Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Terrorism

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Reconfiguring the Relationship Between Intelligence Professionals and the Public: A First Step Towards Democratising New Zealand’s National Security?
    (Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University, 2021-09-29) Rogers D; Mawdsley S
    The secrecy surrounding intelligence work has meant the relationship between New Zealand intelligence professionals and the public they serve has always been somewhat problematic. Over the past decade, leaks, scandals and a deadly act of terrorism have certainly not improved the public’s trust and confidence in the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau. While the Government has undertaken several measures to strengthen the credibility of those agencies, including initiating public inqui-ries and bolstering governance arrangements, its current approach is rather limited, has reached those limits and could now be counterproductive. In light of the recommendations made by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques on 15 March 2019 to increase public involvement in New Zealand’s counterterrorism effort, we argue that it is time for this problematic relationship between intelligence professionals and the public to be rethought and reconfigured. To that end, we identify several concrete actions that parliamentarians and university leaders could consider taking to actively support intelligence professionals as they foster a society of informed citizens and create new opportunities to bring national security matters into the heart of democracy’s deliberative processes.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Troubling political discourses of terrorism : responding to the call of the other : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Rangiwananga, Melissa
    As a story of a complex interplay of hegemonic power relations that play out as relationships of violence on contested boundaries, the dominant narrative of terrorism may be understood as a discursive site of tension between sameness and difference in the production of a 'unified' political identity. Contingent on a binary relationship between 'self' and 'other', terrorism functions as a particular form of Orientalism (Said, 1978) that produces Western knowledges as the authority over meaning and excludes possibilities for ethical responses (Spivak, 2004). This thesis draws on Laclau and Mouffe's (1985) theory of the political production of discourse and subjectivity to question the conditions of possibility that enable the production of terrorism in discourse. Through an understanding of discourse as socially contingent systems of meaning, the analysis explored how social relationships were constructed in political text, and how, through these hegemonic constructions, it became possible to exclude some from the authority to articulate their experiences and understanding of social relations. Revealing the contingency of relation among multiple discourse, terrorism became necessary to the discursive field that constitutes nationalism through an ongoing antagonism between governance and sovereignty that enabled a rejection of the call of the 'other'. To enable an ethical response and open possibilities for authentic encounters with the 'other', this thesis argues into a space where new meanings and possibilities for social relations are enabled through the generation of 'new' discourses that attend to the spaces between our relational boundaries.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The interplay of job stress and post-traumatic stress disorder in the context of terrorism, and its effects on employee outcomes : the roles of individual and organisational resources : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Junaid, Fatima Ali
    Terrorism is a scourge which has now spread across the globe. The events of the last few years in London, Paris, and other cities around the world highlight the fact that acts of terrorism cause deep trauma to those exposed to them. However, for some countries such as Pakistan, terrorism is an everyday reality. Living under on-going terrorism can be extremely stressful for employees, in that they have to deal with continuous risk in addition to the common stressors of professional and personal life. To date, however, there has been scant research into this phenomenon. This study was thus undertaken with two main objectives: 1) to understand the interplay between work stress and that caused by terrorism and its implications for employee outcomes; and 2) to determine whether personal and organisational resources such as psychological capital and perceived organisational support could help explain the influences of these stressors. Pakistan was the setting for this research, as it has suffered from on-going terrorism for more than a decade, with nearly 50,000 civilians killed between 2003-2014 .I have personally experienced on-going terrorism and its associated loss of life. The drive to understand the effects of this context was thus deeply felt and meaningful on a personal level. This research was challenging in many aspects, and I faced obstacles different to those presented by general management research, including conducting a study in a country where danger to life from terrorism was a real possibility. Aside from being emotionally taxing, the investigation involved ethical issues around the additional stress and trauma that could arise from the inquiry. Notwithstanding this, gaps in the literature and the practical need for the study could not be ignored. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, a theoretical framework was developed. This suggested that if employees are stressed, they are likely to feel resource depletion. The source of stress could be caused by their job and/or terrorism. The constant nature of terrorism, however, would likely further hinder employees from gaining psychological strength. For job stress, a challenge and hindrance stressors framework was used, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was used as a lens through which to understand terrorism stress. Next, using positive psychology and organisational support theory, it was argued that viewing/ approaching/ utilising psychological capital as a psychological resource, and perceived organisational support as an organisation-based support resource may help to reduce the toll of the stressors on employees. This thesis comprises three studies and three data sets. First, it explored through a qualitative study the stressors of a job and terrorism, and their influence on employee outcomes, and determined the roles of personal and organisational resources. Next, a quantitative study was conducted to test some of these relationships. The first study had highlighted that there was a need to develop a contextual measure which required testing before conducting the final study. Study One was based on the limited existing literature, and involved semi- structured interviews with 15 human resources (HR)/line managers. It aimed to gain knowledge about the influence of job and terrorism stress on employee outcomes, and the role of resources in helping reduce/explain the detrimental consequences. Thematic analyses highlighted several themes which were highly embedded in the context of on-going terrorism. The main themes concerned job stress, terrorism stress, organisational support in the context of terrorism, and employee outcomes of stressors of job and terrorism. Study One pointed out that the population at large was exposed to terrorist incidents, had suffered losses, and was likely to be traumatized. It also indicated that the organisational support needed by employees in the context of on-going terrorism was distinctly different than that which is conventionally observed in the literature as perceived organisational support (POS). For example, employees in the terrorism context wanted organisations to provide physical security such as armed guards with bullet proof jackets. There was no existing instrument that could be used to specifically measure this. The second study was informed by the first and focused on developing a measure for the contextual POS; I called it Security-POS. This study had a sample of 146 Pakistani employees and used factor analysis. It confirmed that Security-POS is distinct from POS. Mediation analysis confirmed that Security-POS enhances POS, which in turn positively influences employee outcomes and well-being. Drawing on the findings of the two studies, the third and final study was developed. The survey for this study was based on 416 Pakistani employees. The studies conjointly found that job stressors and PTSD collectively had more dire effects on employee behaviours than did each stressor separately. PTSD itself was higher than any other comparable samples such as those from post 9/11 or Israeli populations. In contrast to the majority of extant research findings, challenge stressors were often not recognised as a challenge, and consequently became another burden for employees. More importantly, hindrance stressors were identified as being the most detrimental of all the stressors. Both POS and Security-related contextual POS helped in moderating the adverse effects of the stressor. Psychological capital also mediated and reduced the harmful effects of the stressors and PTSD. This is constructed in the form of a ‘By Publication’ thesis wherein the most significant part of the thesis is presented in the form of stand-alone, but linked journal articles. Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the study and review the literature respectively, while Chapter 3 outlines the overall methodology of the research. Chapters 4 to 8 contain the five research articles (manuscripts). These chapters present one article or manuscript each as a complete, stand-alone piece, but collectively, are linked and based on the overall study. A brief outline of these five journal articles or manuscripts can be found below. Chapter 9 then provides an overall discussion of the study, its limitations, contributions and implications, and finally, a concluding section. This study contributes in general to the literature of management science, and in particular to the areas of job stress and trauma, and even more specifically, to the development of conservation of resources theory, positive psychology, and organisational support theory. It was conducted in areas that were far flung and hard hit by terrorism. It presented voices which are otherwise not heard, and has implications for the well-being of the individual employees working in, and for organisations located in, the terrorism- afflicted area. However, beyond Pakistan and other terrorism-afflicted countries, this study has wider implications for international organisations and communities. According to the United Nations (2016), the number of international migrants has grown faster than the world’s population, reaching 244 million in 2015, a 41% increase since 2000. A large number of people continue to flee unsafe environments, not only as refugees, but also as expatriates, students and skilled migrants. These individuals may not always be aware of the burdens of the stress and trauma that accompanies them, and nor may their new employment organisations and host countries. For the well-being of the workforce in various settings, it is thus critical that the effects of terrorism on employees and their organisations become better understood.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    New Zealand's response to the threat of terrorism since "9-11" 2001 : submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Defence and Strategic Studies at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2007) Butcher, Tania H
    This thesis discusses New Zealand (NZ) government responses to the threat of terrorism since the terrorist attacks on icons of power within the United States of America (USA) on 11 September 2001. The thesis describes the preventative methods and practices adopted by NZ government agencies towards protecting NZ borders against terrorists and surreptitious attempts to violate border rules and regulations. Methods of border control reflect the government's assessment of the risks of "international terrorism" against New Zealanders' well-being and environment. The study is based on qualitative research drawing on a range of sources including newspaper articles, journals, submissions to the NZ Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill, interviews with defence and security experts, ministerial reports. Hansard, and relevant texts on terrorism. Findings highlight the challenging perceptions of new-age terrorism, the wide-ranging terrorist targets vital to the well-being of nations, the silent and merciless lethality of biological terrorism, the growing NZ involvement in counterterrorism, and issues surrounding state security versus human rights.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The impact of security on Philippine tourism : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Dela Cruz, Josephine Andres
    This study investigates the nexus between security and tourism within the development context within political structures and institutions examining specifically the impacts of security issues on the tourism industry of the Philippines. The latest global security events and the country's volatile security situation caused by political instability issues, terrorism and incidence of crime have together posed serious threats to the government's efforts to promote the country as a premiere tourist destination While tourism may be perceived by many social science and development writers as just a western mechanism to propagate capitalism, it has, for most Third World countries like the Philippines, nevertheless contributed significantly to their economies in terms of foreign exchange earnings, taxes and jobs generated. In examining the impact of security events and issues on Philippine tourism, a quantitative analysis which compared arrivals before and after security events led to the finding that terrorism caused the biggest declines. The fieldwork results which were based on surveys of tourists (both foreign and domestic), hotel management staff, and officials from government and the industry itself also led to a similar proposition that terrorism has affected travel decisions more than political instability and crime. However, fieldwork also revealed that internal conflicts caused by clashes between the government and Muslim and communist rebels have influenced tourists' choice of tourist destinations both in the countries they travel to and among the destinations in the Philippines. While political instability and incidents of crime within the Philippines did not seriously concern tourists on the whole, problems of corruption and a perceived weak government system to solve local security incidents have surfaced indicating the need for strategies to address problems within political institutions and structures. There were also differences in perceptions of fear and security between foreign and domestic tourists, and also among foreign tourists of different nationalities. Considering these observed perception levels in promoting tourism to these different groups may be more effective in attracting tourists to the country. This study concludes that Philippine tourism can recover from the consequences of both global and local security events provided that the government imposes stricter and more effective security systems, engages in more effective promotional strategies which target particular nationalities, and continues to cooperate with its ASEAN neighbors and international organizations like the WTO and WTTC to resolve security issues at hand. Utilization of risk management plans and crisis management plans implemented by countries that were affected by security problems in the past should provide some valuable means to the Philippines, and any other country with security problems. Overall, a combination of factors such as the active involvement of the Philippines in regional activities, constant dialogues with rebel forces and other insurgent groups, prosecution of perpetuators of terrorist acts and crimes, and a government of good integrity will enable tourism to lead to development.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    What effect has the tragedy that occurred on September 11th 2001 had on international security measures at the United Nations? : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Aviation Management at Massey University, Albany, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2006) Gilbert, Catherine
    The tragedy of 11th September 2001 (9/11), took place on United States soil, and deeply affected the psyche of American people. Many other countries and organisations based within those countries, suddenly felt much more vulnerable from terrorist attacks. One such organisation was the United Nations (UN). Furthermore, in August 2003, the UN suffered its own major security disaster, "Some officials called it the UN's own version of 9/11" (D. Pitt, 2004); with the bombing of its Baghdad office in Iraq and loss of twenty two UN staff members' lives. For the UN, with offices all around the world, ensuring that its buildings are secure and its staff members are safe is a complicated business as it is usually reliant on the Host Government to assist with the security and safety of its staff, which can create complications in war torn and beleaguered countries. The UN therefore has the difficult task of ensuring security needs are being achieved in its locations worldwide; whilst still achieving the following efforts in those locations: "to prevent violent conflict, resolve conflicts that have erupted, protect civilians and deliver humanitarian assistance, keep the peace when combatants have reached a truce, and build lasting peace in the aftermath of war,,. (Kofi Annan, UN SecretaryGeneral, 2004). This thesis therefore seeks to explore the ongoing effects that the 9/11 tragedy has had on international security measures in the UN. It will explore internal (to the UN) and external documents, newspaper articles, books, web articles and other material to present a comprehensive document on these measures. This thesis will also discuss the issues that have hampered the UWs endeavors to counter terrorism through a number of UN conventions, which address specific factions and acts, but with no international agreed definition of terrorism.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Globalisation and the spread of terrorism in northern and sub-Saharan Africa : causes and consequences : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Defence Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2011) Smith, Una
    The problems of Africa have for so long seemingly been ignored or played down. Poverty, political corruption and the adverse effects of globalisation have taken their toll. This can lead people to a feeling of desperation which leads to a willingness to do anything to escape their fate. A surplus in failed states means an increase in terrorism, transnational crime, and piracy. This work explores the preconditions of terrorism to flourish, and the conditions that are prevalent in regions of Africa.