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    The experiences of becoming and being a nurse leader in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-11-27) Kerr, Dianne
    The Experiences of Becoming and Being a Nurse Leader in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century This thesis explores the experiences of current registered nurses who have attained leadership positions in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). A feminist deconstruction of gender framework serves as a lens to examine how masculine and feminine binaries affect the experiences of nurse leaders in a neoliberal environment that has commodified and devalued the act of caring. Particular attention was paid to the different challenges experienced by Māori nurses as the indigenous people of a post-colonialist Aotearoa. The research employed a qualitative design using an exploratory, descriptive survey, grounded in a pragmatic philosophical approach. It was conducted in two phases: an online questionnaire followed by two rounds of interviews. In total 49 participants completed the questionnaire and 13 participants were interviewed. All participants held NZ nurse registration and had been in leadership roles in healthcare for at least three years, during which time they were responsible for overseeing staff. Respondents represented diverse practice backgrounds and localities. The findings indicate that most participants achieved leadership roles primarily through chance and personal determination. In many cases, pursuing post-graduate education or serendipitous opportunities broadened their perspectives on nursing. The nurse leaders in this study realised they could have a significantly greater impact on the quality of care they wished to provide by stepping into leadership positions. However, they faced challenges related to nursing's strong association with femininity and often experienced subordination to the male-dominated fields of medicine and management. There is ample evidence linking empowered nurse leadership to effective care; however, nursing input in healthcare decisions is often overlooked due to the prevailing assumption that traditionally feminine traits do not significantly contribute to patient outcomes. Despite the proven value and significance of nurse leadership, this research indicates that leadership is not adequately planned for or supported in a way that reflects the size of the nursing workforce. Post-graduate education has been shown to raise nurse consciousness, yet NZ healthcare systems and academic institutions fail to invest in or value the critical thinking and awareness needed for nurse leaders to function and contribute effectively in the current neoliberalist environment. This research suggests that preparation for leadership in nursing should focus on helping nurses gain an awareness of their identity within a gendered profession before developing their leadership skills. Highlighting nurses who have succeeded in roles beyond bedside care and providing mentorship and networking opportunities for emerging leaders will cultivate future nurse leaders who can advance the profession. Key findings: • gendered socialisation continues to impact the career trajectories of nurse leaders, • neoliberalist environments create challenges for nursing autonomous practice • ongoing issues of colonialism, racism and sexism influence the career pathways of nurses in Aotearoa
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    The interface between ethical leadership and food safety culture in Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Management, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-05-20) Newport-Smith, Wendy
    Measuring, evaluating and improving food safety culture is a priority for Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses. This is driven by the desire to produce food of the highest quality that safeguards consumers, protects the reputation of New Zealand Inc., and meets the requirements of international standards and regulations. This is the first in-depth qualitative investigation into food safety culture and ethical leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses, including some of this country’s largest food exporters. Using a mixed methods approach this research has provided unique, contemporary understanding and insights, while simultaneously providing a novel contribution to the body of knowledge. Two research workstreams were used; the first a quantitative workstream involving a voluntary survey of manufacturing and distribution employees in New Zealand’s largest food business; a dataset of responses to food safety and ethical leadership questions from 1181 individuals. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) applied to Lickert-scale variables, combined with multivariable modelling, this research found a positive relationship between food safety culture and ethical leadership and evidence for differences in responses according to several respondee characteristics. These included associations between PCA coordinates that captured variation in individual responses to food safety and ethical leadership questions, and the supplementary variables: role (e.g. staff or supervisor), site and gender. Ethical leadership has been shown to improve effectiveness, performance and safety at an organisational and individual level. Therefore strategies to improve ethicality across Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses in order to improve food safety culture and ensure safer food outcomes are suggested: consultatively developing organisational values which are well communicated and lived; ensuring ethical considerations when hiring staff; ethical considerations when setting expectations, and in training and mentoring staff and managing performance processes including the use of consequences; and modelling good behaviour, making fair decisions, ensuring open, clear communication and giving employees a voice. While largely positive, the quantitative strand did reveal a level of dissatisfaction with both ethical leadership and food safety culture, suggesting room for improvement. Further research is needed to better understand management’s, supervisors’ and workers’ perspectives on both aspects. The second workstream involved one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 32 founders, owners and senior food safety and quality personnel from 31 Aotearoa New Zealand food companies with thematic data analysis resulting in five key themes: Values; Responsible Stewardship of Natural Resources; Māori Worldview; Ecosystem Pressures and Leadership. The issues identified to be important to Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses include: individual, managerial and organisational values; leadership and management commitment in influencing organisational, food safety and ethical climate and culture; inter-generational value-creation, sustainable practice and acting as kaitiakitanga meaning guardianship or protection. This research has also provided insight into the drivers for and primary challenges related to food safety for Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses. This research has contributed to an up-to-date understanding of the characteristics of ethical leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand, who, according to this study, are humble, honest, respect indigenous Māori values, and are not corrupt. They have a degree of relatedness, care about our natural environment, have a strong sense of identity or place, are collaborative, are fair, and are accountable. Our size, Indigenous Māori worldview, and our geographical isolation contribute to the unique interpretation and application of these leadership characteristics in Aotearoa New Zealand. Several limitations are acknowledged, not the least of which was the context for this research which began at the outset of the global pandemic, with both positive and negative consequences. The use of one, albeit large food business in the quantitative workstream is noted, as is the focus of the participants in the qualitative workstream. Broadening this research to all hierarchical levels in several food businesses would be of benefit, and this is one of a number of research recommendations for the future. The positive correlation between ethical leadership and food safety culture found in this research suggests that maintaining and improving the ethicality of leaders within Aotearoa New Zealand food businesses may positively influence food safety culture and therefore, the production of safer food.
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    Critical realism : a way forward for integrating leadership theories across paradigms : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of a Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, (Distance), New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Swanson, Rachel
    The number of leadership theories has grown rapidly over the past decade, and this expansion has some researchers calling for the development of more integrated approaches. However, while some frameworks have been proposed, these lack the ability to incorporate leadership perspectives stemming from different social science paradigms, such as positivism, interpretivism, and critical theory. To address this issue, this thesis argues that the depth of critical realism’s ontology, and its openness to multiple epistemological perspectives overcomes the key paradigmatic divisions within leadership inquiry and offers an alternative social paradigm that can accommodate both the empirical nature of positivist perspectives and the relational and meaning-making nature of interpretivism. This theoretical study develops a multidimensional critical realist-inspired framework by combining Roy Bhaskar’s critical realist philosophy of science with Margaret Archer’s Morphogenetic realist social ontology to create a high-level ontological canvas on which to co-locate accounts of leadership from different research paradigms. This demonstrates the ability of a critical realist perspective to recognise the role of both positive and interpretive perspectives as evidence of possible underlying structures (material and ideational) of the social world and, more importantly, how the process of influencing the relation between these structures contributes to the attribution of leadership. While this study shows that critical realism offers a valuable lens for integrating leadership theories, its philosophical complexity and lack of clear methodological guidance create barriers to its use by researchers. Further work is required to effectively communicate and demonstrate the benefits of critical realism to the study of leadership, which could include its practical application within an empirical context.
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    The exploration of co-governance from a Māori perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies (Management) at Massey University, Te Kunenga ki Pu rehuroa, Manawatu, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Tuffery, Kylie
    Co-governance in Aotearoa New Zealand represents a critical pathway for reconciliation and collaborative decision-making, yet its implementation remains complex and contested. This research explores Māori leadership perspectives on co-governance, drawing upon Kaupapa Māori methodological approaches to understand how traditional Māori wisdom can inform contemporary governance practices. Through in-depth engagement with Māori Rangatira (leaders), this study examines the intersection of Western and Māori governance frameworks, illuminating pathways for more meaningful and culturally responsive collaborative governance. The research haerenga (journey) explores historical, methodological, and contemporary landscapes. By critically analysing Aotearoa New Zealand's governance structures, the study reveals how historical contexts have shaped current co-governance challenges and opportunities. Grounded in Kaupapa Māori principles, the research methodology prioritises Māori ways of knowing and being, centring the voices and experiences of Māori Rangatira. Through their narratives, the research uncovers nuanced understandings of leadership, collective decision-making, and the potential for transformative governance models that honour both Māori and Western approaches. Key findings highlight the critical role of cultural understanding, relational accountability, and respect for ma tauranga (Māori knowledge) in developing effective co-governance strategies. The research offers practical recommendations for enhancing co-governance frameworks, while simultaneously acknowledging the ongoing complexities and learning inherent in this transformative process. Ultimately, this study contributes to broader conversations about Māori sovereignty, collaborative leadership, and the potential for more inclusive, Te Tiriti-led, equitable governance frameworks in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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    Sustainability in the New Zealand wine industry : a Foucauldian discourse analysis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Distance, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) McCormick, Jade Maree
    The contention that businesses must be ‘sustainable’ is ubiquitous, with businesses treating sustainability as a given within their operations. However, what ‘sustainability’ means and entails remains unclear, causing ambiguity that may impede addressing issues affecting both people and the planet. This research examines the New Zealand wine industry’s version of sustainability through Foucauldian discourse analysis, uncovering assumptions and mechanisms that normalise, legitimise, and construct truth claims around what this industry has accepted as being sustainable. ‘Power/knowledge networks’ and the ‘subjectivating’ effects of discourse are also of key consideration. Finally, the research considers discourse’s role in fostering an audit culture within the wine industry’s sustainability efforts. Neoliberalism was identified as the overarching discourse in the primary text, exemplified by discursive strategies that unquestioningly prioritise competition and the role of market demands in constructing and describing sustainability. Neoliberalism was identified as the overarching discourse for its pervasiveness in shaping sub-discourses. In identifying each sub-discourse, it became evident that these were supported or enabled by neoliberalism. The sub-discourses are: Colonialism, whereby Te Ao Māori is appropriated and used in a colonial, compensatory manner to meet market demands. The second and third discourses, the Leadership discourses, are Leadership through competition, whereby leadership is individualised, identified through competition, and used to achieve social sustainability; and Leadership through collaboration, where Neoliberal discourse contributes to the design of diversity programmes in order to meet social sustainability outcomes. In the final sub-discourse, People as the other, the overarching discourse of Neoliberalism and its accompanying business practices produce sustainability in a form that treats people as an ‘other’. Repetition of discourse was seen in secondary texts to varying extents, with Te Ao Māori having potential to be a counter-discourse. The spread of discourse as a consequence of industry social processes, is also discussed in terms of audit culture and institutions. This research demonstrates how Foucauldian approaches can be utilised for in management and organisational settings by examining the impact of power/knowledge on people within an industry. Through questioning the assumed and familiar, new knowledge and learnings can be generated, along with highlighting unintended consequences that can arise when historically reinforced regimes of truth are accepted without interrogation.
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    Crossing the alchemic bridge : a qualitative exploration into leaders emergence : 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, 2024) Judkins, Vaughan
    Background: There is a notable gap in the current research regarding how emerging leaders interpret and respond to challenging situations they encounter. Specifically, there is insufficient exploration of how leaders' actions relate to their personal value systems and overall wellbeing. This area requires further investigation to better understand the emerging mechanisms of leaders. Aim: The current study seeks to understand the lived experiences of leader emergence by focusing on value alignment, self-awareness and wellbeing. Methods: Seven qualitative interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Analysis: Self-awareness drives the positioning of value alignment and subsequent wellbeing through decisions being in congruence with the decision maker. Overarching themes discussed were: Early leader development; Barriers encumbering leaders’ emergence; the alchemic bridge of self-awareness; Transformational interventions. Discussion and implications: Each of the participants reported that their unique leadership journey had been intimately shaped by their perceptions and experiences. Whilst each had a unique path into leadership, similar themes emerged in relation to the issues they had confronted. The underlying cause of these issues were referred to as stagnating barriers as they risked hindering progress and success. These consisted of fear, the feeling of not belonging, blind spots, lack of self-esteem, value misalignment and a sense of separation from self. While the participants’ circumstances differed, findings indicated a common theme that self-insight and self-awareness were key to overcoming barriers. The alchemic bridge was a metaphor utilised to capture emergence from a sense of being ‘stuck’ or stagnating, without a sense of progress or success. Through self-reflection on the barriers and with self-awareness, crossing the ‘bridge’ could lead to the alignment of personal values and beliefs with intentional purpose and direction. These processes were reported to support leader emergence and well-being. The participants utilised varying transformational interventions such as having social, spiritual or nature connection, mindfulness, coaching, and prioritising self and others. A key thread running through this research is the societal context in which leaders are currently emerging in relation to technology and the internet. Often within leadership emergence studies, the wider context is excluded. Consideration must be given to the rapid shifts that are dramatically altering our organisational contexts. Technology has significantly reshaped leadership dynamics necessitating a shift within the traditional paradigms. The research suggests that self-awareness is important for leadership and wellbeing in this dynamic environment. Leader emergence was found to be complex and further exploration of underexamined or unstudied domains holds the potential to reveal novel insights. This study provides a reminder of the importance of widening leadership studies to explore complex contexts and processes and to examine the naturally occurring moments that take place within leaders’ daily lives.
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    Exploring sports leaders’ understanding of male allyship for female high-performance coaches in Aotearoa : an exploratory study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Mulhern, Emma
    The sports coaching profession has historically been and remains a male dominated profession, both in Aotearoa New Zealand and worldwide. Not only are female coaches under-represented, but the numbers of female high-performance coaches are declining, leading to the loss of the female voice from the coaching landscape. Sports organisations cannot genuinely reflect their communities without female representation and that includes female coaches. Men in sports leadership and coaching positions can be utilised to support and empower women coaches, by men playing an essential role in enabling gender equity. Little is known about male allyship advancing gender equity and supporting female high-performance coaches. Therefore, this study focused on the following questions: what are the perceptions and understandings that sport leaders hold about individual and organisational male allyship in the context of female high-performance coaches in Aotearoa? And how, and to what extent, is male allyship evident in the support of the development of high-performance women coaches in Aotearoa? This study utilised the Transformational Allyship Model and the theory of allyship as frameworks to guide the study. A purposeful sample was selected from senior leadership teams representing 8 individual national sports organisations currently working with High Performance Sport New Zealand. A total of 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom and analysed using reflexive Thematic Analysis which followed a six-phase process. Three key themes were developed from the data: male sports leaders’ perceptions of allyship; the range of male allyship for high-performance female coaches in Aotearoa and supportive actions of ally activists in Aotearoa. Key findings indicated the existence of male allyship for female high-performance coaches in Aotearoa and being an ally activist was identified as the most effective form of allyship. Overall, participants perceptions of allyship were associated with support of female coaches. This study contributes to the literature by adapting the continuum of gender allies for the purpose of this research and it identifies the presence of male allyship for female high-performance coaches in Aotearoa utilising the transformational allyship model.
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    Top management team attributes, multinationality and MNE performance : evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Business at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) YE, Mingzhu
    The purpose of this research is to investigate how top management team (TMT) attributes explain the performance of Chinese Multinational Enterprises (CMNEs) by examining four TMT attributes: TMT tenure, TMT educational level, TMT international experience and TMT functional diversity. I propose that TMT attributes function as the micro-foundation of CMNEs’ performance. Previous research suggests that these selected attributes of top managers are valid proxies for TMT attitudes affecting international multinational decisions. Therefore, based on upper echelons theory and institutional theory, this research examines how multinationality mediates the relationship between TMT attributes and CMNE performance and how institutional factors of state ownership and formal institutional distance moderate the impact of TMT attributes on multinationality. This research applies a quantitative method by using large-scale secondary data to assess the proposed hypotheses. The sample generates panel data consisting of 7,627 firm-year observations from 1,125 publicly listed CMNEs. 56,188 individual top managers’ profiles are created to compute the TMT data for the sampled firms in the period from 2007 to 2019. Based on the sample of CMNEs in the manufacturing industry, the findings suggest that TMT tenure and TMT educational level have significant impacts on CMNEs’ performance and there is a U-shaped relationship between a firm’s multinationality and its performance. Moreover, multinationality partially mediates the direct TMT tenure and performance relationship. In addition, the institutional contexts the firms face in terms of state ownership and formal institutional distance are found to moderate the influence of some of TMT attributes on multinationality. The findings from this study contribute to the body of research grounded in upper echelons theory and institutional theory. It enriches the international business literature by exploring the effects of TMT attributes on multinationality. It empirically confirms that TMT tenure and TMT educational level function as a micro-foundation which has significant impacts on CMNEs’ performance, while the relationship between TMT tenure and CMNE performance is partially mediated by multinationality. Moreover, it further explores the contingency factors and boundary conditions in terms of state ownership and formal institutional distance for the relationship between TMT attributes and multinationality.
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    Experiences of women of colour who were third culture kids or internationally mobile youth : an exploratory study of implications for global leadership development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Chatiya Nantham, Rhema Roja
    Global leadership development programmes (GLDPs) are typically focussed on competency development and teaching culturally appropriate etiquette, but, adapting to new contexts often involves challenges to people’s sense of self, addressing an area which is known as identity work. Learning from people who encountered such challenges early in life could assist in developing global leaders by offering insights into the kinds of identity work strategies needed to deal with their offshore posting, and to ensure that identity work processes are designed into such programmes. To address these aims, this study draws on the lived experiences of nine women of colour who lived outside their home country as children or adolescents, a cohort known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), to identify various identity-related issues they encountered and the lessons these experiences offer for global leadership development. As such, this interdisciplinary study draws on and contributes to literatures related to TCKs and Adult TCKs (ATCKs), global leadership development, and identity work for leadership development. This qualitative study comprised a series of workshops designed specifically to foster identity work amongst the participants. The data was collected via virtual focus group discussions. The study adopted a combination of participatory and emancipatory action research approaches, underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology and is theoretically informed by Critical Race Feminism, anti-racist feminisms, and identity theory as key influences. These decisions reflect the aim of centring attention on a cohort routinely understudied in the TCK, global leadership development and leadership development literatures, namely women of colour. The findings were thematically analysed via an inductive approach to identify the experiences and identity work strategies of participants as TCKs in response to the racist-sexist prejudices they encountered, their implicit leadership theories and their approach to leadership, showing how the focus group process was itself a vehicle for doing identity work in relationship to their leader identities. I identify the lessons that can be drawn from TCKs, and from the methods used in this study, to inform the deployment of identity work in GLDPs. From these findings, I develop frameworks explaining the identity work processes experienced by TCKs and how they internalised their leadership identity via the methods used in my study and build models for GLDPs from these insights.
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    Tao Te Ching : how leaders establish a virtuous circle of non-action and action : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Meng, Qingyu
    This study aims to find a way to establish a virtuous leadership cycle through the exploration of Taoist philosophy. Taoism was created to help ancient Chinese emperors to rule for a long time, and some of its views were also studied and used by some dynasties. Its classic work, Tao Te Ching, includes many discussions about governance, such as action and non-action, and leadership like water. This thesis interprets Taoism from the perspective of modern leadership through the reappearance of its practical history and the textual analysis of Tao Te Ching. Surprisingly, the results show that its content involves at least four modern management fields: leadership, motivation, organizational structure, and strategic planning. It is more like a map to guide leaders on how to use relevant skills.