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    Developing a model for integrated leadership succession planning in Post-Settlement Governance Entities : a praxis approach : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-04-27) McCurdy, Lynette
    The thesis examines key factors that influence leadership succession planning in Post-Settlement Governance Entity in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research was made possible through the long-standing relationship between iwi organisation, Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti, a Post-Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE) and me, a non-Indigenous, non-Iwi business researcher (NIR). The context for the research method is based on how a NIR and an iwi organisation can approach a research project together. The research is framed by two questions. Research Question 1 asks ‘How should a NIR approach research with an iwi organisation?’ (RQ1) and Research Question 2 asks ‘What factors influence leadership succession in PSGEs?’(RQ2). The research makes two significant contributions. In response to RQ1, the Framework for non-Indigenous Research Praxis (the Framework) represents a new model for non-Indigenous research not previously described in the literature. The Framework makes important contributions in the fields of non-Indigenous research methods and applied approaches to Kaupapa Māori research. The Framework aligns the NIR with Kaupapa Māori research principles and opens a space for NIRs to consider if, and how, they can make effective contributions in Indigenous research settings, as guided by their Indigenous research partners. RQ2 opens a comprehensive exploration of key factors that influence leadership succession in PSGEs. The response to RQ2 is the development of Te Aka Matua o Iwi Rua—Leadership Succession Model for Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa (the Model). The thesis considers leadership succession planning from a strategic organisational risk perspective and offers a detailed and adaptive model for an integrated approach to leadership succession planning and risk mitigation for the Rūnanga. The research makes a significant contribution to the field of leadership succession planning in PSGEs.
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    Experiences of precarity for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025-04-30) Martin, Ahnya
    Socioeconomic precarity and in-work poverty are associated with increased exposure to ill-health and untimely death. Presently in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), there are many conversations in public discourse about the precariat, or people experiencing in-work poverty, and what “they” need. There are fewer conversations with households experiencing precarity to understand the insecurities they face in relation to inadequate incomes and associated insecurities in housing, food, and leisure, and how various policies designed by more affluent groups frustrate or improve their precarious situations. Successive governments have continued to act without adequate dialogue with the precariat, with less than desirable outcomes. These outcomes are particularly stark for Māori who as a result of ongoing processes and the legacies of colonisation are overrepresented within the precariat. Understanding precarity for Māori from the perspectives of those who are directly impacted is imperative if we are to ensure policy measures are successful in preventing and alleviating in-work poverty. This thesis contributes to current Indigenous efforts to theorise the contemporary and lived experiences of precarity for Māori. I have approached precarity as a cultural and economic assemblage that can be reassembled to enhance the lives of members of the precariat. Speaking to methodological pluralism, I have employed a qualitative methodology of enhanced interviewing using mapping and photo elicitation guided by Kaupapa Māori (KM) praxis to enact this culturally centred approach that is informed by tikanga (protocols/customs) Māori. Four consecutive engagements with one Cook Island Māori and nine Māori households (40 interviews in total) informed the development of various policy initiatives to address issues of precarity. Chapter 1 serves to historicise and situate the evolution of precarity within Aotearoa NZ: particularly for Māori. Chapter 2 (Publication 1) reflects on this application of KM praxis to document and respond to the everyday experiences of households living in precarity in Aotearoa NZ. I outline the relationally ethical and community-engaged methodology informed by key cultural principles which I have employed in my research design and fieldwork. The findings inform my recommendations for policy which responds to household needs. The third chapter (Publication 2) draws on assemblage theory to document the participants’ everyday experiences of precarity and how policy initiatives emerge as key elements within the everyday lives of the precariat. The fourth chapter (Publication 3) shifts the focus to householders’ engagement in leisure as they cope with and respond agentively to situations of precarity. I document how core Māori principles and processes of whanaungatanga (cultivating positive relationships) and manaakitanga (caring for self and others) are foregrounded in household engagements in contemporary leisure practices. Overall, this thesis contributes to current Indigenous theorising of precarity by providing insights into the lived experiences of the consequences of policy efforts to alleviate the multifaceted insecurities associated with household precarity. Recommendations to inform policy settings are outlined at the final discussion chapter.
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    Engaging with the private sector for development : a critical analysis of attempts to partner with business for women's economic empowerment in Vietnam : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Nguyen, Lan Phuong Thi
    Development agencies have increasingly recognised the private sector as playing an important role in the progress toward achieving sustainable development. While scholars contest the private sector’s role in development, development agencies and NGOs continue collaborating with the private sector to deliver social results for the poor. There have been numerous studies on the role of large companies, mostly multinational corporations, in development. However, limited literature sheds light on the engagement of donors with micro and small enterprises in development as well as their impacts on women’s economic empowerment. This research aims to fill this gap by critically investigating donor-private sector partnerships implemented under an Australian aid programme in which micro and small enterprises are engaged to economically empower ethnic minority women in Vietnam. My findings suggest that micro and small businesses are important development partners in creating economic opportunities for low-income women. Locally- and socially-embedded businesses can achieve success and sustainability through their ability to engage with ethnic minority women. They also have the potential to create economic, social, and cultural impacts. They can be inclusive, with some small businesses reaching poor ethnic minority women regardless of production scales, and they can help women improve their incomes by supporting women to cultivate and sell unique, traditional, and cultural products. However, these private sector partners face challenges that constrain their partnership with development agencies and limit the objective of empowering ethnic minority women. My research findings challenge the instrumentalist notion of women’s economic empowerment, which donors commonly deploy in partnerships with a business by focusing solely on providing training and access to productive resources for market integration. It confirms that this instrumentalist approach is insufficient to genuinely empower women. Instead, my research recommends a holistic donor-private sector partnership framework for women’s empowerment to plug the gaps and transform the prevailing women’s economic empowerment approach. This proposed framework includes two elements which emerged from the research findings: relational and collective empowerment. Relational empowerment emphasises the importance of the relational aspects of empowerment and how changes in power relations in the surrounding environment affect women's empowerment. Collective empowerment reflects the need for collective action to influence changes in social norms and rules to recognise and improve women’s positions within households and the broader community. The proposed framework also involves civil society organisations, non-government organisations, and local governments as important partners in addressing unequal structures and barriers to women and enabling transformative outcomes for women. These research findings will support development agencies to better engage with the private sector to enable ethnic minority women’s empowerment.
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    Evaluation of New Zealand's absolute environmental sustainability performance : development and application of a method to assess the climate change performance of New Zealand's economic sectors : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science in Environmental Life Cycle Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Chandrakumar, Chanjief
    Existing environmental sustainability assessment methods such as Life Cycle Assessment and environmental footprints quantify the environmental impacts of a system and compare it to a system that is similar to the nature or the function of the examined system. Hence, they are referred to as relative environmental sustainability assessment (RESA) methods. Although they provide useful information to improve the eco-efficiency of the system at a particular economic level, they generally fail to inform the environmental sustainability performance of a system against the so-called absolute environmental boundaries. Therefore, the significance of the contribution of an examined system to the overall environmental impacts of human activities is mostly overlooked. To address the limitations associated with RESA methods, researchers have suggested the development of absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) methods, which guide how human societies can operate and develop within absolute environmental boundaries. In this context, this research investigated the development of an innovative AESA framework called ‘Absolute Sustainability-based Life Cycle Assessment’ (ASLCA) based on the environmental indicators and absolute environmental boundaries proposed in three popular frameworks: Planetary Boundaries, Sustainable Development Goals and Life Cycle Assessment. The proposed framework was applied to assess the production-based climate change performance of New Zealand agrifood sector, particularly in terms of the two-degree Celsius (2°C) climate target. The results showed that the production-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of New Zealand agri-food sector and its products exceeded the assigned shares of the 2°C global carbon budget. Similar results were observed when the consumptionbased climate change performance of a typical New Zealand detached house was evaluated against the 2°C climate target. The framework was then applied to address the consumption-based climate change performance of an economic system using environmentally-extended multi-regional inputoutput analysis. This framework was used to evaluate the consumption-based climate change performance of New Zealand’s total economy (covering 16 sectors) in 2011 against the 2°C climate target, and the outcomes were compared with the production-based climate change performance in the given year. The consumption-based analysis showed that New Zealand exceeded the assigned share of the 2°C global carbon budget; the consumptionbased GHG emissions were 26% more than the assigned carbon budget share. However, the sector-level analysis indicated that three of the 16 sectors (financial and trade services, other services and miscellaneous) were within their assigned carbon budget shares. When the consumption-based GHG emissions were compared with the production-based GHG emissions, New Zealand was a net exporter of GHG emissions in 2011, and the dominating sectors were quite different. The results clearly imply that a significant reduction in GHG emissions associated with New Zealand’s consumption and production activities are necessary to stay within the assigned shares of the 2°C global carbon budget. Given that AESA methods (including ASLCA) are built upon multiple value and modelling choices, the outcomes of these studies may vary depending upon these choices. Therefore, the influence of different value and modelling choices on the outcomes of the ASLCA was investigated, particularly regarding the choice of GHG accounting method, the choice of climate threshold, the choice of approach to calculate the global carbon budget, and the choice of sharing principle to assign a share of the global carbon budget. The analysis showed that, for each GHG accounting method the largest uncertainty was associated with the choice of climate threshold, followed by the choice of sharing principle, and then the choice of calculation method for the global carbon budget. Overall, the proposed ASLCA framework aims to address the question, “Are the environmental impacts of a system within the assigned share of the Earth’s carrying capacity, and if not, what is the required reduction?” The outcomes of this research are useful to support policymakers in understanding the climate impacts of different economic sectors, goods and services, relative to global climate targets. The approach provides a basis for developing a range of environmental impact reduction targets that can potentially catalyse innovation and investment in the environmentally-transformative activities and technologies that are needed to enable human societies to operate and develop within the Earth’s “safe operating space”.
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    Tourism demand : understanding its determinants and contribution to poverty reduction in Colombia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Camacho Murillo, Giovanni Andrés
    Tourism has become a vital economic activity in Colombia and other Latin American nations. As a large service sector, tourism contributes significantly to employment and is a key instrument for the reduction of poverty in Colombia. This thesis empirically examines the determinants of demand for tourism in Colombia and its contribution to poverty reduction. The study investigates the factors that influence the destination choices of international tourists, the risk factors, and whether man-made attractions for leisure and recreational activities also increase domestic tourism. An important aspect analysed here focuses on whether the effects of politically motivated violence on international tourists’ choices differ for tourists from countries with different per capita income and from countries with trade linkages with Colombia. The analysis contributes to enhancing tourism activities, markets of international tourists and address the politically motivated violence. The study further analyses the impact of provincial attributes that attract domestic tourists in Colombia. Large increases in inbound and domestic tourists are associated with financial development activities, growth in tourism expenditures, and reduction in monetary poverty. The analysis involves then identification of factors that explain differences in tastes between domestic tourists around man-made attractions for leisure and recreation. This chapter also contributes to the scholarly literature that examines the effect of distance on domestic tourists’ preferences, and considers the extent to which distance can be moderated through man-made attractions for leisure and recreation. The third empirical chapter involves an assessment of the impact of tourism on poverty and extreme poverty in the short and long run with further estimations at the provincial levels that are economically lagging provinces. These evaluations contribute to the discussions on the hypothesised positive impact of tourism to poverty reduction. The findings of this research suggest some policy implications related to the need to increase the demand for international and domestic tourism in Colombia through reduction of politically motivated violence incidents, and increase in man-made visitor attractions for leisure and recreation, respectively. Policy implications for sectoral approaches are crucial to improve growth in the tourism sector for poverty reduction in Colombia and close the poverty gap between economically lagging and economically leading provinces.
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    The growth of Shannon : the impact of economic change on a country town : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1968) Tannock, J. L. McC
    It was the aim of this study to arrive at a better understanding of the present functions and morphology of a small New Zealand country town through an examination of the principal economic processes of its past. It is apparent from this investigation that there has been a close relationship between intensity of economic activity and growth-rate. Furthermore, the nature of the economic activities affected the kind of development which took place. In addition, it was found that the changing functions necessitated by fluctuating economic forces left residuals which are not only a key to the past but also influence the present character of the town. Although it shares many of the characteristics of other small North Island towns the unusual nature of its past has bestowed a certain individuality on Shannon.
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    Official development assistance and poverty reduction strategies : a critical examination of the "New Poverty Agenda" : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MPhil in Development Studies, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2002) Shougee, Fathimath
    Development assistance or aid as we know today was created in the post-war years. During the 1950s and 1960s three main factors contributed to the expansion of development assistance to developing countries. They are cold war rivalry between the Soviet Union and United States which led to the expansion of bilateral aid, the wave of independence from mid 1940s onwards that created a need and demand for aid, and the formation of multilateral organizations such as the United Nations' Agencies and the World Bank. Over the years donors have provided a number of justifications for providing development assistance. They include economic reasons, political v strategic or security reasons, and humanitarian reasons including poverty reduction. Poverty reduction as an objective of development assistance, has received varying levels of importance in the history of development assistance. Poverty reduction was the main focus of development assistance in the 1970s. This focus was soon overtaken by the 'oil crises' and the mounting debt problems of poor countries. In the 1990s, poverty reduction re-emerged as the main focus of development assistance. This study had generally focused on tracing the place of poverty reduction in development assistance and assessing the degree of change and continuity in development practice. More specifically, this study examined the 'new poverty agenda' with the aim of comparing and contrasting it with past development strategies. The historical review of development assistance and poverty reduction revealed that development practice had mostly been based on the dominant theories and ideologies in donor countries, as opposed to ideas and needs of the recipients. Even though poverty reduction has often been quoted as one of the important objectives of development assistance, in practice it has always been dominated by objectives such as increasing economic growth, debt repayment or promotion of macroeconomic reform. The historical review of the effectiveness of development assistance also revealed that it has not been very successful in reducing poverty in poor countries. While at times it had been successful in helping the poor, this was often at the expense of the 'other' poor. Similarly, development practice had not been very successful in reaching the 'poorest of the poor' in recipient countries. The study reviewed 'new poverty agenda' through the World Development Reports (1990-200/2001), the International Development Targets and key concepts of the agenda. The review of the 'new poverty reduction' agenda was mixed. From a purely theoretical basis the 'new poverty agenda' have many positive points including the consensus on the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, country 'ownership' of development strategies and partnership with recipient countries. The multi-dimensional view poverty and the International Development Targets for achieving poverty reduction has raised the issues previously neglected such as social security and empowerment. On the other hand, the 'new poverty agenda' was found to be built around some of the main elements of the neo-liberal ideology of the past few decades. The importance attached to income-based approaches and the emphasis on economic growth and other related aspects such as making markets work for the poor and expanding people's productive assets in the World Development Report 2000/2001 showed that economic development is still given priority over all other dimensions of poverty. In spite of the recognition of the multi-dimensional nature of poverty it was not matched by a multi-dimensional approach to poverty reduction in its policy prescriptions. At the same time the practice of poverty reduction in the 1990s points to the gap between the rhetoric and reality.
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    Changing employment under a changing mode of development : with special reference to Palmerston North : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 1993) O'Neill, Caroline
    The old Fordist mode of development is being replaced by a Flexible mode of development. A new regime of accumulation, modes of regulation and technologies are being formed giving rise to new ways of organising business. Firms are restructuring to maintain profitability and this is having profound effects on labour and the way we work. Employment is becoming more casualised through increased use of part-time, temporary and sub-contracted labour. New social groups are being brought into the workforce and new productive spaces are being created to complement a flexible business organisation. At a regional level, the experiences are dependent upon historical and geographical conditions which give rise to regional uniqueness. Palmerston North displays regional uniqueness in terms of a high dependence on the Government sector and on service industries. It is aided by its geographical location and amenities such as Massey University. However, because of its place in a capitalist nation and global economy it is subject to similar forces that affect other regions thereby producing similar employment patterns. Such employment patterns include a decline in full-time employment with rises in part-time employment, self-employment and unemployment. Those employed in the service industry are increasing along with those employed in managerial or administrative occupations. Manufacturing employment is decreasing. These trends are reshaping work and regions.
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    Dependent development: a study of Thailand's economy within the world capitalist system : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Tapen, Teerasil
    Since Thailand was engaged by the Bowring Treaty with the British Government in 1855 ( Phongpaichit & Baker, 1995:15), the country has been pulled into the circle of world capitalist development. Hewison (1989) has distinguished three phases in the capitalist development in Thailand. The first phase was in the period of the absolute monarchy when a capitalist class (the Royal family and aristocracy) emerged from trading with Chinese and European traders. The second phase allowed the emergence of a petty bourgeoisie and labour class, especially after the Second World War. The bourgeois class grew by the conglomeration between Thai and Chinese tycoons dominating the transaction sectors of banking, manufacturing, and agro-industry. The last phase began in the 1970s with the new generation of capitalist classes. These classes performed their economic activities in high technology and higher value-added manufacturing. At the same time, uneven development can be seen in the disparity between rich and poor, urban and rural area. This unevenness seems to be broader and more severe, from the statistics of Thailand's annual household income by region , between 1962-1995 (Medhi Krongkaew, cited in Rigg 1997:88), the scissor effect in the growth ratio between those m Bangkok and other regions is prevalent. In this thesis, the focus will be put on the latter of these phases, especially at the beginning of the 1960s - which has been known as the period of Cold War - in conjunction with the launch of the first national economic and social development plan in Thailand. This development will be reviewed until the regional economic crisis in 1997-1998 and some information of IMF assistance to Thailand will be drawn upon to assess the exemplification of the Thai economy as a dependent capitalist development. [First two paragraphs of chapter 1.]
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    The role of off-farm income in sustaining households in rural Nepal : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Rural Development at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Kayastha, Piush
    Stagnant agricultural productivity and low returns in farming have led rural residents to look for opportunities to earn income from off-farm sources. This research examined the role of off-farm income in sustaining households in rural Nepal, and identified factors associated with off-farm employment and income. One Village Development Committee (VDC) from two ecologically distinct districts (Dhankuta in the Hill and Morang in the Terai) of eastern Nepal were selected for the study. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) workshop (n=6), a household survey (n=150) and key informant interviews (n=6) were conducted to gather data for the study. The average income of the households was Rs 33,963 (approximately US$500) per annum. The most prominent sources of income were agriculture in the Hill households, and off-farm activities in the Terai households. Off-farm income, especially wages, was a major source of household income for the poor households in both agro-ecological zones. Income from business/enterprises in the Terai, and remittances in the Hill, were the primary sources of off-farm income for the non-poor households. They were also the main source of cash income for these rural households. Average expenditure in the rural households was Rs 25,797 (US$380) per annum. Off-farm income contributed nearly half of household expenditure. It contributed especially to the purchase of agricultural inputs and materials. The contribution of off-farm income to a household's expenditure decreased as its area of landholding increased. Both farm and off-farm activities were seasonal and counter-cyclic in rural eastern Nepal. Males and females participated on an equal number of days in cropping activities, but females spent more hours per day in caring for livestock. However, males worked more days off-farm than did females, especially in the Hill. Most of the off-farm activities of females were related to agriculture in both agro-ecological zones. Off-farm employment in the Hill was mainly service-related, whereas that in the Terai comprised a mix of service and trade occupations. Low farm incomes in the Hill and the lack of arable land in the Terai were the primary reasons, respectively, why off-farm employment was sought in the study VDCs. Household landholding, household size, ethnicity and the agro-ecological position of the households were established to be the key determinants of household off-farm income and employment. Characteristics of individuals such as gender, education level and ethnicity affected the type of employment taken up. The more educated, males and those belonging to the Chhetri/Brahmin/Newar ethnic group dominated off-farm employment. Policy intervention measures such as the provision of irrigation and skill-based training are recommended to improve the well being of rural women, disadvantaged people's sub- groups and those located away from major employment centres. Market development and reading are also important elements in increasing off-farm income opportunities, and thus household income. Key words: Nepal, off-farm employment, off-farm income, households' sustainability, labour market, and participatory research.