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    The New Zealand Labour Party and the rise of ̀Rogernomics', 1981-1984 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1987) Oliver, William Hugh
    This thesis is an attempt to account for the emergence of the set of economic policies now known as 'Rogernomics' in the Labour Parly after 1981. It will be argued that the crucial issue in economic policy debates in the Labour Party between 1981 and 1984 was the issue of participation in the formulation and implementation of the economic policies of a future Labour government. Many in the Labour Party were committed to fostering a broad national consensus and sense of collective purpose and wished to do this by means of a negotiated agreement between government, employers, and trade unions. This meant in effect sharing governmental power with employers and unions and this corporatist intention was seen as a way of democratising the society. Those in the caucus who were involved in the consideration of economic policy matters were also in general committed to restructuring the New Zealand economy. It was realised that this would involve high social costs in terms of living standards, unemployment, and disruption to traditional patterns of employment and residence. It is argued that these two commitments, to both broad participation and restructuring were contradictory for an economic policy involving high social costs could not have received the prior and informed consent of the nation as a whole or of the organisations of labour that were deemed to represent a large section of the nation. It is argued that this contradiction led to the collapse of the corporatist tendency in the caucus and that this was the crucial strategic opportunity for Roger Douglas and the policy of market led restructuring. 'Rogernomics' is seen to be in general an elitist doctrine which seeks to narrow the range of participants in, and influences on, the formulation and implementation of economic policy. This empirical study of the rise of 'Rogernomics' is taken to validate a general theoretical point: that in times of economic stagnation the restoration of a capitalist economy is imcompatible with the expansion of opportunities for democratic participation in the formulation and implementation of the policies of the state.
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    Strategic planning and issue identification : an exploratory study of New Zealand agribusiness firms : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Agricultural Business, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1994) Baga, Lukman Mohammad
    Economic liberalization which occurred in New Zealand after the mid-1980s has increased competition and accelerated the pace of change in the agribusiness environment. Agribusiness firms in New Zealand, over the last decade, have experienced the impact of environmental changes. One of the managerial skills that agribusiness managers needs in an increasingly turbulent environment is strategic planning, which include the capability to identify and monitor strategic issues of most concern to the firm's livelihood. This study reports on an exploratory survey of 57 agribusiness firms throughout New Zealand, over the period October 1992 - February 1993. This study explores the extent of use of formal strategic planning processes by agribusiness firms in New Zealand, and examines whether the use of strategic planning has a positive effect on a firm's performance during the economic liberalization period. This study also identifies strategic issues regarded as important by the sample agribusiness decision-makers. In addition, this study investigates the possibility that the relative concern for these strategic issues may vary across important firm characteristics. The results of the survey reveal that strategic planning exists in the majority of the firms studied. Evidence indicated that the economic reforms could have been the impetus behind the rush to develop formal strategic planning after 1984. The comparison of firms which with and without strategic planning suggested that strategic planning is beneficial for management. This study also indicated that firm which use strategic planning has a positive correlation with growth of sales, growth of after-tax profit and growth of productivity, during deregulation times. With respect to strategic issue identification, the results generally indicate that respondents are concerned with strategic issues. Firm internal issues are generally of greater importance relative to the general business and industrial competitive issues presented. In particular, the firms in the sample are quite concerned about the demand for their product, farm income, value of New Zealand dollar, raw material access, change in rivals' market share, productivity, and management effectiveness. Results also suggest that level of concern for specific strategic issues vary across various structural dimensions of the firm like type of legal form, product lines, size of firm, and firm's geographical location, and degree of planning formalization.
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    An econometric analysis of New Zealand's determinants of economic growth, 1960-1996 : a research thesis submitted in partial requirement for the degree of Masters of Applied and International Economics at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Black, Sarah
    The key purpose of this study is to analyse whether the generally agreed determinants of economic growth, such as labour force, trade, openness to trade, investment, inflation, research and development, human capital, tourism, government consumption expenditure and government education expenditure, impact significantly on New Zealand's growth. This study applies Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration regression analysis to time series data on the relevant variables for the period 1960 to 1996. Empirical models are based on neoclassical and endogenous growth theory models, and equations specified will fall under seven differing frameworks. The importance of economic growth and principally the sequence of New Zealand's growth, is the main reason for choosing New Zealand as the case study in this analysis. Such an empirical examination should enhance the knowledge and future development of economic growth and its determinants for New Zealand. Empirical evidence indicates that the endogenous growth model explains New Zealand's economic growth performance quite satisfactorily. Models incorporating the variables: growth of exports, public sector investment and tourism receipts, are positive and statistically significant to New Zealand's growth performance over this period. Export-led growth is favoured in this analysis. The need for massive state intervention in the New Zealand economy was officially declared over by the Fourth Labour Government in 1984. Radical and extensive macroeconomic and microeconomic reforms were undertaken, representing a revolutionary break from past policies of heavy regulation and import protection and the accompanying large fiscal deficits and high rates of inflation. Succeeding this period of major restructuring, the New Zealand economy has supported a strong recovery since 1991, outperforming most other OECD countries. The challenge now for policy makers, is to manage sustained economic growth, as growth slows under the influence of a shaky international environment.
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    An examination of the methods and effects of restricting external trade : with particular reference to the New Zealand experience (1938-68) : presented to the Faculty of Social Science, Massey University in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
    (Massey University, 1974) Lane, P. A.
    A notable feature of economic activity since the second world war has been the growth of international trade, which has tended to increase relative dependence on trade, thus placing a larger section of the national economy outside the control of normal monetary and fiscal policy. Thus, between 1960 and 1970, the real G.N.P. of the Industrial Nations of the world increased by just over a half; during the same period the volume of trade of these nations increased by 119%. One of the features of this growth in trade has been an increasing, especially among industrial nations - making exports dependent on a narrower range of goods, more sensitive to market changes. At the same time, a much wider range of importable goods has become available, making a larger section of the internal economy sensitive to the winds of foreign competition. New Zealand has been something of an exception to this rule. Since the war, she has become somewhat less dependent on trade. Her relative dependence, measured as Exports + Imports/Gross Dom. Prod. (current prices, Imports at C.D.V.) was 46.3% in 1950/51, gradually falling to 41.8% in 1960/61, and 36.7% in 1970/71. This is insufficient evidence on which to make too sweeping a generalisation, but it is significant that those nations which had the more liberal trade policies - Japan, Germany, Sweden - experienced pro-trade biased growth, while a country like New Zealand with stringent control policies, had anti-trade biased growth. And economic growth itself was somewhat slower in New Zealand, averaging about 1.5% in real terms during the 1950s, 1.3% in the 1960s.
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    Trading our way : developments in New Zealand's trade policy 1930s to 1980s : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Neill, Carol May
    This thesis examines developments in New Zealand trade policy from the 1930s to late 1980s. Over this period New Zealand’s trade activities changed from being very narrow in scope and highly controlled, to being greatly diversified and liberalised. This thesis investigates successive New Zealand governments’ ideas about how external trade should be developed over that period, and why they instigated substantial changes in the nature of trade policy. The research identifies the dominant ideas, and influences, that shaped those changes. Because trade has been so central to the New Zealand economy, this thesis holds that ideas about trade development have been intrinsically linked to more general economic, political and social objectives for the country. This research has been built on an understanding that trade policy over this time had many dimensions that were located in both the domestic and foreign policy realms. In domestic terms, trade policy was focused on achieving economic and industrial development objectives. From these perspectives, trade policy was developed in ways that sought to ensure security and opportunity for the domestic economy and for New Zealand society. The substantial changes from regulated trade to liberal trading within the domestic context can be viewed in relation to the story of import licensing’s existence. The growth of diversity of goods traded can be viewed in terms of the changes in domestic production priorities. In the realm of foreign policy, diplomatic pursuits focused on pursuing New Zealand’s national interest through trade development. Trade policy was focused on achieving access for markets through political means, and advancing New Zealand’s interests in the economic and political international arenas. From this perspective, trade policy informed diplomatic strategies that sought to enhance New Zealand’s ‘place in the world’. The research highlights the challenges for New Zealand of pursuing external trade to meet its own objectives while operating within economic and political contexts over which it had little influence. Most ideas and policy decisions made over the period can be viewed as stemming from some form of external influence. Trade policy tended to develop in response to external changes rather than through independent initiative.
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    Entrepreneurship and economic development in New Zealand, 1880-1910 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Hunter, Ian
    This study investigates entrepreneurial activity in New Zealand between 1880 and 1910. Economic indicators, population, import and export patterns, provincial differences, and industrial development are examined to understand entrepreneurship and its relationship to economic growth. In addition, a case analysis of 133 entrepreneurs is presented, which analyses the backgrounds, education, reasons for venture start-up, venture types, methods of growth, incidence of failure, and sources of capital for nineteenth-century New Zealand entrepreneurs. This study suggests that a range of structural characteristics present in the New Zealand economy at this time, such as rapid population growth, technological innovation, isolation of markets, business structures, public works investment, immigration, and fiscal policies, encouraged and fostered entrepreneurial activity. Common characteristics among those who undertook new ventures over this period are highlighted; these include skill, commercial experience, limited capital, partnership, networks and the propensity to undertake multiple business ventures. Overall, entrepreneurial activity by small and medium-sized enterprises emerged as an important mechanism by which the colonial economy expanded both in scale and scope.