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Item Skilled migrant women : evolving or devolving careers : a study exploring the unfolding career experiences of skilled migrant women : a dissertation presented in the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Odedra, NimeeshaThis research explores how the career experiences of skilled migrant women unfolds over the first ten years in their host country, New Zealand. Most scholars have classified ‘skilled’ migrants as people on the move, possessing tertiary or professional qualifications and/or professional experience at the time they leave their home countries to seek employment elsewhere (Al Ariss & Syed, 2011). Women comprise almost half of the skilled migrants approved permanent residency in New Zealand, and they bring with them skills, qualifications and experience that are highly advantageous to organisations in today’s competitive marketplace. However, their skills are often under-utilised, and while this has repercussions for the migrant women themselves, it can cost organisations substantially in lost productivity. Although some studies have explored the career experiences of skilled migrant women, relatively little is known about the complex interplay of factors that shape their career pathways, or how skilled migrant women utilise their agency in navigating their career in the host country. To address this gap, this study provides a deeper contextual understanding of the career experiences of skilled migrant women in New Zealand by exploring their experiences through the lens of contemporary migration and career theories. This research is guided by the question: how do the career experiences of skilled migrant women unfold in their host country? There were two underlying research objectives: i) to provide more in-depth understanding and meaning to the life and career experiences of skilled migrant women, and ii) to contribute to existing migration and career theories by exploring the applicability of career and migration theories to the career experiences of skilled migrant women. This study adopts an interpretivist philosophical approach aligned with a constructionist stance which focuses on how the participant makes sense of their career, specifically on how they construct and experience their career in New Zealand (which is the host country context of this study). A career life history approach is utilised as this is appropriate for an exploratory nature of this study, allowing participants to reconstruct events subjectively and meaningfully in their social and cultural context and in their own words. By embracing a holistic classification of career, this research takes into consideration the whole life perspective of the participants’ careers. The findings of this study were informed by 40 semi-structured life narrative interviews conducted with skilled migrant women in New Zealand. Thematic narrative analysis of the data was used to shed light on how skilled migrant women’s experiences aligned with contemporary migration and contemporary career theoretical frameworks. The migration theoretical frameworks examined in the course of this study are the relational perspective (Syed, 2008), the integrated model (Tharmaseelan et al, 2010), the highly skilled migrant women's career development framework (van den Bergh & Du Plessis, 2012), the skilled migrant’s qualification-matched employment model (Shirmohammadi et al, 2018), modes of engagement (Al Ariss, 2010), and theory of motivation to integrate (Cerdin et al., 2014). The three-phase career model (O'Neil & Bilimoria, 2005) and the kaleidoscope career model (Mainiero & Sullivan, 2005) were the contemporary career theories examined. This study focuses on the evolving/devolving career experiences skilled migrant women have due to the major disruption of international career transition. In contextualising the findings of this study, three theoretical contributions to the understanding of how skilled migrant women’s careers unfold are made. The first contribution is to existing international migration literature. The second contribution this study makes is to career theories. The third, and critical, contribution this study makes is the nexus of international migration and career literature together. The careers of skilled migrant women are under-explored and under-theorised in both these literatures. In addition, by adopting an exploratory life history approach and utilising a lifeline perspective, which anchored critical events, enabling participants to reconstruct experiences subjectively and meaningfully in their own words, this study makes a key methodological contribution. This study adds to the body of knowledge on skilled migrant women, both as a group and as individuals, which may be of strategic benefit to organisations thus making a practical contribution. This study does have some limitations, and further research could mitigate some of these. First, the study was undertaken in New Zealand. A comparative study undertaken in other countries would be informative and beneficial. Secondly, a more diverse and representative sample would be favourable. Thirdly, a more diverse representation of participants in terms of the LGBT+ community and the additional challenges they may face would make this study more inclusive. Finally, potentially a quantitative study could be applied to approach a broader research scenario.Item Experiences of women of colour who were third culture kids or internationally mobile youth : an exploratory study of implications for global leadership development : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Chatiya Nantham, Rhema RojaGlobal leadership development programmes (GLDPs) are typically focussed on competency development and teaching culturally appropriate etiquette, but, adapting to new contexts often involves challenges to people’s sense of self, addressing an area which is known as identity work. Learning from people who encountered such challenges early in life could assist in developing global leaders by offering insights into the kinds of identity work strategies needed to deal with their offshore posting, and to ensure that identity work processes are designed into such programmes. To address these aims, this study draws on the lived experiences of nine women of colour who lived outside their home country as children or adolescents, a cohort known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), to identify various identity-related issues they encountered and the lessons these experiences offer for global leadership development. As such, this interdisciplinary study draws on and contributes to literatures related to TCKs and Adult TCKs (ATCKs), global leadership development, and identity work for leadership development. This qualitative study comprised a series of workshops designed specifically to foster identity work amongst the participants. The data was collected via virtual focus group discussions. The study adopted a combination of participatory and emancipatory action research approaches, underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology and is theoretically informed by Critical Race Feminism, anti-racist feminisms, and identity theory as key influences. These decisions reflect the aim of centring attention on a cohort routinely understudied in the TCK, global leadership development and leadership development literatures, namely women of colour. The findings were thematically analysed via an inductive approach to identify the experiences and identity work strategies of participants as TCKs in response to the racist-sexist prejudices they encountered, their implicit leadership theories and their approach to leadership, showing how the focus group process was itself a vehicle for doing identity work in relationship to their leader identities. I identify the lessons that can be drawn from TCKs, and from the methods used in this study, to inform the deployment of identity work in GLDPs. From these findings, I develop frameworks explaining the identity work processes experienced by TCKs and how they internalised their leadership identity via the methods used in my study and build models for GLDPs from these insights.Item Staging Chinese Kiwi voices : Chinese representations in New Zealand theatre : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Lam, Cynthia Hiu YingThis thesis explores how Chinese Kiwi theatre makers challenge hegemonic discourses regarding representations of Chinese people in theatre. Up until 1996, narratives and representations of Chinese people in mainstream New Zealand media have been muted, objectified, or confined to fixed stereotypes. In this study, I demonstrate how four contemporary Chinese Kiwi theatre artists have (re)negotiated, reclaimed, and rewritten the subjectivity and narratives of Chinese people in New Zealand. This will be examined within the postcolonial and binational framework that is specific to Aotearoa. Through the examination of specific theatrical works by Lynda Chanwai-Earle, Renee Liang, Mei-Lin Te Puea Hansen, and Alice Canton, I demonstrate how they have challenged hegemonic discourses and Pākehā-narrated histories regarding the Chinese. Their works cover the lives of the early Chinese mining community (referred to as the ‘old Chinese’), to more contemporary representations (the ‘new Chinese’) that involve different sub-sets within the community. The relationship and tensions between Māori, Chinese and Pākehā will be analysed throughout. The subjectivity of Chinese women will also be reclaimed by debunking the stereotype of the ‘Oriental woman’ through matrilineal narratives and autobiography. Finally, the transformative and reconciliatory impact of their works will be examined and dissected. In this thesis, I argue that the work of the Chinese Kiwi artists I explore gestures to the need to negotiate the Chinese place, or ‘non-place’, within the dominant hegemonic narrative. I argue that these artists make strong claims through their work for the bicultural framework that privileges the Māori-Pākehā dialogue to be expanded to include the Chinese voice. I conclude that the Chinese Kiwi theatre artists have propelled the once muted Chinese voice from the margins, and have begun to carve a space into the dominant New Zealand narrative.Item Gender, migration and politics : pre- and post-migration experiences of Iranian women in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Politics, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Kooshesh, ParisaIslam and Muslim women have become objects of considerable political controversy in countries such as Australia, France, and the USA, although less so in New Zealand. The dress-codes, customs and political allegiances of Muslim women are all debated for political reasons, and yet the diversity among these women is commonly overlooked. However, this study of women who have come to New Zealand from an orthodox Islamic regime shows quite different political orientations and issues in regards to migrant females from Muslim countries in the West. The main aims of this study are to examine the motivations of Iranian females to emigrate from Iran to New Zealand, and to investigate how they redefine their individual and social identities in the new country. The researcher involved semi-structured interviews with 34 Iranian females who migrated to New Zealand between 1979 and 2012. Their lived experiences (pre- and post-migration) are interpreted in the context of wider political ideologies, institutions, laws, social norms, and practices (of Iran and New Zealand) to show how political context influences what people can or cannot do in everyday life. In terms of the women’s motivations for migration, the study shows considerable variety. The participants’ stories reveal how the prevailing political ideology and gender-related policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran affected their daily lives, and how these policies influenced decisions to emigrate. These decisions are both ‘political acts’ and personal choices, involving personal aspirations as well as resistance to Iran’s political ideology and gender discrimination. In terms of post-migration experiences, this study illustrates how New Zealand’s social and political context has influenced the participants’ self-perceptions, their social roles as women, and the ways they relate to public institutions. The study also explores how these changes have affected power-relations within their families. Migration for Iranian females can involve a mixture of gains and losses to quality-of-life. Most commonly, however, these women find that adjusting to a new society and its more liberal, gender-equal environment means greater autonomy and agency. This study also investigates how participants redefine their post-migration social identities. The large majority of participants create a secular social identity after migration. They report being judged according to stereotypical expectations of Muslims, and they use diverse strategies to redefine who they are.Item Filipino women's health study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Norrish, LianaBackground: Western acculturation has been shown to be detrimental to health outcomes. Recently, more Filipinos are migrating to New Zealand, which may increase lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Furthermore, Filipino populations already have a higher incidence of chronic disease and less favourable health outcomes than their Western counterparts. Understanding their risk will assist development of public health initiatives which can be utilised to protect the health of the growing Filipino New Zealand migrant population. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease among recently immigrated Filipino women Method: 62 recently-immigrated Filipino women, aged 19-45, were recruited from Auckland, New Zealand. A health and demographic information questionnaire was completed. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and waist circumference) and blood pressure were measured. Both total and percent body fat were determined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fasting glucose, insulin, and lipids were measured. Physical activity data was monitored by accelerometers and two-day food diaries were completed. Homeostasis Model Assessment 2 was used to quantify insulin resistance. The 30-year Framingham Risk Score was used to classify participants into low-, medium-, or high-risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to the modified National Cholesterol Education Programme criteria was determined. Results: Body mass index, waist circumference, and percent body fat were positively correlated with higher insulin resistance. Smokers had higher insulin resistance than non-smokers. However, 90% of participants had a low long-term risk of developing cardiovascular disease and 10% of participants met the metabolic syndrome criteria. This study was cross-sectional and provided used self-selection sampling. Conclusion: Anthropometric measures and smoking were associated with higher insulin resistance in participants. Participants with metabolic syndrome (10%) were at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study highlights the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease development, and the need for further research, in this Filipino migrant population. These findings also create a platform for improving New Zealand health programmes by targeting appropriate risk factors to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce risk of developing diabetes, and will help to raise awareness in the Filipino community.Item A retrospective and cross-sectional study to evaluate the effect of dietary acculturation on the dietary calcium intake among Filipino women who recently immigrated to New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Human Nutrition at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Monzales, Rosario PillarFilipinos in New Zealand have steadily grown in number over recent decades, and the majority undergo a dietary acculturation process, or the dietary adaptation of individuals in their host country. In the Philippines, the nutrient with the highest inadequacy in the diet is calcium, primarily contributed by fish and indigenous vegetables that are not readily available in New Zealand. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of dietary acculturation on the calcium intake of Filipino women recently immigrated to New Zealand and to explore the primary factors affecting their bone mineral status. Sixty-two (62) healthy pre-menopausal Filipino women (20–45 years old) were recruited. Current and previous dietary calcium intake, serum 25(OH)D (nmol/L) (n=61), physical activity data via an accelerometer, and bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were measured. Gross lean mass was calculated (total mass – [whole body total bone content + total fat mass]). Variables considered to be associated with bone mineral status were applied to a multiple regression analysis using the enter method. The median calcium intake for New Zealand [418 (260, 620) mg d-1] after immigration was significantly lower than the intake in the Philippines [506 (358, 823) mg d-1], Z= -2.41, p=0.02, medium effect size r=0.22. The significant predictor of bone mineral status among Filipino women was gross lean mass, whereas current and previous dietary calcium intake, physical activity and serum 25(OH)D were not found to be significant. However, a high prevalence (69%) of serum 25(OH)D <50nmol/L (mild–moderate deficiency) was detected. These findings illustrate the potential detrimental consequences of dietary acculturation on the essential nutrient intake of immigrants, but also provide an opportunity to correct previous dietary inadequacies by exposure to corresponding nutrient-dense foods from the host country.Item From the margins : Filipina skilled migrants tell their stories : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Sevillano, Lilia MariaFor decades, the Philippine government has sent many of its citizens overseas as part of its labor migration policy. Filipinos also leave home due to the economic instability, graft and corruption that have plagued the country post-colonially. When feminized labor demand increased, around the 1990s, the phenomenon of mass Filipino women migration began and continues to this day. Filipinas living or working overseas are often ethnically stereotyped as either ‘maids’ or ‘mail order brides.’ The dominant focus of previous research on Filipina domestic workers and mail order brides has, in some respect, reproduced and reinforced these racial, sexist and classist stereotypes. This literature has all but neglected the fact that many Filipina migrants are skilled professionals. Except for the nursing profession, the migration experiences of skilled Filipina professionals remain invisible in the literature. This study addresses this gap in the literature and creates a space for the experiences of Filipina professionals living and working in New Zealand to be brought to the fore. I conducted repeat interviews with seven Filipinas who migrated to New Zealand. The interviews focused on their migration experiences, how they made sense of their migration, and how they negotiated their identities as women and as migrants somewhere new. Using a narrative approach, I was guided by feminist and Sikolohiyang Pilipino research principles that placed the women’s voices and narratives at the center throughout the whole research process. More specifically, I used Brown and Gilligan’s (1992) voice-centered relational method to analyze the transcriptions. This method complemented both feminist and Sikolohiyang Pilipino principles because it allowed the women’s voices to be heard more clearly and provided a sensitivity to the diverse perspectives that emerged. Although the women were all Filipinas, the diversity across their migrant experiences ranged from feeling humiliated by participating in menial household tasks, to drawing closer together as a family, through to feeling proud of being able to accomplish many tasks alone. There were also commonalities with regard to the physical, social, and professional transitions that they encountered. As a whole, the women made successful transitions as they assimilated into New Zealand society. These women were happy about the decision to make New Zealand their home. This research contributes a new narrative to Filipina migrant experiences that celebrates the stoicism and successes of the Filipina.Item Skilled women ethnic immigrants : is there any point at which being a multiple minority becomes an advantage, as predicted by Dual Process Theory? : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand(Massey University, 2017) Madambi, FaraiPrevious research on bias has focused on selection bias in recruitment. This research explores the issue of Treatment Bias (lack of advancement or promotion opportunities). The context for the research is potential treatment bias against skilled immigrant women from a range of different ethnic backgrounds, some of whom may experience bias yet others not. The purpose of this research is to test the theories of treatment bias in particular to find out whether Dual Process Theory can help close the gap in understanding of why some skilled immigrant women may not always be accepted in sustainable (respectful, recognition of skills) forms of livelihood in New Zealand workplaces. The research examines the interplay of psychological theories of similarity attraction, social identity, social dominance and realistic conflict with minority influence theory, which suggests that minority status might actually become an advantage for consistent minorities, e.g., minorities that are a minority across multiple criteria (such as “woman” AND “immigrant” AND “ethnic”). Sixty-five immigrant women with approximately 6.35 years’ experience working in a diverse range of New Zealand organisations completed a scenario-type questionnaire based on their direct experiences of working in New Zealand. Participants ranked employers’ perceived preference for promotion, perceived similarity/cultural fit to the majority culture/workplace, perceived status in the workplace and perceived threat or competitiveness for promotion opportunities. Employees were presented in the scenarios as equally skilled, qualified and all performed at the same level. In a 2x2x2 factorial design, majority and minority status for each employee to be ranked was systematically varied by gender (male/female), ethnicity (ethnic/non-ethnic) and immigration status (immigrant/non-immigrant). Despite equality of qualifications, experience and performance, there was no point at which being a minority presented an advantage as predicated by the minority influence theory. Instead, the mean ranking for perceived preference for promotion revealed that the majority was consistently preferred over single (e.g., female, or immigrant, or ethnic) then double (any combination of two of the above minority criteria) then treble minorities. There was also co-variation between minority status on the one hand and social dominance, social identity, realistic conflict and similarity attraction on the other, suggesting a combined explanatory role for each construct (similarity, identity, etc.) in treatment bias. With each step from single, double to treble minority status there was a consistent decrement in perceived preference; the results showed clear preference for the majority with no particular preference or advantage for the minority at any stage. Discussion focuses on opportunities for future research and improvements regarding the methodology for future research.Item Reconstructing home : Zimbabwean women in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Women's Studies at Massey University(Massey University, 2005) Jumo, Mercy Chipo Tracy'Reconstructing home: Zimbabwean women in New Zealand' is a feminist project focusing on the migration experiences of four women aged in their early twenties to late fifties resident in New Zealand over a period of two to five years. Given the expansive nature of women and migration studies, this project presents a partial, situated, reality of the vast migrant experiences of Zimbabwean women in New Zealand. The project uses the concept of 'home' and its potential for belonging or exclusion to explore the implication of gender in the construction of the women's identities. The findings of the project highlight that the identities of the participants arose from perceived differences resulting from their gender, race, ethnicity, age and social status. As a result, home and identity are inflexed as abode, identity, action, a way of life and behaviour. The project centres Zimbabwean women in migration by giving voice to women who are a racial and ethnic minority in New Zealand. The project also acknowledges the diversity of Zimbabwean and celebrates the diversity of these women as shown by their subjectively fluid and sometimes simultaneous positioning in place and time as they interact at home, work, amongst themselves, and in society at large. The project goes beyond identifying the traditional migrant adjustment problems to acknowledging the women's resilience and innovation in seeking a better life for themselves thus transcending the silent sufferer image popularised of women migrants. The resilience and ability to restrategise in face of shifting multiple and changing oppressions resembles a continuous building process through which the participants continue to construct and remodel places in which they best know themselves and ones they can call 'home'.Item "Maybe because we are too Chilean" : stories of migration from Hispanic women living in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2015) Smythe Contreras, Katherinne ChristinWorldwide, immigrants are significantly more likely to develop health and mental health issues compared to host and home populations. Very little is known about this phenomenon from a qualitative perspective, especially among diverse ethnic minority immigrant cultures within a New Zealand context. This study examines the experiences of Hispanic immigrant women living in New Zealand, specifically looking at identity and meaning making. Seven interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed using narrative analysis. Findings revealed participants drew from the “ethnic identity” and “role identity” narratives to construct identities. Through identities, participants connected with others, providing a sense of belonging. In moving and adapting to New Zealand, identities were compromised, lost, or re-adjusted. If identities were not adjusted to meet a new demand, participants did not connect or obtain a sense of belonging towards others and/or New Zealand. In meaning making, participants constructed New Zealand as facilitating and validating, enabling access to resources through trust, and validation as individuals within a sense of security. Participants initially felt lonely in New Zealand, needing connections with others beyond their partners. The concept and expectations of friendships needed reconstruction, where Kiwi friends are constructed as temporary, have more personal boundaries and are less accessible and physical towards one another. Participants also found understanding the Kiwi accent a challenge if previously exposed to other English accents. Some participants constructed experiencing depression as part of the migration process, where “keeping busy” became a helpful coping mechanism. Participants also validated their experiences through comparisons with others they perceived as “normal”. This was helpful in normalizing challenges, and providing an expectation for personal future outcomes. Lastly, participants constructed Migration as a cognitive process, empowering the migrant as responsible for their migration outcome through the process of choice making. This research revealed specifically what and how cultural differences impact Hispanic women who have migrated to New Zealand, and the complexity of migration as an internal cognitive process with expected negative outcomes such as depression. Being a novel area of research, this study illustrates the potential knowledge that can be gained from future research into immigrant populations using qualitative methods.