"Paradoxical alchemy" : an examination of the New Zealand Special Operations Forces' relationships in key security networks : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

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dc.confidentialEmbargo : Noen_US
dc.contributor.advisorBall, Rhys
dc.contributor.authorWharton, Miriam
dc.date.accessioned2021-11-15T05:04:26Z
dc.date.accessioned2022-05-17T21:43:28Z
dc.date.available2021-11-15T05:04:26Z
dc.date.available2022-05-17T21:43:28Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractDrawing on thirty-five interviews with senior military and security personnel, this thesis investigates how the New Zealand Special Operations Forces (NZSOF) maintain their relationships across three key security networks. The three networks are the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), the New Zealand National Security Sector (NZNSS), and the Five Special Operations Forces (5SOF). The thesis specifically focuses on how the NZSOF formally and informally engage within these network relationships. The research identifies fifteen common characteristics that the NZSOF exhibit when engaging in these relationships. It then analyses two additional overarching characteristics displayed across these three networks: commonality and utility. Once the characteristics are defined, it then examines how the seventeen relational characteristics feed into the NZSOF's relational dynamics. The thesis finds that, at times, paradoxical relationships can also occur when liminality, ambiguity, and tension manifest in these relational dynamics. The research argues that the NZSOF have two possible approaches to these paradoxes, either to resolve them through changing their relational characteristics, potentially sacrificing their relational dynamism, or they can harness their paradoxical characteristics to support their security relationships, that also potentially comes at a cost. The thesis concludes by exploring the latter option which requires the NZSOF to employ a paradoxical alchemy, to hold the tensions in balance. However, alchemy is not a simple proposition; it is an inherently complex idea that necessitates active management, creativity, and more than a little magic. This will be the future challenge for the NZSOF's contemporary security relationships.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/17111
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectNew Zealand Special Operations Forcesen
dc.subjectInterorganizational relationsen
dc.subjectSpecial forces (Military science)en
dc.subjectNew Zealanden
dc.subject.anzsrc440804 Defence studiesen
dc.title"Paradoxical alchemy" : an examination of the New Zealand Special Operations Forces' relationships in key security networks : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorWharton, Miriamen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineDefence and Security Studiesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorMassey Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
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