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Item Lowering hospital walls to achieve health equity(BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2018-09-20) Matheson A; Bourke C; Verhoeven A; Khan MI; Nkunda D; Dahar Z; Ellison-Loschmann LHospitals have evolved to become integral and dominant components of health systems, although their functions, organisation, size, degree of centralisation, and resourcing varies across countries. Despite this diversity, hospitals are generally focused on providing services for sick people rather than prevention. Although many have shown the capacity to quickly adopt new technologies, especially for diagnosing and managing illness, achieving institutional change to tackle the systemic causes of health inequities has proved much more difficult. We argue that the actions of hospitals contribute to health inequities. This is important given that hospitals hold an inordinate share of power, resources, and influence within health and community systems—while primary care and prevention are consistently undervalued and underfunded. We draw on four opportunistically selected country case examples to show the role that hospitals can play in overcoming systemic barriers to health equity. Each example highlights health sector actions taken for particular population groups: women and children in Pakistan and Rwanda and the indigenous peoples of Australia and New Zealand.Item Assessing the Dynamic Outcomes of Containment Strategies against COVID-19 under Different Public Health Governance Structures: A Comparison between Pakistan and Bangladesh(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-08) Zhang W; Huggins T; Zheng W; Liu S; Du Z; Zhu H; Raza A; Tareq AHCOVID-19 scenarios were run using an epidemiological mathematical model (system dynamics model) and counterfactual analysis to simulate the impacts of different control and containment measures on cumulative infections and deaths in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The simulations were based on national-level data concerning vaccination level, hospital capacity, and other factors, from the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the Our World in Data web portal. These data were added to cumulative infections and death data from government agencies covering the period from 18 March 2020 to 28 February 2022. Baseline curves for Pakistan and Bangladesh were obtained using piecewise fitting with a consideration of different events against the reported data and allowing for less than 5% random errors in cumulative infections and deaths. The results indicate that Bangladesh could have achieved more reductions in each key outcome measure by shifting its initial lockdown at least five days backward, while Pakistan would have needed to extend its lockdown to achieve comparable improvements. Bangladesh’s second lockdown appears to have been better timed than Pakistan’s. There were potential benefits from starting the third lockdown two weeks earlier for Bangladesh and from combining this with the fourth lockdown or canceling the fourth lockdown altogether. Adding a two-week lockdown at the beginning of the upward slope of the second wave could have led to a more than 40 percent reduction in cumulative infections and a 35 percent reduction in cumulative deaths for both countries. However, Bangladesh’s reductions were more sensitive to the duration of the lockdown. Pakistan’s response was more constrained by medical resources, while Bangladesh’s outcomes were more sensitive to both vaccination timing and capacities. More benefits were lost when combining multiple scenarios for Bangladesh compared to the same combinations in Pakistan. Clearly, cumulative infections and deaths could have been highly impacted by adjusting the control and containment measures in both national settings. However, COVID-19 outcomes were more sensitive to adjustment interventions for the Bangladesh context. Disaggregated analyses, using a wider range of factors, may reveal several sub-national dynamics. Nonetheless, the current research demonstrates the relevance of lockdown timing adjustments and discrete adjustments to several other control and containment measures.Item Modelling the long-term impact of modernized irrigation systems on soil water and salt balances, and crop water productivity in semi-arid areas under current and potential climate change conditions : integration of agrohydrological model, geographical information system, remote sensing, and climate change model : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Khan, Muhammad HamedIrrigated agriculture plays a key role in ensuring food security and rural livelihoods across semi-arid and arid regions, like in the Indus basin of Pakistan. However, the Indus basin irrigation system of Pakistan is facing serious threats of low crop yields and increasing water scarcity, waterlogging, soil salinity, and overexploitation of groundwater. Considering the irrigation water-management issues, water managers and policymakers in Pakistan are looking into the modernization of the irrigation practices by introducing sprinkler and drip irrigation systems with the intent to save water and enhance crop water productivity. However, such intervention if adopted at a larger scale could seriously affect regional soil water and salt balances, solute leaching, and recharge to groundwaters in semi-arid and arid regions. Therefore, a robust assessment of the long-term potential impacts of modernised irrigation systems, particularly under the potential climate change scenarios, is essential for improving productivity and sustainable irrigated agriculture in semi-arid and arid regions. Field experiments are practically difficult to quantify the long-term impacts of modernised irrigation practices on soil water and salt balances and crop growths, especially under projected climate change conditions. This thesis developed a modelling framework using local field experiments, and geographical and remote sensing information, combined with a spatially distributed agrohydrological model and climate change projections to analyse the potential impacts of different irrigation application scenarios at the field and canal command scales. This methodology is applied to evaluate the potential impacts of current and proposed modernized irrigation systems on soil water and salt balances, soil salinity build-up, percolation to groundwaters, crop yield and crop water productivity of irrigated crops under long-term contemporary climate (1987-2017) and potential climate change (2070-2099) scenarios. The main irrigated crops of wheat, rice, and cotton were studied in the Hakra branch canal command as a case study. The Hakra branch canal (HBC) command, located in the Indus basin irrigation system of Pakistan, covers 0.21 million ha and is characterised by the typical problems of canal water scarcity, poor groundwater quality, waterlogging and soil salinity, and less-than-optimal crop production. The information collected from local field-scale experiments during the years 2016-2017, GIS, remote-sensing techniques and global climate models are integrated to parametrise, calibrate, and validate the agrohydrological Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant (SWAP) model application at both field- and canal command- scales. The SWAP model simulated soil water and salt balances, percolation to groundwaters, and water- and salt-limited crop yields and crop water productivity values of main irrigated crops of wheat, rice, and cotton from field- to canal command- scales in the study area. The modelling assessment of current irrigation practices revealed significant variation in canal water supplies and over-exploitation of groundwater, resulting in high spatial variability in soil water percolation and salt build-up in the soil at the spatial scale of the head, middle and tail reaches of the canal command. The canal water-inflow is about 19% and 42% higher at the head reaches than at the middle and tail reaches, respectively. The significant seepage from the canal network and the cultivation of high water-consuming crops such as rice are the potential cause of waterlogging at the head reaches. Whereas limited canal inflow and use of poor-quality groundwater (> 3 dS m⁻¹) appear to be potential causes of soil salinity at the tail reaches of the HBC command. The detrimental effects of limited canal inflow and the use of marginal to poor groundwater causes considerable spatial variation in simulated water and salt-limited crop yields. The simulated water and salt-limited crop water productivity values are not only different for the different crops of wheat, rice and cotton, but also for the same crop across the study area. The field- and canal-command scale modelling was applied to simulate and assess the potential impacts of the proposed modernized irrigation scenarios, such as • sprinkler irrigation is defined as a high-efficiency irrigation system with leaching fraction (HEIS_LF) and without leaching fraction (HEIS_noLF), and • precision surface irrigation system (PSIS) for cotton-wheat cultivation under contemporary climate (1987-2017) and potential climate change (2070-2099) scenarios RCP 2.6 (low emission) and RCP 8.5 (high emission or business-as-usual). The long-term simulation results suggest a saving of about 40% in irrigation water under the HEIS_noLF scenario. However, this irrigation water-saving under the HEIS_noLF scenario resulted in the risk of an increase in soil salinity due to reduction in soil percolation and its associated salt build-up in the soil profile. Under the HEIS_noLF scenario for cotton-wheat cultivation, the soil salinity is simulated to increase from 2.6 to 8.0 dS m⁻¹ at the field-scale, and from 2 to >12 dS m⁻¹ at the canal command scale, affecting crop yields due to salt stress. The high salt build-up is simulated to reduce crop yields by 38% for cotton, and 48% for wheat under the contemporary climate (1987-2017) at the canal command scale. The soil salinity is simulated to get even worse in poor-quality groundwater areas, resulting in wheat failure of < 1 ton/ha with HEIS_noLF under the RCP 8.5 scenario of potential climate change (2070-2099) conditions. The modelling analysis suggests a significant leaching fraction is required to maintain acceptable soil salt balance for successful crop production. This leaching fraction could be achieved by a pre-sowing irrigation of 60 mm depth at the start of the season, followed by an additional 10 mm depth with each irrigation interval using a high-efficiency irrigation application, simulated as HEIS_LF. The HEIS_LF scenario resulted in 50 to 65% higher average water- and salt-limited crop water productivity values (kg/m³ ET) of 0.5 for cotton, and 1.87 for wheat. This is compared to the HEIS_noLF scenario of 0.25 for cotton, and 0.65 for wheat under potential climate change (2070-2099) conditions. However, the PSIS irrigation scenario resulted in similarly favourable soil water and salt balances, water and salt-limited crop yields and crop water productivity values for the cotton - wheat cultivation. Under the PSIS irrigation scenario, the average water-and salt-limited crop water productivity values (kg/m³ ET) are simulated as 0.50 for cotton and 2.79 for wheat under the contemporary climate (1987-2017), and 0.50 for cotton and 1.92 for wheat in potential climate change (2070-2099) conditions. The modelling analysis simulated the average soil percolation rate as 10 to 20% higher, resulting in the leaching of 20 to 30% more salts from the soil profile under the PSIS scenario than the HEIS_LF under potential climate change conditions. The key findings of this modelling assessment suggest that modernisation of irrigation systems as higher-efficiency (HEIS) irrigation applications, with no appropriate leaching fraction, would compromise salt build-up in the soil profile. This would potentially reduce crop yields and crop water productivity in the long-term, especially under potential climate change (2070-2099) conditions. There appears very limited scope for real irrigation water savings using a high-efficiency irrigation system for long-term sustainable crop production in areas making conjunctive use of limited canal water supplies and marginal- to poor-quality groundwaters. Hence, proposed initiatives for implementing high-efficiency irrigation systems should be carefully evaluated in terms of their long-term potential impacts on regional soil water and salt balances, crop yields and crop water productivity values in areas such as the Indus basin irrigation system in Pakistan, particularly under potential climate-change conditions.Item A green-lean-six sigma model for environmental performance in manufacturing organizations : a study of a developed and developing nation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Management, School of Food and Advanced Technology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Farrukh, AmnaManufacturing organizations continue to face environmental challenges including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, large-scale energy consumption, and solid and liquid waste generation contributing to climate change. While emerging environmental concerns are serious challenges for discrete and process industries in both developed and developing countries, the impact of these issues is more significant for the process industry due to their high energy requirements, GHG emissions, and lack of application of operational strategies. Green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) is recognized as a promising operational and environmental improvement strategy for minimizing waste and conserving resources in manufacturing organizations. However, scant attention has been paid to examining this strategy in addressing the environmental concerns, and in particular, investigating its application between developed and developing nations. The aim of this study is to examine the drivers, enablers, environmental outcomes, and critical success factors (CSFs) of a GLSS strategy in a developed country (New Zealand) and developing country (Pakistan) context in the manufacturing industry. This study draws on the natural resource-based view, institutional theory-based view, and intellectual capital-based view to understand the execution of this strategy and develops a GLSS model for improving the environmental performance in manufacturing organizations. A qualitative research methodology is adopted with semi-structured interviews using the case study approach. In the first phase, a preliminary study is undertaken with lean six sigma and environmental consultants from New Zealand (NZ) and Pakistan (PK). In the second phase, the main study is conducted with senior corporate managers of two large-sized flexible packaging manufacturing companies in both NZ and PK who have implemented the green, lean, and six sigma strategies. This study highlights various internal operational and organizational drivers and external regulatory, market-driven, and society-oriented forces that prompt manufacturing companies to adopt a GLSS strategy. Numerous GLSS enablers for achieving environmental outcomes including waste and emission reduction, resource conservation and recycling, and environmental safety and compliance are revealed. Further, CSFs for the implementation of a GLSS approach comprising the strategic, operational, human resource, and external stakeholder-related elements are presented. By utilizing the results of the preliminary and the main study, a holistic GLSS model is developed for achieving environmental performance in manufacturing organizations, with significant theoretical and practical implications.Item An examination of CSR decoupling in Pakistan : a research journey through tight and loosely coupled environments : 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, 2020) Khan, MajidThe literature on CSR has been debated among organisational scholars not only for its benefit to society and the environment but also its positive influence on business and organisations. Research suggests that strong government, markets and civil society are also necessary conditions for businesses to behave in a socially responsible way. However, due to its focus on developed economies limited contextual knowledge has emerged, especially that from developing countries. Within this latter context there is a lack of understanding of how businesses use reporting to create an impression of social responsibility while masking their actual performance, suspected to be the result of a weak institutional environment. By drawing on (neo)-institutional theory this research addresses this theoretical gap, demonstrating that CSR policies and practices are shaped by their embeddedness in the prevailing institutional environment. More specifically, this research explores questions related to CSR reporting, practice, and the decoupling between CSR rhetoric and actual performance in Pakistan. The research design comprised a multi-methodological approach using data quadrangulation. First, quantitative content analysis of 29 listed companies was conducted, drawing longitudinal data from publicly listed annual reports (2001, 2006, 2011 & 2017 – five-yearly intervals) to understand the extent of CSR reporting in Pakistan. Second, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 respondents comprising of CSR/sustainability managers, national regulators, and members of CSR promoting institutions in the country. Third, the originality of reports was examined using TurnitinTM and TinEyeTM. Finally, a discourse analysis of text and related images in reports was conducted to describe, interpret and explain contextualised meanings of language used. The results show that CSR, as perceived by many stakeholders actually has limited understanding and currently few benefits in Pakistan. The drivers identified for CSR policies and practices were found to be significantly different from that studied in the developed world. Additionally, unique instances of widespread decoupling are highlighted in the form of the lack of originality in texts, and the use of digitally manipulated images in CSR reports, thereby, suggesting that such behaviour is deliberate. The research makes important theoretical and methodological contributions to the nexus of business and society in a developing country, especially one suffering from a weak institutional environment.Item Once upon a time in the land of five rivers : a comparative analysis of translated Punjabi folk tale editions, from Flora Annie Steel's colonial collection to Shafi Aqeel's post-partition collection and beyond : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature, Massey University, Manawatu Campus, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Fatima, NoorThis thesis offers a critical analysis of two different collections of Punjabi folk tales which were collected at different moments in Punjab’s history: Tales of the Punjab (1894), collected by Flora Annie Steel and, Popular Folk Tales of the Punjab (2008) collected by Shafi Aqeel and translated from Urdu into English by Ahmad Bashir. The study claims that the changes evident in collections of Punjabi folk tales published in the last hundred years reveal the different social, political and ideological assumptions of the collectors, translators and the audiences for whom they were disseminated. Each of these collections have one prior edition that differs in important ways from the later one. Steel’s edition was first published during the late-colonial era in India as Wide-awake Stories in 1884 and consisted of tales that she translated from Punjabi into English. Aqeel’s first edition was collected shortly after the partition of India and Pakistan, as Punjabi Lok Kahaniyan in 1963 and consisted of tales he translated from Punjabi into Urdu. Taking as my starting point the extensive (often feminist) scholarship on the ideological functions of folk lore and tale-telling, I explore the assumptions affirmed or challenged in these collections. My particular focus is on the differences between Steel’s late nineteenth-century, female-edited, Western/colonial Indian collection and Aqeel’s post-partition, ‘native,’ male-edited, Islam-inflected Pakistani collection, keeping in mind the collectors’ sociohistorical and political backgrounds along with differences in their implied audiences. The first chapter considers the history of and motivations for folklore collection in nineteenth-century British India and the colonial folklorists who were involved in this activity, especially in the Punjab. The second chapter offers a discussion of Flora Annie Steel’s biographical background and her various writings in order to suggest how her position as a (ostensibly) feminist colonial Memsahib, along with the editorial supervision of Richard C. Temple, may have influenced her collection and translation of Punjabi tales. The chapter also discusses how, at the time, female collectors like Steel relied on the authority of men to secure the validity of their work, needing a male scholarly stamp of approval. The third chapter discusses the life and works of Shafi Aqeel and the differences between the two editions of the collection (one published in Urdu in 1963, the other in English almost fifty years later in 2008). My own translation of the Urdu version illuminates the extent to which the English translator of Popular Folk Tales of the Punjab, Ahmad Bashir, added yet another level of appropriation to what were originally oral tales from the Punjabi region. Chapter Four provides a comparative analysis of selected tales from each collection focusing on the differences evident between similar tales that appear in each collection and discusses the reasons behind the changes introduced. Building on this, my concluding chapter, makes claims about what is distinctive about each version of the tale and collection, and offers possible reasons for their differences. As a supplement to the thesis I have included my own translations of selected tales from Aqeel’s Urdu edition as an Appendix, along with a note detailing the principles followed in the preparation of these translations. I have also appended two scanned versions of one tale from Aqeel’s Urdu edition and its English version, my own translation of which is already in the appendix. Through the analysis of the historical, social, political, and authorial background of the collections, and the analysis of the prefaces and notes to these, my study concludes that each collector (and/or translator) has imposed their own particular set of assumptions and values on the tales they have chosen to collect. The differences I observe between the collections and editions are often subtle but sometimes startling. These differences, I argue, can be attributed to the historical moment in which they were collected/published, and the ideological/political persuasion of the collectors and their anticipation of readers’ expectations. Differences between the editions not only prove revealing about the workings of folktales but also about how the collection of these might reflect cultural and social shifts and understandings, particularly in the Punjab region of Pakistan.Item Brand Pakistan : a reception-oriented study of Pakistani Anglophone fiction : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature at Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Nazir, BarirahMy research considers the reception of (selected) contemporary Pakistani Anglophone fiction in the current global literary marketplace. It argues that these texts are embedded in transnational networks and structures in ways that significantly impact on their reception both in South Asia (Pakistan and India) and in “the West” (the UK and the US). The theoretical framework employed is that of literary reception studies: I argue that how fictional texts are received (as evidenced in initial book reviews) tells us a great deal about the ideological assumptions of the “interpretive communities” (in Stanley Fish’s term) that consume and promote them. I draw on the work of literary critics such as Graham Huggan, Sarah Brouillette, Sandra Ponzanesi, Ana Cristina Mendes and Lisa Lau, who consider the ways in which “Third world” or “postcolonial” literature has been commodified as a result of global publishing and consumption trends. Via the comparative analysis of initial reviews of selected Pakistani novels, I discuss the commonalities and differences between their reception in various locations. I discuss The Wandering Falcon (2011), The Golden Legend (2017) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007), and the reviews of these novels published in leading literary magazines/supplements and newspapers in Pakistan, India, the UK and the US. My work involves a discussion of how Pakistani literature is branded for an international market and how this impact on “local” (South Asian) reception. I address the frequently cited concern that globally-focused Pakistani authors “sell-out” or even betray the nation and its people in their literary representations, pandering to international market demands in search of commercial success and literary recognition.Item Transport and women's social exclusion in urban areas in Pakistan : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand(Massey University, 2018) Ahmed, WaheedThis thesis explores women’s everyday experiences of transport-related social exclusion, factors responsible for this, and how women negotiate restrictions on their mobility in urban areas of Pakistan. Although there is an emerging realization in the transport literature about the importance of studying social exclusion and marginaliation, little research has been carried out focusing on women’s social exclusion in transport, especially with regards to urban areas in developing countries. The present study fills this research gap by analysing the case studies of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, in Pakistan. These cities have been selected to explore how the highly contrasted urban form of planned and unplanned cities, as well as socio-cultural norms and institutional arrangements, impacts on women’s mobility and transport choices. The theoretical framework combines rights-based and empowerment approaches to identify constraints and opportunities for change to women’s mobility. The right-based and empowerment approaches have been selected over other theoretical lenses because they see women as active agents of change rather than portraying them as passive victims. In doing so, the emphasis is placed on rights, accountabilities, and structural injustices in society, which are imperative to study women’s transport issue in developing country contexts. The design of the research is largely qualitative in nature, thus methods such as in-depth interviews, life stories, and structured observations have been used. Fifty-two in-depth interviews exploring the life stories of low-income women, business women, administrators and professional women in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, were particularly illuminating. Besides interviewing women as users of transport system, the viewpoints of males including drivers and conductors of public transport, and a range of stakeholders, were also considered. Enriched by stories of the everyday experiences of women in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the findings of this study highlight that women do face structural and social barriers to their mobility in the shape of: stereotypical norms about women’s travel; negative attitudes of men about women in public spaces; difficulty in accessing walkways, bus stops, and public transport; safety and security concerns; and gender insensitive policies and projects. The findings also highlight that, despite these problems, women are seen to be coming out of their homes and shattering stereotypes. Although few in numbers, these women can be regarded as success stories as far as women’s empowerment through mobility is concerned. The present research develops new insights into women, gender and transport issues within cities of developing countries by finding that transport is a development issue where patriarchal attitudes, fear and safety concerns, and quality of transport service are highly relevant to women’s capability to travel, yet there are cases in which women have been able to negotitiate highly gendered power relations in order to gain greater freedom of movement.Item The impact of corporate political connections and political instability on audit fees and earnings quality in Pakistan : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Accountancy at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2018) Ahmad, FawadThis study investigates the impact of corporate political connections on audit fees and earnings quality. Prior literature reports that politically connected companies pay higher audit fees and have poor earnings quality. The key motivation of this study hinges on the argument that in some institutional settings, there can be multiple power sources with dissimilar degrees of resource allocation and decision making abilities. This will affect the costs and benefits accrued to politically connected companies. For example, Pakistan has two visibly distinct power sources, political institutions, and the military. Political institutions are fragile and politicians are prone to public, media, and judicial scrutiny. The military has emerged as a key power player enabling them to command the process of resource allocation. Based on this visible distinction of the power streams, this study segregates politically connected companies in Pakistan into two groups, companies connected to the political elites, termed as civil connected companies and military connected companies. This study also examines the impact of political instability on audit fees and earnings quality. Prior literature examining the impact of political instability reports that political instability results in higher business risk and poor economic performance. Prior auditing literature reports that auditors charge a price premium from high risk clients. Prior earnings quality literature reports that poor economic performance results in poor earnings quality. By combining these streams of literature, this study investigates the auditing and earnings quality implications of political instability. Essay 1 of this study investigates the political determinants of audit fees in the context of Pakistan. The results indicate that civil connected companies pay significantly higher audit fees while military connected companies pay significantly lower audit fees relative to non-connected companies. The findings for political instability indicate that political instability has a positive association with audit fees. Nonetheless, this positive association is weaker for military connected companies relative to non-connected companies. Results for the interaction effect for civil connected companies are not significant. Essay 2 of this study investigates the political determinants of earnings quality in Pakistan. Earnings quality is measured by the level of absolute magnitude of discretionary accruals and earnings persistence. The results indicate that civil connected companies report a significantly higher level of absolute magnitude of discretionary accruals indicating poor earnings quality, while the earnings persistence results are not significant for civil connected companies. The discretionary accruals results for military connected companies are not significant. Nevertheless, military connected companies have more persistent earnings indicating better earnings quality. Essay 2 also examines the impact of political instability on earnings quality. Results indicate a significant negative association between political instability and the level of absolute magnitude of discretionary accruals; and between political instability and earnings persistence. The interaction effects show that the negative association between political instability and the level of absolute magnitude of discretionary accruals is stronger for civil connected companies and not significant for military connected companies. The negative association between political instability and earnings persistence is weaker for military connected companies and not significant for civil connected companies. This study adds to the literature that aims to provide a deeper understanding of the relation between political connections, political institutions, and its auditing and earnings quality outcomes. The study adds to the existing political connections literature by identifying the military as a source of significant power. It also adds to the auditing and financial reporting literature by identifying political instability as a variable which significantly affects the audit fees and earnings quality.Item Roads investment and economic growth : similarity or divergence between developed and developing countries : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Planning at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2016) Chohan, Muhammad BabarThis research investigates how arguments for economic growth are perceived and advanced to promote road investment. In particular, it addresses the question of whether there is similarity or divergence between developed and developing countries given their different growth trajectories. In literature, the relationship between building roads and achieving economic growth is heavily reliant on quantitative tools while ignoring the socio-economic and political contextual details of developed and developing countries. Using the Aristotelian concept of phronēsis, the research undertakes a comparative case study involving New Zealand and Pakistan. Phronēsis is an intellectual virtue capable of incorporating practical problems and contextual issues in everyday life. The concept was operationalized for this thesis by devolving it into three main questions in which the roads policy direction, the associated processes and discursive pragmatism was explored. Detailed analysis of two major roading infrastructure projects, MacKays to Peka Peka (M2PP) in the Wellington region of New Zealand and a Ring Road in Lahore, Pakistan, shows that roads investment is promoted on the basis of national visions and policies without robust evidence of how economic growth will be achieved. The findings indicate that the national visions, related to case study projects, are not based on robust analyses and research but rather on strategic needs that advance the agenda of the powerful. The research found that the discourse of economic growth in each project was based on similar arguments about travel time saving, efficiency and employment growth regardless of public consultations. The research concludes that ‘economic growth’ is a niche created, advanced, and interpreted by power to achieve its strategic objectives in road development without contextual differences being considered in developed and developing countries.