algorithm is applicable to networks of any size, however in practice it is too computationally intensive to be practical for larger networks than those presented in this thesis. We give examples for both types of model and illustrate how to parameterise the small networks to investigate the spread of influenza, measles, rabies and chlamydia through a small community or population.Item Volunteering for a job : converting social capital into paid employment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Sociology at Massey University(Massey University, 2005) Davidson, Christopher MarkThe study explores the extent to which the environment of voluntary associations promotes the development of social capital. Moreover, it asks about the extent to which an individual can convert the social capital they have developed in this environment into economic capital, via the labour market. Social capital is primarily concerned with the resources embedded in social relationships, and how individuals can access and use them. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to enquire into the experiences of volunteers affiliated to voluntary associations based in West Auckland. The findings indicate there is no simple causal relationship between an individual's voluntary activities, and the level and value of social capital they can accrue from them. Nevertheless, the findings do suggest that the social capital that is developed through voluntary activity can influence an individual's labour market outcomes. The research reported here indicates that labour market information is not equitably distributed through society. The study suggests that social policy can help bring this information to excluded groups. Targeted government support of the voluntary sector, aimed at providing opportunities for marginalised or minority groups to develop social capital, is one important option available to government to achieve this goal.Item (Re)constructing selves : emplaced socio-material practice at the Men's Shed North Shore : an ethnographic case study : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2016) Anstiss, DavidRetirement can bring about significant disruption for men who spend a large amount of their lives in paid employment. When leaving paid employment, men also leave places where they have developed a sense of self, secured resources, found meaning, participated in social networks, and engaged in practices of health and gender. How men respond to such a challenging life stage by creating spaces for participating in positive and affirming practices, is largely overlooked. In this thesis, I explore the ways in which a group of older, retired men jointly (re)construct a sense of self through emplaced socio-material practice in the Men’s Shed North Shore. Amid a dearth of literature on men’s caring and supportive social relationships, this research contributes to an understanding of the ways men in Aotearoa, New Zealand come to re-know themselves and develop supportive relationships through a shared community project. The research is informed by an ethnographic case-based orientation that draws on participation-observation fieldwork, interviews, and a focus group with men who participate at the Men’s Shed North Shore. Findings illustrate the effort these men put into the communal reworking of self, the maintenance of health and dignity in a disruptive life stage, their pragmatic approach to retirement, and their (re)production of place and space. A central focus in the analysis is the importance of socio-material practice in the Shed. In particular, the analysis explores the role of material practice as an essential relational practice in the Shed. Through construction projects, men connect with, and reproduce, the material essence of the Shed, and engage meaningfully with other men. The analysis also demonstrates the importance of material practice for these men in maintaining health and dignity in later life. The men agentively and pragmatically respond to displacement in retirement by (re)constructing a sense of self and reemplacing themselves through familiar and shared labour practices. The analysis also demonstrates how the daily material activities of the Shed reflect an ongoing enactment of wellbeing, enabled and demonstrated through social interaction and productive activity.Item Newcomer learning and adjustment in small firms : social networks as a mechanism underpinning the socialisation process : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management to Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2015) Field, Robert ArthurRecognition of the increasing importance of organisational socialisation for individuals and organisations needs to be viewed against the background of the current challenges and changes facing employees and employers that include global competition, economic uncertainty, restructuring, labour mobility and attempts to attract and retain a talented workforce. The nature, scope and speed of these challenges are affecting the world of work and changing the nature of the employment relationship between employee and employer. These factors have resulted in a greater number of newcomers requiring more frequent socialisation to their new environments and organisations having to socialise newcomers more often, in ensuring newcomers learn and adjust to their new environment and are able to contribute to individual and organisational outcomes. Small firms that represent the majority of businesses in most developed countries such as New Zealand and make a major contribution to economic development and employment generation are not immune to these challenges and changes. Given the capacity of the small firm sector to make a contribution to employment and economic growth and the importance attached to the effective and efficient socialisation of newcomers on individual and organisational level outcomes, from a small firm perspective it is argued that the key role of socialisation is just as, even if not more important and challenging in achieving desired outcomes. Underpinning the socialisation process is an implicit understanding that social networks formed through the interactions and relationships between newcomers and organisational insiders are a key factor influencing newcomer learning and adjustment and resultant individual and organisational outcomes. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the role of social networks underpinning the socialisation factors influencing newcomer learning and adjustment and resultant outcomes in small firms. The research design adopted for the current study was a mixed methods approach that consisted of two phases. The first phase of the study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the role of social networks during the pre-encounter and encounter phases of the socialisation process and made use of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with newcomers and socialisation agents in small firms. The second phase of this study adopted a quantitative approach, using a survey questionnaire as the data collection method to examine the impact of social networks on the relationship between the individual socialisation factor of newcomer proactivity and socialisation outcomes in small firms from a newcomer perspective. Overall, the findings of the qualitative phase of the study provide evidence of the important role of social networks during the pre-encounter and encounter phases of the socialisation process in small firms. More specifically, during pre-encounter socialisation social networks consisting of individuals from newcomers’ social and familial milieu play a key role in initiating newcomer socialisation. In addition, social networks contribute to facilitating information exchange during the selection process that contributes to newcomer learning and adjustment. During the encounter phase, social networks contribute to establishing and developing effective workplace relationships that facilitate socialisation and providing access to informational sources that influence newcomer learning and adjustment. The findings for the quantitative phase of this study suggest that social networks do not significantly mediate the relationship between the individual socialisation factor of newcomer proactivity and socialisation outcomes. These findings raise the likelihood that there might be additional situational and contextual factors that play a role in determining the role of social networks as a mediator of the relationship between socialisation factors and socialisation outcomes. The study is fairly unique in that, in contrast with most socialisation research being undertaken in large firms, the context of the study was the small firm sector. This study is also one of the first to integrate the socialisation and social network literatures and makes an important contribution by examining how social network and socialisation variables are linked, and what the possible effects of this are on newcomer learning and adjustment and resultant socialisation outcomes. A number of implications that can support newcomer learning and adjustment are outlined. Various limitations are identified and opportunities for future research that can assist in increasing understanding of the important role of social networks during socialisation that can be of benefit to researchers, organisations and society are discussed.Item How do social support and optimism moderate the relationship between traumatic exposure and PTSD symptoms? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2015) Wojcierowska, Barbara EThe aim of this research was to look at how individuals within the Auckland region of New Zealand were affected by traumatic events in their lives. The current study’s aims included looking at the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms within individuals that had experienced traumatic events in the Auckland region of New Zealand. The current project also aimed to investigate whether optimism and social support had a moderating effect on the PTSD symptoms of Auckland residents who had experienced trauma. A cross-sectional, self-report survey design was used to collect data. This design was selected due to the time constraints of the project and considerations of how data would be collected. The self-report questionnaire was the only method of data collection for our constructs of PTSD, traumatic events, optimism and social support. Participants voluntarily completed the questionnaire online. One hundred and fifty participants attempted the questionnaire. One hundred and eight participants provided complete data. Statistical analysis was conducted to establish the relationship between trauma exposure, within 12 months and lifetime, and PTSD symptom prevalence within a general Auckland, New Zealand population. In addition, moderation analyses were conducted on the relationship between PTSD symptoms and trauma exposure. Results established a statistically significant relationship between trauma exposure within the last 12 months and PTSD symptoms. No moderation effects were found for social support and optimism in the present study for a general Auckland, New Zealand population. This research contributes to existing general population research regarding trauma exposure and also looks at optimism and social support in general populations.