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Item The experiences of becoming and being a nurse leader in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand(Massey University, 2025-11-27) Kerr, DianneThe Experiences of Becoming and Being a Nurse Leader in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st century This thesis explores the experiences of current registered nurses who have attained leadership positions in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). A feminist deconstruction of gender framework serves as a lens to examine how masculine and feminine binaries affect the experiences of nurse leaders in a neoliberal environment that has commodified and devalued the act of caring. Particular attention was paid to the different challenges experienced by Māori nurses as the indigenous people of a post-colonialist Aotearoa. The research employed a qualitative design using an exploratory, descriptive survey, grounded in a pragmatic philosophical approach. It was conducted in two phases: an online questionnaire followed by two rounds of interviews. In total 49 participants completed the questionnaire and 13 participants were interviewed. All participants held NZ nurse registration and had been in leadership roles in healthcare for at least three years, during which time they were responsible for overseeing staff. Respondents represented diverse practice backgrounds and localities. The findings indicate that most participants achieved leadership roles primarily through chance and personal determination. In many cases, pursuing post-graduate education or serendipitous opportunities broadened their perspectives on nursing. The nurse leaders in this study realised they could have a significantly greater impact on the quality of care they wished to provide by stepping into leadership positions. However, they faced challenges related to nursing's strong association with femininity and often experienced subordination to the male-dominated fields of medicine and management. There is ample evidence linking empowered nurse leadership to effective care; however, nursing input in healthcare decisions is often overlooked due to the prevailing assumption that traditionally feminine traits do not significantly contribute to patient outcomes. Despite the proven value and significance of nurse leadership, this research indicates that leadership is not adequately planned for or supported in a way that reflects the size of the nursing workforce. Post-graduate education has been shown to raise nurse consciousness, yet NZ healthcare systems and academic institutions fail to invest in or value the critical thinking and awareness needed for nurse leaders to function and contribute effectively in the current neoliberalist environment. This research suggests that preparation for leadership in nursing should focus on helping nurses gain an awareness of their identity within a gendered profession before developing their leadership skills. Highlighting nurses who have succeeded in roles beyond bedside care and providing mentorship and networking opportunities for emerging leaders will cultivate future nurse leaders who can advance the profession. Key findings: • gendered socialisation continues to impact the career trajectories of nurse leaders, • neoliberalist environments create challenges for nursing autonomous practice • ongoing issues of colonialism, racism and sexism influence the career pathways of nurses in AotearoaItem Thriving in clinical veterinary practice : a strengths-based, qualitative investigation of thriving in clinical veterinarians in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2025-11-21) Cantley, Charlotte Emily LouiseVeterinarians play an important role in society, contributing to animal health, public health, and environmental sustainability. However, there is growing international concern about the well-being and workforce stability of veterinarians, particularly those working in clinical practice. Much of the existing research has focused on the negative impact of veterinary work on well-being, emphasising that veterinarians experience high levels of psychological distress and burnout. However, there is a lack of understanding of what enables veterinarians not only to cope in clinical practice but also to thrive and enjoy fulfilling careers. This research employed a qualitative approach, grounded in positive psychology, to explore the factors that help veterinarians thrive in clinical practice. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this research investigated the lived experiences of clinical veterinarians in Aotearoa New Zealand, to identify the factors that contribute to a fulfilling and sustainable career. Participants across the three studies represented veterinarians from a wide range of clinical practice types, including companion animal, production animal, equine, and mixed practice. They included late-career veterinarians (n = 19), new and recent graduates (n = 22), and mid-late career veterinarians who were not practice owners or senior managers (n = 29). Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to identify key themes from the data. Three final key concepts emerged as critical to thriving in veterinary clinical practice: positive leadership, a psychologically safe clinic culture, and a strong sense of purpose and meaning in work, referred to as the “3Ps” of thriving. For early-career veterinarians, positive mentorship in a psychologically safe environment was crucial for developing confidence, self-efficacy, and a professional identity suitable for general practice. Mid- and late-career veterinarians who experienced positive leadership and a healthy, safe workplace culture reported an evolving sense of purpose that included providing care to patients and expanded to encompass mentoring and supporting others in the profession, as well as philanthropic work and community commitment. These veterinarians expressed high levels of engagement and were often motivated by fostering thriving in others. The attitudes and behaviours of clinic managers were noted as particularly important. Thus, a thriving veterinary career can be considered an odyssey — a long, transformative journey shaped by challenges, growth, and continuous learning. It reflects an evolving sense of purpose, making the role of a clinical veterinarian far more than just a job. Based on these findings, a practical framework of evidence-based recommendations was designed to foster thriving throughout a veterinarian’s career. These recommendations target three levels of influence: the individual, the clinic, and the broader veterinary profession, and may help address the ongoing issues of recruitment and retention in veterinary practice. This research provides valuable insights into the benefits of pursuing a clinical career, contributing to the growing body of literature on positive well-being in the veterinary field. It highlights the importance of leadership and psychological safety — topics that have received relatively little attention in veterinary contexts — and shows how they enable veterinarians to find purpose and meaning in their work. Importantly, the research highlights that fostering thriving is a collective responsibility, shared between veterinary businesses, individual veterinarians, and the profession as a whole.Item Corporate labour practices and fintech development : evidence from China : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Finance at Massey University, Manawatu campus, New Zealand(Massey University, 2025) Chen, JunshiThis thesis studies corporate labour practices and financial technology (Fintech) development in China and contains six chapters. Chapter one introduces my PhD thesis. It discusses the motivation and contribution for each chapter. Chapter two contains a comprehensive literature review, which systematically reviews the current state of knowledge related to the theory, impact and determinants of employee treatment in the firms, based on a review of 150 research papers. We observe a growing trend of firms enhancing employee treatment, suggesting that employee treatment functions as an important mechanism that enhances firm value. Chapter three investigates the impact of employee medical welfare on firm productivity. We find that such welfare significantly enhances firm performance by improving employees’ psychological security, which increases work efficiency. This effect is more pronounced in non-state-owned firms, firms with a higher proportion of low-skilled employees and lower R&D intensity. Additionally, firms offering better medical welfare demonstrate stronger resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results underscore the role of organizational caregiving (Vijayasingham et al., 2018) and stakeholder theory (Titman, 1984) in shaping firm outcomes. Chapter four investigates the relationship between new financial technology, digital finance (DF), and corporate employee treatment. We find that DF enhances employee conditions through corporate digital transformation and increased demand for skilled labour. This effect is stronger in regions with lower marketization and severe pollution, where disadvantaged firms leverage DF to attract talent. Moreover, government support, corporate governance, and financial flexibility amplify DF’s positive impact. DF also contributes to workforce expansion and long-term firm performance, reinforcing its role in shaping corporate labour strategies in line with human capital theory (Sweetland, 1996). Chapter five presents the last essay focusing on how DF affects people’s fertility behaviour. We find that DF negatively influences birth rates by increasing investment opportunities, promoting consumption-driven individualism, and raising women’s economic independence and opportunity cost of fertility. Notably, only DF coverage significantly reduces birth rates, whereas its depth and digitalization have weaker effects. More importantly, government’s support in education, healthcare, and religious policies can mitigate DF’s adverse impact on fertility. Chapter six concludes by outlining the main findings, the implications of each essay, the limitations of the thesis, and potential avenues for future research.Item Connected older citizens : ageing in place and digitally mediated care in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Media Studies at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Massey University Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand(Massey University, 2025-05-07) Vonk, LisaAmidst discussions of Aotearoa New Zealand’s ageing population, how to care for growing numbers of older people is a considered a preeminent social and political issue. Digital technologies are imagined to be a particularly desirable solution in contexts where social values of independence intersect with the neoliberal state’s desire to reduce the amount of money spent on medical and social care. There is a substantial market for gerontechnologies (technologies specifically designed for older people) aiming to capitalise on the ‘silver tsunami’. Yet, digital technologies such as smart phones, exercise watches and laptops are widely accessible in Aotearoa New Zealand. They are increasingly used by older people to maintain social connectedness, coordinate practical support, and manage health. The purpose of this research was to explore how this digitally mediated care functions for community-dwelling older people. Taking an innovative theoretical-methodological approach, I combined actor-network theory with political economy theory. This enabled me to robustly examine sociotechnical care networks, paying attention both to the role of technologies in producing care as well as analysing who benefits from older people’s engagements with technology for care. The research draws on interviews with sixteen community dwelling older people, marketing materials of technologies used by those interviewed, the interface of an exchange platform and a patient portal used by some of those interviewed, as well as government documents. This data was analysed using network mapping, thematic analysis, and interface analysis. I ultimately demonstrate that digitally mediated care practices enact a ‘connected older citizen’. Through digitally mediated care practices, older people adjust (and are adjusted) to a culture of connectivity. Digitally mediated care involves new forms of labour. Social connection is framed as a core social value. I argue that digitally mediated self-care redefines independence in terms of the ability to use digital technologies to manage connections to reduce visible dependence on others. Notably, I show the imagined benefits of digitally mediated care are often not realised in practice due to limitations of technologies used in care (such as patient portals). Significantly, the priorities and needs of older people are not often at the forefront of digitally mediated care.Item 'But we're just the same humans as you' : refugees negotiating exclusions, belonging and language in Sweden and New Zealand : 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, 2025-01-28) Svensson, Hanna Lena KatrinRefugee settlement is a complex process requiring the navigation of new linguistic and social spaces and the renegotiation of belonging and identity. The process can also be complicated by the contested nature of national belonging and the politicisation of social cohesion, as well as by forms of everyday exclusion. Drawing on a Bakhtinian dialogical framework, this study used qualitative data from interviews with language teachers, settlement support workers and refugee-background residents in New Zealand and Sweden to investigate dimensions of belonging, social cohesion, and language in relation to refugee settlement. The study sought to discover how belonging and social cohesion are perceived and experienced by refugee-background residents in these contexts, how they are promoted by the two settlement nations, and how they are operationalised in political and public discourse to enforce boundaries and construct national and refugee identities. Of particular interest was the intersection of public discourse and lived experience, and the tensions and contestations that may arise in these spaces. Language learning and use were seen as crucial aspects of belonging and social cohesion and were investigated both in terms of linguistic inequalities in the settlement location and in terms of the unique language learning journeys of adult learners. The findings suggest that there are significant gaps in the understanding of refugee experiences among policy makers and that discursive representations of refugees, particularly in terms of social cohesion and belonging, often impact negatively on the settlement process. The politicisation of belonging and the appropriation of social cohesion discourses as tools for differentiation, and potentially exclusion, can have negative impacts on individuals’ rights and settlement prospects while reductive representations of refugees lead to unrealistic expectations in terms of language acquisition and labour market participation and to restrictive policies that hinder the settlement process. The thesis concludes by arguing that in order to strengthen social cohesion and belonging, it is imperative that refugees are included as dialogical partners, practically and ideologically. It identifies theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the research and raises further questions in relation to gender, language acquisition, incentivisation and dialogical practice in the context of refugee settlement.Item British humanitarians and the founding of New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand. EMBARGOED to 14 November 2026.(Massey University, 2024) Wyatt, PhilippaThis thesis reconsiders the intentions of the British humanitarians who sought to implement a ‘new system’ of ‘humane colonisation’ inaugurated by the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. It addresses two principal questions. First, it attempts to understand how scholarly interpretations regarding humanitarians have changed over time and come increasingly to deny any protective intentions. It begins with Keith Sinclair who, although initially critical of humanitarians, came to greatly appreciate the importance and influence of humanitarian thinking and its Christian basis. It then follows the historiographical marginalization of humanitarianism during a period of intense historical revision in the 1970s and 1980s when humanitarianism was dismissed along with long–held ‘myths’ of racial harmony. ‘New Imperial History’, while reintegrating New Zealand with the empire, has likewise continued to present all humanitarians, particularly missionaries, as little more than active agents of imperialism. Secondly, this thesis seeks to provide a revision of that existing interpretation through a re–examination of the intentions of leading humanitarians in 1840. What that assessment reveals is that their goal was to create a more just and equal society, both at home and within the empire. This was understood to be necessary given the ‘crisis of civilization’ these men were then facing as evident in the growing poverty of the working poor within Britain and the increasing mistreatment and exploitation of indigenous peoples in the empire. It was the urgency created by that crisis that not only fueled a revival of faith but united these men as Christians, and led them to then seek to change their society and the empire as a whole through what was to be a radical programme of social and political reform based on ‘moral politics’. What they sought was to empower the poor and marginalized to better help themselves by assisting with their development to a position of ‘social equality’ and independence through educational and social reforms. With regard to Māori, what that meant was implementing a programme of targeted assimilation that could equip them with the education and skills they needed to compete more equally with Pākehā, while maintaining that which was important to their culture and identity, particularly their language. Securing the independence and greater protection of the vulnerable both at home and abroad was also understood to be dependent on securing their greater legal equality and civil rights, and what was a movement inspired by Christian faith and ‘love’ in turn became a civil rights movement that eventually sought to achieve in New Zealand what these men called ‘amalgamation’: the peaceful union of the two races on the basis of a shared faith and equal rights and laws. This was the great hope of the ‘new system’ of ‘humane colonization’ that came to be first attempted in New Zealand. It was also the hope of many Māori leaders, who likewise understood the Treaty to have created a union based on ‘one faith, one love, one law’.Item The future of automated mobilities transition in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Resource and Environmental Planning at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 15 October 2026.(Massey University, 2024-06-14) Shammut, MoayadAutomated vehicles (AVs) have been commonly regarded as disruptive technologies of the future with multifaceted implications for cities, economies, and people’s mobilities. However, fundamental to exploiting any benefit from AVs, is the issue of complexity in transitioning towards safer AVs in the future. This research aims to fill this gap in literature and explore the complexity of safer AVs transition in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). This research develops a theoretical framework based on the mobilities approach. The mobilities approach explains a wide array of economic, social, political practices and infrastructures that all involve various kinds of movement of people, information, or objects. This framework conceptualises AVs transition through three dimensions of mobilities. First, social mobilities explores how social meanings influence AVs transition. Second, governance mobilities explores how political-institutional factors influence AVs transition. Third, smart mobilities covers how technology risk and readiness influence AVs transition. This research used a qualitative approach by applying the case study of NZ. Data were collected through interviews with government officials and the AVs telecommunication industry, critically reviewing policy and planning documents as well as analysing social media. Firstly, social mobilities involved investigating how safety perceptions, feelings, and cultural practices of society influence AVs adoption. The content analysis of Facebook posts highlighted diversified social meanings for AVs safety, freedom, control and (un)employment that influence AVs adoption. This research found new evidence that developing trust in AVs is influenced by the reputation and achievements of both regulators and developers of technology. The informal driving style of NZ locals requires ‘remarkable competence’ from AVs to negotiate the road safely. NZ society tends to be inclined towards accepting lower-level AVs to maintain the ‘driving pleasure’, and to allow taking vehicle control during safety-critical scenarios. Secondly, governance mobilities involved investigating how political leadership, institutional capacity, and policy discourses steer AVs transition on the basis of their safety. The discourse and thematic analysis of government policy documents and interviews with government officials, revealed how different NZ governments steer AVs policy direction according to their political priorities. This research highlights the complexity of governing AVs due to the involvement of various government organisations with different hierarchical levels, fragmented responsibilities, high interdependencies and conflicting priorities. A strong political leadership coupled with investments for AVs could catalyse a smooth AVs transition. Thirdly, smart mobilities involved focussing on how infrastructure development, hardware, and software influence safe AVs uptake in the future. A focus group discussion and interviews with the AVs industry revealed the necessity for AVs to operate without significant interaction with other road users due to safety risks concerning object classification, GPS positioning, connectivity, and cybersecurity. Findings revealed various potential scenarios for surveillance and exploitation of AV users’ privacy including tracking their mobility habits and data monetisation. NZ roading network requires considerable adjustments to existing (physical and digital) infrastructure. Future infrastructure development may help ease introducing AVs in NZ, especially through developing collaboration between and across tech-industry and the government, to ensure safer uptake of AVs in the future. This research finds that achieving driving autonomy is complex. Transitioning towards safe AVs is dependent on a multitude of different types of factors including social meanings and practices, institutional cultures and norms, strategic visions, political leadership, various public and private sector organisations, technology readiness and enabling infrastructure, as well as influential pioneering actors. This research challenges the traditional technical rhetoric that assumes AVs capable to be deployed ‘everywhere’ and ‘under all conditions’, and rather argues for greater understanding of the complexity of real-life regulatory and urban environments within a specific country context. This research concludes that a successful transition towards safer automated mobility systems will require a holistic understanding of the complexities and interrelationships among the three ‘mobilities’ dimensions, which (each and collectively) significantly influence AVs transition in the future. All in all, the use of the mobilities paradigm in this thesis has been valuable in terms of revealing how the transition towards safer AVs is complex, entangled, heterogenous, and cannot be understood in silos. Existing research on AVs falls short in terms of capturing the complexity of AVs transition from these collective perspectives, hence the contribution of this research to the field. This overall thesis contributes to planning practice in terms of providing insights into a future-focused, long-term, strategic planning for the transition of AVs in NZ. Crucially, this thesis highly recommends the flexibility and openness of planners as AVs transition will occur outside the extant planning processes.Item Colonial discourses of deviance and desire and the bodies of wāhine Māori : a thesis presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Arts at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Allen, Elizabeth AnneThis research traces how colonial ideologies of race, gender, and sexuality contributed to nineteenth and early twentieth-century representations of wāhine Māori and questions how these repetitive inscriptions might continue to have a negative impact on perceptions of wāhine Māori and kōtiro Māori in contemporary culture. As a Mana Wahine study, I demonstrate that fundamental codes of the developing colonial state were affirmed by how Pākehā guarded sexuality, ordered gender, and surveilled race. As a wahine Māori centred project, it examines the colonial dimensions of “domesticity,” the “civilising mission,” and the ‘paternalism of liberalism’ in Aotearoa/New Zealand, specifically, on the assumption that differentiations of race and colonial power were essentially ordered in terms of Western notions of gender. Of particular concern is the management of wāhine Māori sexuality, procreation, child-rearing, and marriage as a mechanism of colonial control of their bodies. Focusing on spaces of perceived proximity and desire as a source from which we can search for newly recognisable forms of social perceptions in relating, it offers an engagement with myriad forms of art across multidisciplinary fields to provide a unique window into a colonial exercise of the imperial project that had a direct impact on the bodies of wāhine Māori. A critical examination of the colonial metaphors around desire and degeneration, of the intimate and affect, attempts to decolonise its representative paradigms by addressing the consequential structural and material histories that, for wāhine Māori, resulted in meting out differential futures based on ‘fabulated’ divisions of worth, prompting the central questions of the dissertation, how are bodies similar or not? How are bodies available or not? How are bodies knowable or not? And to whom?Item Ipurangi : Māori, the internet and implications for tikanga Māori : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Turitea, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Warren, Krystal Te Rina FainAs the world incorporates technology and the internet, new developments provide challenges and opportunities for Māori engaging in these spaces. By developing and applying īWhakaaro (Kaupapa Māori Internet Theories) and īRanghau (Kaupapa Māori cyber ethnography) this research explores the overall question: what are the implications of Māori engaging online for tikanga Māori? And explores, how are tikanga Māori (Māori values, customs and protocols) maintained or transgressed through the use of the internet by Māori? Ipurangi, this research thesis, is framed around the cosmo-genealogical narrative of Tāwhaki who ascends through the heavens to obtain new knowledge. Just like the journey of Tāwhaki, Māori engaging online are presented with opportunities for great potential as well as obstacles that pose a threat to tikanga Māori. A new theoretical approach, īWhakaaro and a new methodological approach īRangahau, was used to analyse literature and identify themes that emerged from interviews with expert Māori who lead the use of the internet and apply tikanga Māori. eColonialism and Kaupapa Māori theory are applied to analyse how colonisation takes place online, and to develop a new theoretical position - īTāmi. This research makes three major contributions to research: first, a new lexicon for Māori engaging in the online space; second, new theoretical and methodological approaches for Kaupapa Māori research; and third, ipuRangi - a framework to guide Māori engagement with the internet.Item Professional identity positioning of internationally qualified nurses during workplace interactions with colleagues in New Zealand healthcare settings : 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, 2024) Taylor, DanaThe global nursing shortage has been a catalyst for the international migration of nurses. Internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) are valued in New Zealand as capable and competent healthcare professionals. As limited research exists into the professional identity of IQNs in New Zealand, my aim for this study was to explore IQNs’ discursive identity positioning. Research determining ways to support IQNs’ career sustainability was missing in the extant literature, which this study sought to address. Taking a social constructionist perspective, I employed narrative inquiry to empower eight IQN participants to tell stories of challenging and positive workplace interactions with their colleagues. The participants had English as their first or additional language and had been nursing in New Zealand for at least three years. Narrative data from participants were collected during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in New Zealand by means of semi-structured interviews (‘Story-Led Conversations’) and peer-facilitated conversations via Zoom (‘Zoom Pair Shares’). Participants’ storied experiences were analysed to reveal aspects of IQNs’ discursive positioning. This allowed me to identify: how IQNs positioned themselves and others as they told stories of participating in workplace interactions with colleagues in New Zealand healthcare settings; how they used discursive positioning in their stories to jointly construct aspects of their professional identity; and the implications of understanding, and responding to, participants’ stories for the IQNs themselves and the wider nursing community. I used thematic analysis to construct six themes related to IQNs’ workplace interactions. I also developed an analytical framework based on positioning theory—the multimodal positioning analysis (MPA) model—to analyse participants’ discursive positioning of self and others when telling their stories of workplace interactions. Research findings indicated that IQN participants’ workplace interactions with colleagues impacted upon their professional identity positioning. The nature of this impact included IQNs’ sense of professional self, agency, collegiality, and wellbeing, which are critical for IQNs’ feelings of belonging and career sustainability. Findings from this study may lead to greater understanding and support of IQNs as they build a successful long-term nursing career in New Zealand.
