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Item Applying structured decision making for large-scale wildlife management programmes : Project Janszoon as a case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-11-30) Kenup, CaioManaging threatened populations is challenging due to the delicate balance between urgency and uncertainty. While swift action is often needed to prevent further decline or extinction, significant uncertainty frequently surrounds the effectiveness of various management strategies and the future trajectory of populations. This uncertainty complicates the identification of the most effective course of action, especially when resources are limited. Structured decision making (SDM) is an approach that supports informed decision making in the face of uncertainty in conservation projects. The primary aim of this thesis is to develop a decision making framework for Project Janszoon’s bird translocations, guiding management and monitoring decisions to maximise establishment and persistence probabilities for the kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and pāteke (Anas chlorotis). This framework can serve as a blueprint for implementing SDM and adaptive management (AM), promoting their broader use in conservation initiatives within New Zealand and beyond. In Chapter 2, I discuss expert elicitation techniques for generating predictions from expert knowledge while accounting for epistemic uncertainty. Numerical improvements in handling elicited data are proposed, focusing on aggregating and transforming expert-provided values while maintaining their associated uncertainty. Preserving this uncertainty is critical to avoid generating overconfident predictions from expert judgment. In Chapter 3, I explore which uncertainties are worth reducing and to what degree. Value of information (VOI) analysis offers a way to understand how reducing uncertainty affects decision making and conservation outcomes. A key insight from this chapter is that while monitoring is valuable for reducing uncertainty, such reductions do not always improve conservation outcomes. Beyond a certain point, further reductions in uncertainty do not alter decision making. Practitioners must estimate the optimal level of monitoring for each conservation challenge. In Chapter 4, I outline a passive adaptive management framework to reduce uncertainty as management actions are implemented and monitored. The framework’s extendable nature makes it adaptable to other management problems. The tools and concepts presented here are valuable assets for effective decision making for managed populations under uncertainty.Item The dynamics of drug resistance evolution and diagnosis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Genetics/Genomics, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-07-30) Fong, Yang (Richard)Tuberculosis (TB) remains a critical global health challenge with over 10.4 million new cases annually, complicated by rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatening to surpass cancer mortality by 2050. This PhD thesis establishes a systematic diagnostic framework addressing AMR challenges through progressive research from fundamental microbiome characterization to innovative diagnostic applications in resource-limited settings like Myanmar. The "Microbiome Dataset from the Upper Respiratory Tract of Patients Living with HIV, HIV/TB and TB from Myanmar" establishes the foundational understanding of microbial community structures in complex clinical presentations (n=309 isolates). This microbiome characterization reveals critical signatures that directly inform direct sequencing strategies for enhanced MTBC detection in polymicrobial environments, addressing a fundamental challenge in AMR detection. Next, the "Genomic Profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains, Myanmar" validates and expands these microbiome-informed approaches through comprehensive whole genome sequencing surveillance, establishing genotype-phenotype correlations that achieve 97.8% concordance with phenotypic testing. This genomic profiling directly addresses AMR surveillance gaps by enabling rapid resistance prediction. Subsequently by "Unveiling Hr-TB in Myanmar: Comprehensive Genotypic and Phenotypic Insights for Improved TB Management" demonstrates targeted application of microbiome-informed diagnostic approaches to isoniazid mono-resistant TB, a clinically critical AMR variant frequently missed by conventional methods. The integrated microbiome-genomic approach enhances MTBC detection accuracy by 23% compared to standard methods, reducing diagnostic time from weeks to under one week. Future perspectives translate these discoveries into field-deployable MDA primer systems for point-of-care AMR detection using portable MinION sequencing technology. This systematic progression from microbiome foundation to diagnostic innovation establishes a replicable technological blueprint for next-generation TB AMR diagnostics, supporting Myanmar's National TB Control Program while providing a framework for global TB elimination efforts Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), Tuberculosis (TB), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Isoniazid Mono-Resistant (Hr-TB), Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB), Whole-genome sequencing (WGS), Resistance associated Mutations, Epidemiology, Surveillance, Rapid Diagnosis, Microbiome, Yangon, Myanmar.Item Healthcare assistant decision-making and information behaviour in long-term care settings : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2025-08-21) Burrow, MarlaHealthcare assistants (HCAs) are an unregulated workforce who provide most of the care to those living in Aged Residential Care (ARC) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite being the essential workforce for the aged care sector, there is a paucity of literature regarding how healthcare assistants make decisions in their everyday work. Increased demand for aged care and health workforce shortages have led to HCAs often working under pressure and required to make decisions about all manner of care. This study explores the direct care decision-making of HCAs. Critical ethnography underpinned by Elfreda Chatman’s small world theory informed data collection. Direct observations and semi-structured interviews provided data on participant characteristics, decision types, the decision-making environment and information landscape. Experimental vignettes explored decision-making in uncertainty by progressively manipulating three dimensions of knowing: knowledge of the environment of care, knowledge of the resident (familiarity), and knowledge as (HCA) experience. Small world and decision-making theories framed data analysis. Decisions were conceptualised as decision schemas associated with specific care actions. Routine, easy and more difficult decisions were identified. Decisions were influenced by the institutional schedule, availability of resources, and the rules of work. Resident attributes, HCA traits, and task prioritisation influenced how decisions were actioned. Frequent informal handovers between HCAs supported situational awareness of resident and communal care demands. Vignette data provided two compelling findings: the more uncertainty, the higher the frequency of advice sought from an experienced HCA, and HCAs took an active role in assimilating new residents into institutional care routines. Models are offered conceptualising the interplay of tensions, certainty, uncertainty and risk with the constructs, attributes and traits used to frame decisions. Professional implications are related to the provision of safe care to residents and the support of HCAs. Study findings clarified opportunities for the co-creation of strategies to address concerns and better advocate for residents. Nurse educators/managers and registered nurses can support HCAs by sharing information considered to be of relevance to the work and decisions they make. Study findings further highlighted the influence of institutional routines and the value HCAs placed on information held by experienced HCAs.Item Quality improvement interpreted as a complex adaptive system : implications and opportunities : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-11-01) Wilson, WilliamThe effectiveness of quality improvement (QI) methods in healthcare has been challenged, especially under circumstances of high complexity. This thesis examines the implications for quality improvement if complex socio-technical systems such as healthcare are interpreted as complex adaptive systems (CAS). The research followed a mixed-method design. Informed by the complex systems and quality management literature, a conceptual model for quality improvement within CAS was developed — the complex quality improvement network (CQIN). An agent-based simulation model was then used to establish the plausibility and face validity of the model constructs and their interaction. Thematic analysis and crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) were then used to examine the evidence for CQIN constructs within published quality improvement case studies. One applied case study was also conducted for deeper insight into the practical difficulties of interpreting a real-world quality improvement project as a CAS. Finally, the findings of the simulation modelling and the secondary data analysis were integrated into a Bayesian network model. Empirical evidence, in the form of consistency across cases and coverage within cases, was found for eleven of the twelve CQIN constructs. Multiple sets of sufficient conditions for reported improvement success were identified across cases. These sets were minimised to four strategies for successful quality improvement; i) strengthening agent network communication paths; ii) building shared understanding of problem and context amongst networked agents; iii) increasing problem-solving effectiveness; and iv) improved system signal integration. If the evolutionary foundations for CAS are in some way inhibited, the likelihood of quality improvement success is reduced. Healthcare quality improvement can be plausibly simulated using fundamental CAS principles. The first contribution to quality improvement discourse is the CQIN model, a CAS model of change applied specifically to quality improvement. A second contribution of this research is a complex quality improvement risk assessment model, the CQIN Bayesian Network. Practitioners can use this model to examine and test identified CAS-informed improvement strategies. The individual CQIN constructs make a third contribution by providing new categories of causal factors for the comparison of disparate quality improvement case studies.Item Theorising and testing the underpinnings of Lean Six Sigma : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, School of Food and Advanced Technology, Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023-12-07) Halnetti Perera, Achinthya PereraLean Six Sigma (LSS) is a widely used business process improvement method that combines Lean and Six Sigma. Despite its popularity and large volumes of research, the theoretical underpinnings of LSS remain underdeveloped. This thesis explores the theoretical foundations and practical implications of LSS, using an LSS project as the unit of analysis. Research objectives include: (i) identifying and operationalising the determinants of LSS, (ii) hypothesising the relationships between the determinants of LSS in predicting and explaining LSS project performance and testing the hypothesis empirically, (iii) assessing the impact of residual risks on LSS project performance, (iv) interpreting theoretical relationships from a practical perspective, and (v) testing whether LSS fits to nonmanufacturing as well as it would to manufacturing at a theoretical level. To achieve the objectives, a conceptual model was first framed by conducting a comprehensive literature review on available theories of SS/LSS and a novel approach (machine learning) to extract essential elements from the literature on critical success factors (CSFs). The conceptual model was then developed into a testable theoretical model through case research, which facilitated the operationalisation of the theoretical constructs. The overall hypothesis underpinning the theoretical model states, “Leadership engagement drives LSS Project Initiation and the Continuous Improvement Culture to execute an LSS project to yield the desired outcomes, but the Project Execution → Project Performance causal link would be moderated by the project residual risk”. Finally, the theory was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling based on data from 296 organisations worldwide. Although the data supported the overall hypothesis, some individual paths failed to support the model (p > 0.05). For example, project residual risk did not moderate the impact as anticipated, indicating that risk assessment is given significant attention during LSS project initiation. The total effect of Leadership Engagement on LSS Project Outcomes was 0.216 (p < 0.001), implying its practical importance (medium effect). The model fitted to nonmanufacturing equally well as manufacturing, supporting the hypothesis. Although case studies suggested that LSS projects are defined differently in manufacturing and nonmanufacturing and LSS structure differs from context to context, the model is robust enough to provide a solid theoretical foundation for LSS. The study adds to the current body of knowledge as a theory extension to the field of quality and operations management.Item Applying welfare science to cetacean strandings : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Boys, Rebecca MAnimal welfare science can provide critical knowledge to inform ethical wildlife management and human intervention efforts. Despite live stranding events being recognised by the International Whaling Commission as a major welfare concern for free-ranging cetaceans, little research has to date, been conducted on stranded cetacean welfare. Live cetacean stranding events offer a quintessential exemplar of wildlife management, where assessment or integration of welfare has been limited in the decision-making process. This thesis contributes new understanding of how welfare science can be applied to cetacean stranding events to inform decision-making processes. Here, the first welfare-centric data regarding live stranded cetaceans is presented. Specifically, this research presents novel contributions to science via: (1) conceptualisation of stranded cetacean welfare and survival likelihood; (2) recognition of key knowledge gaps and concerns that must be addressed to ensure optimal welfare and survival likelihood outcomes; (3) identification of potential valuable and practical indicators for assessing stranded cetacean welfare and survival likelihood; (4) evidenced feasibility of welfare indicator application to live cetacean stranding events; (5) incorporation of indicators to undertake holistic welfare assessments; (6) identification of potential welfare implications of strandings management, including efficacy of euthanasia; and (7) provision of key recommendations and requirements to ensure humane end-of-life outcomes for non-viable stranded cetaceans. This thesis documents inextricable links between animal welfare and survival likelihood of stranded cetaceans and demonstrates a clear need for integration of welfare science alongside conservation biology at live stranding events. Systematic, standardised data collection and welfare-centric assessment of stranded cetaceans can, if applied scientifically, inform intervention decisions, to ensure consistent guidance and improve strandings management to safeguard humane outcomes for affected cetaceans. Collectively, this research provides a significant contribution to the current scientific understanding of stranded cetacean welfare, by providing key knowledge required for the development of a welfare assessment framework that can support decision-making at stranding events.Item Teacher agency in synchronous one-to-one Chinese online language teaching : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Dai, ChujieThis study explores the teacher agency of four Chinese language teachers who teach in one-to-one videoconferencing settings. Since these teachers only had limited teaching experience in such a context, four preparatory workshops were designed for the teacher participants before they began teaching. The study seeks to answer three questions: 1) What kinds of competencies did teachers identify as required in their teaching via one-to-one videoconferencing? 2) What kinds of affordances and constraints did teachers perceive in teaching, and how was their agency influenced by these factors? 3) What was the main value of the preparatory workshops from the teachers’ perspective? The study is informed by ecological perspectives and employs a qualitative longitudinal case study approach. The data collected through teaching recordings, stimulated recall interviews, semi-structured interviews and group discussions formed the main data set. The data collected through a teacher questionnaire, written reflection sheets, opinion frames, and text chat on a social media platform formed the supporting data set. The main part of the study, spanning about eight months, comprised three stages. At the first stage, there were four teacher preparatory workshops, each including a lecture and a group discussion. At the second stage, each teacher conducted a series of Chinese learning sessions with a single learner, which were recorded and analysed. At the third stage, semi-structured interviews with individual teachers were conducted. The findings suggest that the teachers identified four important competencies required for online teaching: pedagogical competency, multimedia competency, social-affective competency and the competency of being reflective and reflexive. Different beliefs about teacher roles, perceived social hierarchy, and their relationships with peer teachers and the learners were the factors that enabled or constrained teachers’ actions. The perceived value of the teacher preparatory workshops was in providing opportunities for the teachers to bridge the gap between theories and teaching practice and to explore the pedagogical possibilities. They collectively formed an idealised notion of online teaching as a result of their discussions and this notion influenced their identity and teaching practice. The study concludes with implications for research methodology and a theoretical frame, shedding light on how the factors from the outer world, and teachers’ experience and aspirations could impact the enactment of agency. It is hoped that this study will be valuable for future online language teacher training and research.Item Dialogic activity : a study of learning dialogues and entanglements in a vocational tertiary setting : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Education at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Simpson, Ann MiddlebrookNew Zealand’s economic growth continues to place major pressure on the trades sector. To meet future demand for qualified builders, plumbers, electricians, and engineers, trades education has become available at no cost to students for two years. To attract student interest further, tertiary institutions now offer courses in a range of delivery options. Blended learning (BL) is one of these delivery modes and involves a combination of traditional face-to-face and digitally mediated approaches. This research explored students’ dialogic activity in a BL environment, within a trades educational institution. The dialogues that emerged during trades training courses were examined in relation to a complex assemblage of elements, which included interactions between students and teachers, and the digital and materials artefacts in the BL environments. The research used an interdisciplinary lens, employing theories of socio-materialism and dialogism, to unpack forms of dialogic activity that emerged within the BL environment. That same lens was used to reveal the part that material and digital artefacts played in the emergent dialogic activity. Conducted as a multiple case study, the research involved observations of instructors and student participants from three Level 3 pre-apprentice trade programmes, which provided a wide range of data over the course of one semester. Datasets from Automotive Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, as the three cases involved, were analysed to explore the contextual meaning of the learning dialogues and activities in action. The findings revealed that learning dialogues occur in multiple contexts and environments. Artefacts and their properties, BL designs, open and flexible learning spaces, environmental conditions, health and safety considerations, embodiment, multiplicity, mediation, and class culture, all have a significant influence on dialogic activity. The findings offer important insights about the link between course design and learning and identify dialogic activity as an interdisciplinary phenomenon that warrants further investigation.Item Fulfilling the curious omission of host company responses to reshoring : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Management, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2021) Zhang, LeiWhile offshoring has become one of the most significant strategies adopted by home companies, its subsequent reshoring has created new challenges to research. For reasons that remain unexplained, the extant literature focuses on 'Why' and 'How' to reshore near exclusively from the home company's perspective. However, an interactive dyadic relationship exists between the two resource bundles during reshoring. The findings of a content-analysis based literature review reveal that published case studies focus on Western firms' offshoring and subsequent reshoring strategies, ignoring the host company response. Single and multiple case studies were completed using data collected from four host companies in China. The single case study explores the host company's response to reshoring and its influence on the home companies' decisions. Thematic analysis generated four response strategies: cost-related; market-related; knowledge-related; and, relationship-related. The multiple-case study was used to identify how the host company orchestrates resources obtained from the offshoring network in response to reshoring. Four dimensions of resources acquired from the offshoring network: financial; physical-asset related; knowledge; and, human resources were identified. The network for resource exchange was also observed to contain actors beyond the dyad, notably clients who contributed to the resource bundle. The home company's repatriation leaves resources in the host country, defined as the available residual resource (ARR). This resource bundle then leads to risks and potential sources of competition for the home company. This study adds a new dimension, the host company, to reshoring studies restoring what has become unilateral research into a bilateral dialogue.Item Portraits of people and places of developing countries : a literary analysis of the public faces of development as presented in popular literature : case study: A Small Place (1988) by Jamaica Kincaid : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University(Massey University, 2006) Faloon-Cavander, Jacinda,The literature that keeps me awake at night, containing written images that impress a certain public face of development, is the topic and exploration of this thesis. That the general public still lack in understanding regarding matters of development is key to carrying out this literature analysis. Images of the developing world are everywhere, and as such, an example of non-technical, non-industry specific creative writing is chosen for examination to highlight this point. The short, punctuating and controversial 'essay' A Small Place, by Caribbean author Jamaica Kincaid, is the case study for this thesis. The literature review is in four parts presenting the idea of public faces of development, the importance of interdisciplinary study combining literature with the humanities, an view of the underpinning contemporary themes of development - focusing on foundations of belief as opposed to physical conditions of development situations, and an introduction to Jamaica Kincaid and issues in Caribbean women's literature. Through the example of this case study, that takes its shape from close observations of the text, I conclude that popular literature has not only a literary place in ethnographic discussions, but an important historical and scientific place that helps the general reader to identify the difference between truth and fallacy represented in the various public faces of development.