Tesis:

1

Robinson, Paul F. "CHESS: Chief Executive Stress Survival: a study of occupational stress in New Zealand top management". Thesis, University of Auckland, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2342.

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This study develops and used a CHESS (chief Executive Stress Survival) model developed from the occupational stress literature to predict variations in the psychological and physical stress experience and health risk of chief Executives of New Zealand organisations. The model proposes that stress is a sequential process with identifiable phases and that variation are mainly due to the frequency of environmental experiences and stressor factors which are both “chronic” and “episodic”, “at work” and “outside work”. The model also assumes, however, that the impact of the environmental variables and stressor factors are moderated by individual personality differences, coping mechanisms and stress management practices. The model was tested on a sample of 107 male chief Executive officers and General Managers. It was found that the majority of the sample (80%) were relatively stress resistant and healthy. Stepwise multiple regression was used to test the model, and some evidence derived suggests that the frequency of environmental problems does predict various stress symptoms and that environmental stressors ultimately predict health risk profiles. Individual differences are shown as being largely independent variables predicting stress, rather that being moderating variables as suggested by the model. Coping and stress management variables are also shown to play a significant moderating role in the stress - outcome relationship. Some evidence derived suggests that there may be individual manager profiles, provisionally labelled “stress immune” vs “vulnerable” and “ill - health preventers” vs “non-preventers”. Due to the depth of the cross-sectional data obtained on this rarely studied management level, some comparison with published information on other researched groups are explored. A number of limitations of the study are noted. The practical implications for this senior management group of the findings of this study are also examined.
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2

Page, Carole. "An Empirical Analysis of the Perceived Skills and Charateristics of Managerial Effectiveness". Thesis, University of Auckland, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2035.

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The primary purpose of this research was to establish whether different perspectives on managerial effectiveness could be integrated to derive a common core of skills and characteristics. The different perspectives include management theory, strategic management and international business perspectives, and the competency-based approach to management effectiveness in the United Kingdom, The United States, and New Zealand. The research programme used a blend of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Each phase of research is supported by a review of the international literature and empirical field work conducted in New Zealand. A research tool relatively new to management research, Concept Mapping (Trochim, 1989a, 1989b), was to allow qualitative verbal statements to be described in terms of both quantitative and spatial relationships. A singular advantage of Concept Mapping is that collection and analysis of data is conducted without imposing research constructs at any stage, and a distillation of a core set of skills and characteristics can be derived through the reiterative process of Concept Mapping. In addition to Concept Mapping sessions with practicing managers and management educators and developers, two national surveys were conducted. In essence, the research builds a framework of the factors influencing managerial effectiveness through literature reviews and empirical work to generate a predictor variable list then tests that list for predictive strength. The primary outcomes of the research were: 1) the identification of a set of skills and characteristics that discriminate classes of effectiveness and ineffectiveness; and 2) the provision of a conceptual framework for analysing the similarities and differences between models of managerial effectiveness.

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3

Kang, Yuanfei. "Performance and network governance in international joint ventures: case studies of three China-New Zealand JVs". Thesis, University of Auckland, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2486.

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This thesis examines the relationships between performance, evolution and network governance of international joint ventures from a dynamic perspective. This is accomplished with a two-stage examination of case studies on the China-New Zealand joint ventures in China, involving two case studies in the first stage and one case study in the second stage. The exploratory and narrative research aims to aid theory building in the area of assessment and determination for IJV performance. In an investigation of the case IJVs between the Chinese and New Zealand firms, the study results in the development of three conceptual models of IJV performance and network relationships, namely, the Static Goal Model, the Goal Succession Model, and the Goal Emergence Model. These conceptual models adopt goal attainment as the criterion for assessing UV performance, and address goal attainment from a dynamic perspective by using a network approach. The theoretical models are illustrated and supported by the empirical evidence from the longitudinal case studies. The conceptual models differ from existing models of IJV performance in a number of important aspects, and thus contribute to theory relating to IJV performance in the following ways. These models integrate the concepts from the three research areas of performance, governance structure and dynamic evolution into a conceptual framework addressing IJV performance. Two types (organisational and interpersonal) of IJV network relationships are identified, and complex multiple tiers of network relationships in each type and their influence on JV performance and evolution are discussed. The study highlights the influence of network relationships and their evolution on IJV performance by arguing that IJV performance hinges on whether a trend of institutionalising the mechanism of trust building and conflict resolution and of balancing the network relationships within the IJV arrangement emerges from the process of IJV dynamic evolution. This research was solely undertaken by the author for the purpose of a thesis submitted in fulfilling the requirements for the degree of Ph. D at the University of Auckland.

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4

Zhang, Yue. "The usage of third party logistics in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Applied Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/987.

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The aim of this research is to investigate the use of third party logistics in New Zealand companies from the users’ perspective and to identify the improvement opportunities in the New Zealand environment. The empirical research is used to investigate the reasons for undertaking or not outsourcing logistics activities in New Zealand companies; to investigate the extent of use of third party logistics services in New Zealand and the influence of firm sizes and different industries on different aspects of 3PL (third party logistics) practices; to investigate critical success factors and attributes of selecting and evaluating 3PL service providers by users of 3PL in New Zealand; to establish the impact of usage of 3PL providers on New Zealand companies; to evaluate the satisfaction level of New Zealand 3PL services; to investigate the future plans of current 3PL users in New Zealand. The results showed that 3PL has been accepted by New Zealand organizations; with more than half of the respondents using 3PL. Current users accepted that 3PL allows them to gain a number of benefits and believe that 3PL has more positive impacts than negative. With a high level of satisfaction, a large number of user firms are likely to maintain and moderately increase the use of 3PL in the near future. The results of this study provide useful information for both 3PL providers and users. Providers should be aware of the most frequently used services, the potential trend, and develop their capabilities accordingly in terms of these future requirements. The experience of the firms in this study also provides insights as to the benefits of outsourcing logistics activities and how to plan for implementation for 3PL users.

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5

Alonso, Abel Duarte. "Wine tourism experiences in New Zealand: an exploratory study". Lincoln University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1046.

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Recently, New Zealand's wine industry has made remarkable progress. For example, the number of hectares planted in grapes increased from 4,880 in 1990, to 15,479 in 2003, and the number of wineries increased from 175 in 1993 to 421 in 2003. Projections for 2006 indicate that the growth of wine exports should nearly double from 2003, with expected revenues of $NZ 736 million. However, despite this growth, little has been reported about developments in New Zealand's wine tourism industry, or about consumer perceptions of the winery experience in the form of published academic research. The limited amount of information, particularly from the visitors' points of view, may not only be preventing winery operators and the wine industry in general from having a better understanding of their visitors, but also from addressing the needs of different visitor segments. Resulting implications for winery operators may include forgone business opportunities, and customers not fully benefiting in terms of product and service quality. Recent studies indicate that this last element is particularly important in wine tourism. This study reports the results of an exploratory research project conducted in New Zealand wineries that investigated aspects of the winery experience, including wine involvement, satisfaction with the winery experience, and visitor demographics. An index to measure involvement with wine, the wine involvement index (WIX), was developed and utilised to investigate whether wine involvement had an impact on winery visitors' behaviour. Data were collected from winery visitors via questionnaires distributed in a sample of wineries in different wine regions of New Zealand. A total of 609 usable responses were obtained (24.8% response rate). The results indicate a number of differences between the independent, dependent, and moderating variables. For example, it was found that age, whether visitors are domestic or international, and different levels of wine involvement appear to have a clear impact on winery expenditure. In addition, the WIX was confirmed to be a useful tool, for example, by identifying potential relationships between different groups of winery visitors. The results add new knowledge to the area of wine tourism, and offer useful information for wineries and the wine tourism industry. This information includes the potential commercial significance of some visitor groups. An additional contribution of this study is the 'complete wine tourism research model.' This concept presents an alternative to existing wine tourism models, and points out attributes and dimensions that play a major role in the winery experience.

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6

Khan, Khalid. "The violation of psychological contract : possible causes for the failure of organizational incentive systems to motivate knowledge sharing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Human Resource Management, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1223.

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Researchers and practitioners have linked the survivability of organization to their ability to manage their knowledge resource. This ability of the organizations depends on providing the technological support for the creation of knowledge, organizational structures (such as the organization reward systems) and the willingness of their employees to share their knowledge. Developments in information and communication technologies have facilitated organizations in developing the infrastructures that are required for the dissemination of knowledge. Organizations are thus left with the challenge of developing organizational structures that will motivate knowledge sharing among its employees. The knowledge sharing problem, which was once seen as an issue of capturing can codifying information, is now seen as a challenge of motivating individuals, the true owner of knowledge, to share their valuable resource. Behavioural scientists have taken interest in knowledge sharing as a form of helping behaviour which is directed at the organizations or member within the organizations. Although organizations have great desire that their managers engage in this behaviour, it is the discretion of their employees whether they want to share or withhold their knowledge. Organizational structural control mechanisms (such as the performance evaluation systems) have limited success in enforcing such behaviour as there are no means of measuring its outputs. Organizations depend on their incentive systems to motivate knowledge sharing. Research into motivation indicates that there is no easy fix to achieve this. Organizations have to balance the use extrinsic and intrinsic motivators, considering the specific motivational requirements of their employees. Motivational interventions, such as the use of incentives, are dependent on the level of trust the employees have in their managers and the organization in whole to deliver on those incentives in a fair and equitable manner. Where trust levels are not sufficient, employees tend to ignore such incentives and tend to further disinvest discretionary efforts. The current study used the psychological contract theory as a frame work for understanding the dynamics of the employee-employer exchange. The central premise of the theory is that employees tend to lose trust in the organization or the agent of the organization, when they perceive that their expectations have not been met. In addition to the lost of trust, psychological contract violation is also negatively associated with desirable organization behaviours and attitudes – such as commitment, in-role and extra-role effort – and is positively associated with undesirable organization behaviours and attitudes such as intention of turnover. The current study used a qualitative research design to investigate how the violation of the psychological contract can add to the ineffectiveness of the organization incentive system to motivate knowledge sharing. Using semistructured interviews the participants were provided with short scenarios (vignettes) which simulated occurrences of psychological contract violation. The participants, acting as informants, responded to question with regards to how the situations depicted in the vignettes would affect the vignette characters’ work behaviours, specifically their desire to share knowledge.

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7

Jayamaha, Nihal P. "Validity of business excellence models : a conceptual and empirical analysis : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/827.

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The validity of three key Business Excellence (BE) models used in the Asia Pacific—the Australian Business Excellence Framework (Australia), the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (New Zealand) and the Singapore Quality Award Criteria (Singapore)—was examined from a conceptual as well as a predictive standpoint. Unlike in many past studies, in this study the validity of the measurement criteria stipulated in BE models have been directly assessed. The conceptual validity of the three BE models was studied through a generic theoretical model using the partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLSBSEM) method. Apart from measurement validity, the strengths of the hypothesised causal relationships between the constructs of the BE models and their practical implementations were also examined under conceptual validity. The predictive validity of the three BE models was examined through linear predictive models involving enablers—being measures in BE models that cover what organisations actually do in order to achieve business outcomes—as predictors and business outcomes as responses. Alongside predictive validity, the reasonableness of the stipulated weights of the enablers was also examined. Other empirical and pragmatic inquiries covered in this study included: (a) a study of the effect of “industry attractiveness” on financial and market performance, and (b) a study of the relationship between BE constructs and “national cultural dimensions”. Results revealed that although the three BE models fulfilled the basic requirements of measurement validity, against more stringent criteria such as those used in psychometrics, they showed low levels of validity. The possible reasons for this were examined and the ways of overcoming the shortcoming were suggested. The generic theoretical model was found to be statistically significant across all three settings: Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. As regards predictive validity, it was observed that enablers appear to be good predictors of business outcomes (thus establishing predictive validity) although there was scope for improvement of the existing weighting scheme of the enablers. This study is important because many organisations in the region use BE models with the expectation of improving their performance in key results areas and hence there is a need to demonstrate that the BE models are based on sound concepts.

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8

Lewis, Kate Valda. "A meaningful life : being a young New Zealand entrepreneur : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/916.

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Changing characteristics of work and careers have resulted in a shift in perceptions of the potential value of entrepreneurial activity. In parallel there has emerged an appreciation of the non-economic impact of entrepreneurship on those who enact it. However, there still remains a limited understanding of the consequences of choosing to be an entrepreneur, and what that choice means in terms of that individual’s life and work. The potential for the young as a group to engage with entrepreneurship as a ‘career option’ is high, therefore the central research objective of this study was to learn what meaning young New Zealand entrepreneurs attach to ‘being in business’. The study was grounded in an inductive, interpretive research design, underpinned by the tenets of constructivism. Phenomenologically focussed, in-depth interviews were used to gather data from ten young New Zealand entrepreneurs. These interviews were semi-structured and emphasised language, meaning, and narrative. The resulting data were analysed using elements of a constructivist grounded theory approach. A key finding was that the nature of the relationship between the entrepreneurs and their firms was a strong attachment grounded in emotion. The intertwining of the life of the business with the life of the young entrepreneur was viewed positively, and frequently involved personal transformation. Businesses were more than mechanisms for achieving monetary wealth. The relationship between the young entrepreneurs and their work was also intense. Balance of work and life was not an issue, nor did they seek to differentiate between the two spheres. They were content to have the two blended in a manner of their choosing. Consistent with this was their drive for personal authenticity and adherence to strong ethical imperatives. Being an entrepreneur was less about career (and even less about a job) and more about fulfilling needs of a higher order. Almost all the participants strongly identified as entrepreneurs. They felt it was the identity most consistent with their values, attitudes, and aspirations. They accepted that in some instances the label small-firm owner manager was accurate in terms of the scale of their operations, but rejected its appropriateness on any other grounds.

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9

Liu, Yun. "The discourse of being a business executive: an exploration of executive coaching advertisements to illuminate the discourse of being a business executive and the degree to which executive coaching engages in psychotherapy : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Management, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/964.

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There has been growing interest in the field of business management in developing methods to improve management competency. One popular management development method has been executive coaching, but because of the unique needs of business executives, executive coaches are constantly looking for new and more effective methods to work with business executives’ life, career, physical, and psychological problems. There has not been an agreed upon solution discovered to solve this problem. On the one hand, it was proposed that there is a need for executive coaches to employ psychotherapeutic methods in coaching to meet the psychological demands of business executives. But on the other hand, there are numerous issues related to standardizing executive coaching methods, qualifying executive coaches, and resolving ethical dilemmas. The author of this thesis views this issue as an over expectation of society of individuals in positions of power and responsibility. This thesis uses social theories to explore the expectations behind the high demands on the performance of business executives, and to illuminate the degree to which executive coaching engages psychotherapy. The findings of this study show that certain themes such as business skills, leadership, self-development, success, interpersonal skills, and achieve work-life balance dominates the advertisements of executive coaching professionals. These advertisements also use rhetorical devices to make these skills seem attractive and important to possess, which inevitably impacts on the view of self of executives and stimulates their desire to self- improve. It was also found that 21.26% of the advertised executive coaching services could be promoted by psychotherapists instead.

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McIntyre, James. "Enhancing the SME NPD process through customer focused design activities: a New Zealand case study". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1073.

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Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) face enormous financial risk when embarking on a new product launch. SMEs are less likely to implement more formal risk minimization strategies for new product development (NPD) such as StageGate, often citing reasons of resource constraints or the more prevalent notion that “this stuff doesn’t apply to us”. Two key elements of any such risk minimization strategies are an early emphasis on benchmarking competitors and a thorough study of the attitudes and behaviours of potential customers. The SME’s investment of time and resource in early acquisition of this knowledge is a critical factor for success (Cooper 2001). Armed with this information, the SME is able to adopt a Customer Focused Design (CFD) strategy, whereby the product development effort is remains focused on the external customers wants and needs through all phases. SMEs that are able to satisfy these needs more effectively enjoy an obvious competitive advantage (Matzler and Hinterhuber 1998; Lüthje 2004). SMEs are often challenged by these tasks (Freel 2000; Larsen and Lewis 2007; Owens 2007). They may be overwhelmed by the prospect of expected costs, lack of expertise, and financial pressures to rush to market. Too often the more conventional path is chosen, whereby a solution is proposed, developed and tested in the market to “see if it sticks”. Such methodologies are less effective and subject the SME to increased financial risk. International studies of SMEs attitudes and behaviour towards NPD reveal common challenges of resource limitations, skills deficiencies and organizational issues (Xueli, Soutar et al. 2002; de Jong and Vermeulen 2006; Siu, Lin et al. 2006; Murphy and Ledwith 2007; Owens 2007). New Zealand firms are no exception, and are burdened with similar challenges as their international counterparts. This study aims to propose a simple framework for small firms who wish to acquire knowledge about their target markets and potential customers with limited time and resources. The framework enables SMEs to incorporate customer focused design principles into their product definition phase, and better orient themselves to the consumer marketplace. The study makes use of a New Zealand based case study to evaluate how the framework may be employed to identify quick and inexpensive efforts that can reproduce some elements of more sophisticated CFD and benchmarking methods. The obtained results are incorporated into a product design specification and embodied into a physical prototype to further illuminate the process. In addition to the primary area of study, prospects for new adjacent product lines and new potential markets for future development are also gained from the research.

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Moriarty, John. "A theory of benchmarking". Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1085.

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Benchmarking is a well established and respected mechanism that contributes to organisational improvement. Its epistemology demonstrates it to be theoretically underdetermined with literature focusing on pragmatism and praxis. Benchmarking's critics hold it to be a-theoretical; failing to provide its practitioners with a reliable basis for distinguishing between effective and ineffective efforts. The purpose of this thesis is to review Benchmarking's epistemology and identify the necessary or sufficient methodological elements contributing to its effectiveness and to establish them within an acceptable theoretical framework. A causal approach is applied to the objectives of organisational benchmarking's current definitions and implementation frameworks. The resulting theoretical framework is then validated against current exemplary benchmarking praxis to explain its effectiveness and satisfy historical criticisms. Central to the approach is the application of supervenience and entailment relationships between benchmarking parties within the umbrella of Peircean Causation to determine the feasibility of a benchmarking proposition. Benchmarking's a priori effectiveness (sufficiency) can be established from an organisational axiom and five logical conditions. This research establishes a new encompassing definition of benchmarking reduces its typology to a single consistent form and establishes an Effective Benchmarking Process that explains current practices and addresses historical criticisms. These logical conditions also explain the effectiveness of empirical frameworks such as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and ISO 9000. A theoretical foundation for benchmarking provides a platform for extending the theory of organisational improvement. It also has significant potential to enhance organisational sustainability by reducing wasted effort. This research focuses on the causal linkages between benchmarking and organisational sustainability. The research establishes a new definition of benchmarking, specifies necessary and sufficient conditions for its application and frames practitioner efforts within an Effective Benchmarking Process (EBP).

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12

Macdonald, Julie Susan. "Who talks, what they talk about, and how much they say : a study of bulletin structure and source use in New Zealand free-to-air television news programmes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Communication Management, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/922.

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Free-to-air television news is an accessible and popular means through which audiences can gain knowledge and understanding about the world. Therefore, the nature of the news provided has important implications for the opportunities audiences have to become informed about events and issues, and to use this knowledge to participate in social decision-making. The structure and content of news bulletins reflect the decisions made by broadcasters about the topics that are considered to be important, and which sources should have the opportunity to be represented. Thus, the goal of this research was to compare the structure and content of the news provided by New Zealand’s national free-to-air news programmes; ONE News (TVNZ), 3 News (TV3), Prime News (Prime Television), and Te K ea (M ori Television). A content analysis of one constructed week of the four news programmes was undertaken, focusing on four general areas of interest. First, the profile of the news bulletins was examined (i.e., the proportion of the bulletin allocated to different segments of the news, the duration of main news stories, the origin of production of main news stories, the proportion of New Zealand and international news, and the topics included in the news). Second, the research investigated the identity of the types of sources selected by the broadcasters for inclusion in locally produced main news stories. Third, the frequency and duration of élite and non-élite source speech was examined. Finally, the extent to which journalists speak on camera in news stories was also investigated. The study showed that the four programmes generally conformed to the ‘standard profile’ of modern television news bulletins; the programmes included considerable amounts of non-news content and the news topics often reflected entertainment values, rather than focusing on serious issues. A further significant characteristic of the bulletins was that élite sources were more likely to be included in news stories on all programmes and generally had greater opportunities to speak. However, in many respects it appears that Te K ea provides an alternative news bulletin compared to the other three channels, by focusing on a wider range of news topics, including more non-élite sources in stories, and giving all sources considerably more time to share their views. Te K ea seems to broadcast a news programme that makes a compromise between the entertainment values which are entrenched in contemporary television news, and the broader M ori Television mandate to inform and educate the public. This contrasts with the more homogenous (in terms of the characteristics examined in this research) news programmes offered by the ONE News, 3 News, and Prime News. This study concludes that the nationally available free-to-air news programmes currently broadcast on New Zealand television fulfil the traditional news functions of informing and educating the public in only a very narrow sense. The deregulated news environment is poised to undergo further transformation with an anticipated increase in convergence among news media and the emergence of more television news providers. The challenge within this commercial environment is for ONE News, 3 News, Prime News, and Te K ea to deliver on their stated commitments to provide information and promote debate on the important issues of the day.

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Watts, Tony. "Strategies for New Zealand manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises going global : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Turitea, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1141.

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The strategies to employ when a small to medium sized enterprise (SME) enters the international market are important issues for a business to consider. This research study addresses the question “What strategies will position New Zealand manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises for international markets?” It is intended to compare various strategies for going global, discovering these through a literature review and personal interviews with New Zealand businesses who have successfully globalised. The research studies globalisation within manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in New Zealand. It explores strategies available in order to discover their advantages and disadvantages, and suggests key strategic directions for New Zealand manufacturing SME’s to use when entering into international markets. The research is intended to benefit New Zealand SME’s considering entering the international market place, which in turn will contribute towards benefiting New Zealand as a whole as it endeavours to position itself in the international competitive arena. Specific strategies for New Zealand manufacturing SME’s wishing to establish global markets are explored with implications for theory, research, and business practices. A case study approach was adopted, with multiple research methods used to gather information for the study. An experience survey in the form of personal interviews was used to gather a range of views from people with knowledge and experience in exporting to international markets. Documents were analysed, together with information gained through the interviews to compile case histories of the businesses that participated in this research. Strategies relevant to going global were identified in a literature review and these strategies were compared with actions and directions taken by the businesses interviewed. The analysis of the findings reveals congruence with theoretical strategies for globalisation of SMEs identified in previous studies; however it was found that decisions made when going global were highly dependent on the individual circumstances that a business finds itself in, rather than committing to strategies based on assumptions from academic studies. The businesses involved in this study went global through opportunities more so than strategic purpose. They had not set out to be a global enterprise, however when the opportunities arose their globalisation effort needed total commitment. Their experiences are discussed in this study and have relevance for other firms looking to go global.

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Kaule, Ralph Dungit. "Analysing project management culture and practice of public managers in Papua New Guinea: a case study of the National AIDS Council Secretariat : a thesis presented in the fulfilment of Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1151.

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This thesis analyses and explores the Culture and Practices of Public Managers involved in implementing projects in Papua New Guinea. Project Implementation is an integral part of the overall project management cycle that has received a great deal of attention as a major development problem. In order for us to gain an insight of the theme of the thesis, the National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) was selected as the site for this case study. To investigate'how things were done in NACS', a variety of approaches were used to gauge the views, perceptions and experiences of programme and project managers in NACS, to help us understand the factors that affect staff practices. Poor management practice and the lack of a sound management culture and work ethic in PNG, is often blamed for the break down in the state?s capacity to deliver public goods and services to its citizens. Performance culture and good practice by public managers employed in State Institutions to handle projects have regressed in the last three decades, and as a result, projects are seen as failing to meet the goals and objectives of the state. The research question which the case study had to answer was: What is the nature of project management culture and practice among public sector managers in the National AIDS Council Secretariat? The study sought to investigate the extent to which the areas of command and control, project training, project knowledge and staff motivation were important integral managerial qualities in the attitudes and practice of public managers. The study showed that, of the four elements of managerial practices investigated, the inability of public managers to assume leadership, command and control and motivate their staff, were the most important elements missing among managers in NACS. Based on the findings and the evidence collected during the research, this thesis argues for substantial capacity building programmes to be designed and conducted around 'programme and project management' roles in state institutions and agencies in PNG, as the way to improve staff capabilities so as to enable project managers and their staff to efficiently implement projects.

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15

Love, Laurna M. "Impacts of imposed polychronic behaviour upon performance and well being in academic work environments : a 90 point thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Management at Massey University, Turitea, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1157.

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In the contemporary workplace individuals differ considerably in the manner they approach their work and achieve outcomes. This thesis examined the construct of polychronicity (preference for undertaking multiple tasks simultaneously) within two intellectually intensive academic work environments. The impacts of imposed polychronicity on performance, job satisfaction, perceived stress and wellbeing were explored. Data was collected from 116 lecturers, teachers, supervisors and managers working in Northern Queensland, Australia. A quantitative approach was taken to data collection. Existing scales were used to measure a range of variables including preferred polychronicity, experienced work unit polychronicity, organisational commitment, job satisfaction, and perceived stress. To provide a qualitative perspective, respondents were asked for comments which were used to add depth and breadth to the study. The findings indicated that preferred polychronicity and experienced work unit polychronicity did not differ over genders or occupations which suggests that polychronicity is likely to be a personal trait. Responses were divided into polychronic, neutral or monochronic preference categories. The findings indicated that when polychronicity was high organisational commitment was high, but when monochronicity was high organisational commitment was lower. Further the findings indicated that when organisational commitment was high, job satisfaction was high and when organisational commitment was low stress was high, although polychrons relationship with stress was lower than that of monochrons. This may suggest that polychrons work better in an imposed polychronic environment than monochrons which supports previous research. The implication for employers is that through understanding the tasking preferences of employees they may be able to tailor strategies to improve and enhance personal wellbeing which in turn may increase job satisfaction, performance, wellbeing and reduce turnover.

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Hamidon, Syahira. "The development of Malay entrepreneurship in Malaysia : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1009.

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Since the institution of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1971 and beyond its end in 1990, the Malaysian government has had mixed successes in developing Malay entrepreneurship. Despite on-going of privileges and assistance and the government’s concerted efforts and initiatives, Malay entrepreneurship still continues to lag behind that of the Chinese. This study centres on the challenges faced by the Government of Malaysia in the promotion of Malay entrepreneurial development. Based on interviews with diverse people, both within and outside the government, the study reveals that Malay entrepreneurial development is a complex process confronted by many issues and problems. The study also reveals that government privileges and assistance to Malays to promote entrepreneurship do not help much in boosting an entrepreneurial culture nor do they help them in enhancing entrepreneurial competitiveness and achievement. Instead, such privileges and assistance have conversely made the Chinese more resilient and competitive entrepreneurially but discriminative against the Malays. This conclusion confirms the proposition that “state assistance in the form of an affirmative action to an economically-challenged sector of society does little to create entrepreneurship; rather it challenges rival economic groups to sharpen their own competitiveness”. Finally, the study is able to indicate that Malay entrepreneurship differs slightly from the conventional Western concepts of entrepreneurship. The differences are largely due to the historical background of the Malays as a communitarian society; as Muslims; as a society still divided along class lines and as a status conscious community.

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Smollan, Roy Kark. "The emotional rollercoaster of organisational change : affective responses to organisational change, their cognitive antecedents and behavioural consequences : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/945.

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Change is a potentially emotional event as people anticipate or experience its outcomes and processes. Managers and researchers often ignore the emotional aspects of organisational change, yet it is precisely these aspects that can promote acceptance of change or resistance to it. The focus of the research is on the many factors that contribute to cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to organisational change. A model of individual responses evolved from the literature review and helped guide the research questions. It indicates that responses to change depend on factors in four categories: those in the change itself (outcomes, scale, temporal issues and justice); those in the employee (their emotional intelligence, disposition, previous experience of change, and change and stress outside the workplace); those in the employee’s perceptions of the leaders/managers/agents (their leadership ability, emotional intelligence and trustworthiness); and those in the employee’s perception of the organisation (its culture and change context). Two main research approaches underpinned the thesis. Firstly, cognitive appraisal theory takes the position that emotion derives from cognition as people contemplate the importance of events (such as organisational change) to their wellbeing and consider how they will cope. Secondly, social constructionism was used as a theoretical platform because it combines the individual experience of emotions during change with the social forces that help shape them. Twenty-four interviews were conducted in Auckland, New Zealand. The participants were from a variety of industries, organisations, hierarchical levels, change roles, functional departments and ethnic, gender and age groups. They reported on many different types of change, small and large, with many focussing on some element of organisational restructuring. The study showed that people played different roles in change events - as leaders, managers, agents and recipients - and at times took on a combination of these roles, which did not always depend on hierarchy. The roles they played to some extent influenced their responses. Findings show that all 13 factors in the model produced some responses, but not in all participants. The most prevalent of these, and those that often provoke emotions of the greatest intensity, were personal outcomes and the fairness of change. Two additional factors surfaced, control over the change and support from colleagues and people outside the organisation, and the model was revised to include them. The study confirmed that organisational change is indeed an emotional event, and that these emotions arise from a host of factors that have individual, social and wider contextual origins.

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Tharmaseelan, Nithiyaluxmy. "Careers in cross-cultural context : a study of Sri Lankan immigrants in New Zealand : 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, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1189.

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This study considered migrants’ career outcomes as the result of their adjustments in terms of culture and career adaptation along with other positive attributes they brought on their arrival as well as developing in their new country. It considered that career is the property of individuals and managing it successfully is the responsibility of individuals themselves. Prior research into migrants’ issues and careers was used as the basis of this study and a model for analysis was developed using such issues. The resultant model included the wider life of migrants. A questionnaire including reliable measures of key variables was developed based on the literature. Two hundred and twenty-one Sri Lankan migrants completed the pilot tested survey. The results were analysed using factor analysis, tests of association and multiple regression analysis at the first stage to formulate a less complex model. Structural equation modelling was then used to confirm the relationships assumed between different variables. Although some of the relationships and/or variables assumed initially were removed from the model, the final model explained strong links between the variables that remained. Qualification gained before migration and career self-efficacy were found to be the most significant variables in explaining job satisfaction before migration. Usefulness of prior knowledge, skills and habits, efforts made towards career, education in New Zealand, information seeking, length of time in New Zealand and overseas experience had the greatest influence on current job level. Current job level, length of time in New Zealand and overseas experience were found to be the most significant variables explaining subjective career success after migration. Adapting to New Zealand culture was found to be significant in explaining only the career satisfaction after migration. It was also found that migrants’ career outcomes (success and satisfaction) after migration were significant variables in explaining overall career satisfaction of this migrant group: however, with the exception of job satisfaction, career outcomes before migration did not play a significant role in determining overall career satisfaction. The implications of the present study were considered, from both migrants’ perspective and that of New Zealand as the host society. A number of possible practical strategies relevant to migrants, community organisations and policy makers and authorities were suggested. Several potential avenues for future researches were identified and discussed. Thus, it is expected that this study will contribute to better career outcomes of migrants in New Zealand.

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19

Zhai, Y. H. "Asset revaluation and future firm operating performance : evidence from New Zealand : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce and Management at Lincoln University /". Diss., Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/219.

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The regulatory framework of many countries allows the upward revaluation of assets. Previous studies on the association of asset revaluation and future performance in Australia (Barth and Clinch, 1998), U.K. (Aboody, Barth and Kasznik, 1999) and Hong Kong (Jaggi and Tsui, 2001) have shown that upward asset revaluations are positively associated with the firm’s operating performance, suggesting that asset revaluations are value relevant. This study extends the previous research by focusing on the New Zealand environment with recent data to examine the association of upward asset revaluation and future operating performance. There is no obvious evidence indicating that upward revaluations are associated with operating performance in New Zealand. Our market assessments show that current year asset revaluations are related to share prices and returns, but are not statistically significant.

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20

Liu, Yongli. "The current situation Chinese third-party logistics companies are facing - an exploratory study : 112.889 (120 credits) thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science (MApplSc) in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/969.

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The fast development of the Chinese economy has brought tremendous impact on the growth of logistics industry in the country. China has become the hottest market for both Chinese and foreign third-party logistics companies (3PL providers), and more and more foreign and domestic 3PL providers are being involved in the Chinese logistics industry. To understand the current situation Chinese third-party logistics companies are facing and the competitive strategies they are pursuing, an exploratory investigation was conducted in the study. A multiple case-study approach was adopted as the main strategy and guidance for the study. Under the principle of multiple case studies, multiple instruments (questionnaire, telephone interviews and archive searching) were used in the data collection among three selected case study companies. Also, within-case analysis and cross-case analysis were chosen as the overall framework of data analysis, and content analysis was selected as the main method for qualitative data analysis. Through investigating a variety of aspects of the three case study 3PL companies, the study has identified that all the case study companies have established country-wide logistics networks, have provided customers a range of logistics services, and have adopted different information technology systems in their operations. All the case study companies have achieved constant increase in their sales in recent years. Generally, the competition in the Chinese 3PL industry is fierce, and sometimes chaotic, unfair, and even illegal. Foreign 3PL providers have been considered as major competitor by Chinese 3PL providers. All the case study companies have developed and pursued a number of competitive strategies to gain competitive advantages in both cost and service. The main competitive strategies addressed include distribution network developing strategy, information technological strategy, and long-term partnership strategy.

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21

Nikorowitsch, Johannes. "The influence of music sharing at work on social relationships between colleagues : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Communications Management at Massey University, Wellington". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1079.

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This study explores the influence of music sharing at work on social relationships between colleagues. Music sharing has been proven to facilitate friendship and maintenance in various social environments (Brown, Sellen, & Geelhoed, 2001; Voida, Grinter, & Ducheneaut, 2006). However, music sharing at work in its influence on friendships between colleagues has never been explored, even though establishing and strengthening social relationships within the workplace have become increasingly important within organisations (Berman, West, & Richter, 2002). Informal relationships are beneficial for the overall well-being of an organisation as they increase the exchange of resources between colleagues. For the individual workers these relationships satisfy their need for social interaction. The study applied a mixed methods approach involving quantitative as well as qualitative methods. Twenty-nine employees from design agencies throughout New Zealand participated in an online survey and seven in semi-structured interviews. Both online survey and interviews were used in combination in order to achieve complementarily and triangulation between quantitative and qualitative data. The results suggest that music sharing contributes to the development of social bonding that occurs in the workplace. On the basis of the music that was shared through various technologies colleagues appeared to form impressions of each other. This involved determining each others’ music preferences and associating other personality aspects with those music preferences. It appeared that the more similarly colleagues perceived each others’ musical tastes, the more likely they were to become friends and/or to form informal music taste groups at work. The degree of reciprocity of music predicted the degree of intimacy between colleagues. When colleagues who were friends shared music with each other, they were much more concerned about reciprocating the music adequately than when they shared with colleagues they knew only superficially. The findings of this study are relevant for employers who want to promote relationship development between colleagues in a work environment where employees are passionate about music.

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22

Martyn, Karen. "Decision-making in a corporate boardroom: Inside the black box". Massey University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/986.

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The lack of empirical studies on board process represents a serious knowledge gap in the governance literature. To date there has been little research on how boards actually make decisions, the factors that contribute to effective board decision-making, and what tools and techniques may be used to improve board decision-making. Effective board processes are identified as leading to effective board outputs, and subsequently more effective organisational outcomes. This study explored the internal factors under the control of the board (or those selecting board members) that contribute to effective board decision-making processes. The perspective of small group decision-making research was applied to explore board decision-making processes. The three aims of the study were to investigate those factors that directors thought contributed to their board's successful and unsuccessful decision-making, to observe how a board actually makes decisions; and to determine whether training and usage of a normative decision-making methodology (including the use of a reminder role) might improve that board's decision-making process. Data collection included direct, in situ, observation of a board; semi-structured interviews with all board directors, the CEO and four executive team members; three surveys; and emotional intelligence testing (MSCEIT). The board was found to use normative decision-making procedures. These decision making procedures appeared to contribute to better decision-making processes and consequently better decision-making outputs. The task intent of acting in the best interest of the company and the relationship intent of trust were found to permeate the board inputs and processes examined during this research. Other input and process variables observed to influence board decision-making were classified as being task (structure, process, communication) and/or relational (relationships, director attributes and emotions) factors. Task factors included rational decision-making procedures; clarity of goals and roles; use of external advisors as critical evaluators; quantity and quality of information; consensus decision-making; post-decision evaluation and learning. Relational factors included homogeneity of directors through careful selection; socialising with management; board norms of a safe environment, supporting the doubtful director and the obligation to share contrary views; adequate business knowledge; emotional intelligence; and commitment. The results of emotional intelligence testing revealed levels sufficient to assist in positive board dynamics. The study results support the application of small group decision making research to aid in board process research, and further empirical exploration of board inputs using psychometric measures.

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23

Lees, Gavin. "Are radio markets Dirichlet? A study into the NBD/Dirichlet, its empirical generalisations and their extension to radio listening patterns : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1149.

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The well recognised and parsimonious Dirichlet model of buyer behaviour (Goodhardt, Ehrenberg and Chatfield 1984) has summarised a number of empirical generalisations about market structures and buyer behaviour. These generalisations have been described by Sharp, Wright and Goodhardt (2002) as: Differences in market share can be attributed largely to differences in market penetration A double jeopardy pattern emerges, with smaller brands having a lower average purchase frequency, share of category requirements, and proportion of sole buyers A brand’s customers buy from other brands more frequently Sole buyers tend to be very rare, and are also very light buyers Heavy buyers buy more brands and are very unlikely to be sole buyers Brands share their customers in proportion to their market share (Duplication of Purchase Law). Of these empirical generalisations, double jeopardy, polygamous loyalty and the duplication of purchase law are amongst the better known. They have been observed across an increasing number of product categories, countries and differing market conditions. This thesis considers whether the Dirichlet and its accompanying empirical generalisations also hold true for radio markets. Whilst Goodhardt, Ehrenberg and Collins (1975) and Barwise and Ehrenberg (1988) have considered television and its audiences there has been very little study into radio audience patterns. Perhaps this is because many researchers consider radio to be more like television than any other media. However, Lees (2003, 2006) has started to address the issues of radio market structures and radio audience patterns. This thesis adopts an empirical generalist approach showing the Dirichlet model of consumer behaviour and its associated empirical generalizations appear to apply to radio markets in that they: Show a high correlation between market share and the brand performance measures of: cumulative audience, average time spent listening, share of category requirements and exclusive audience Reflect the double jeopardy pattern with those stations that have a higher market share also having a higher penetration or cumulative audience and a higher average weekly time spent listening. Conversely those stations with a low market share having a lower cumulative audience and a lower average weekly time spent listening Show audience duplication between radio stations that varies according to each stations’ market cumulative audience, in accordance with the Duplication of Purchase Law Have the percentage of listeners loyal to one radio station reflecting the Dirichlet’s expectation of low exclusive audience. These exclusive listeners also reflect a double jeopardy pattern with the bigger stations having more exclusive listeners than the smaller stations. The most compelling result of this thesis is the apparent ability of the Dirichlet to describe a radio market place. Thus has managerial implications – especially to what extent a manager should take the patterns as ‘normal’ or seek to ‘buck the trend’. The conclusion is that radio station managers need to carefully manage their station working with the market rather than trying to ‘buck the trend’. This is likely to involve station managers actively promoting their stations to ensure that their station remains salient to its current listeners while also trying to increase its awareness amongst non listeners. This thesis has also made several contributions to knowledge about the Dirichlet. First, it has extended knowledge about the model to a new area – that of radio listening. Second, it has shown that while some radio listening seemingly violates some of the assumptions behind the model it is still robust enough to account for variations in multivariate count data in a manner that is parsimonious. Third, it has confirmed the known boundary condition that the Dirichlet does under-predict sole loyal purchase frequency. This thesis also calls for further research into both the Dirichlet model with further extensions to differentiated product categories; and into the question of radio audience measurement. It calls for the New Zealand Radio Broadcasters Association to commission a report into the effect of introducing portable people meters as a form of audience measurement.

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24

King, Colville. "Governance inertia & performance in a micro-sized single desk seller : a 120 point thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1150.

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Single Desk Seller (SDS) firm structures dominate the agribusiness sector in many developing countries, and were created to resolve export market failure and achieve performance efficiency and effectiveness. Many of these SDSs are also state owned enterprises and have been perceived to be inefficient and a drain on the public purse, as well as no longer having a raison d'être in the face of the World Trade Organization’s anti-competition open markets policies. However, unlike in developed countries, SDSs are likely to remain a significant feature in small developing countries due to their inherent problem of small scale and undeveloped equity markets. It therefore beholds researchers and practitioners to correct inefficiencies of these structures in order to achieve optimal performance. The Arrowroot Industry Association, with a record of disastrous performance makes an ideal case to explore this governance-performance relationship. A holistic case study research methodology was used to carry out this study The main finding was that the governance structure of the Arrowroot Industry Association (AIA) was unresponsive to and did not co-evolve with its environment over the last (20) twenty years. As a result it increasingly became an inefficient mechanism for solving governance according to the normative prescriptions of property rights, transactions cost, agency, resource based view, resource dependency theories, stakeholder, and stewardship theories. Consequently, and despite having a rare and valuable starch product, the AIA was unable to meet demand or secure sufficient rents from the value chain to meet the revenue objectives of itself or of its members. The most significant causes of inertia in the AIA’s strategy and structure were caused by two exogenous variables (a fixed legislation and significant politically influence in the strategic process), and two endogenous variables (poor cognitive ability of management and directors and the limiting effects of its eroded resource base). The combination of poor performance and inertia of the AIA over the years resulted in various forms of escalating commitments, debt accumulation and a shrinking supply base upstream as producers sought alternative means of income. Furthermore, the absence of markets for managerial talents, corporate control and arrowroot production, harvesting and processing technologies restricted alternatives available to the AIA of Government in resolving the perceived problems. Research implications and recommendations for the AIA are subsequently discussed. The major recommendations proposed to reverse the performance problem of the AIA were (1) tighter vertical integration of the AIA to internalise of downstream inefficiencies, (2) efficient allocation of property rights along the entire value chain, (3) clearly defined roles and boundaries for key stakeholders, (4) increasing managerial, technological and financial capacity, and (5) reducing Government control by making influence-cost significantly prohibitive.

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Probert, Anne. "Competitive bodybuilders and identity: insights from New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Management, College of Business, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1129.

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This research explores competitive bodybuilders in New Zealand and their identities. Bodybuilders have often been construed as being broadly similar – excessively muscular people, who build their physiques for sometimes questionable reasons, such as for a cover for internal insecurities. Bodybuilding is often considered acceptable for men because muscles are symbolic of masculinity – on women they are seen as unnatural and unfeminine. While external critiques have tended to portray bodybuilders in a negative light, phenomenological accounts have often emphasised participants’ positive experiences. Existing research concerning the identity of bodybuilders has only scratched the surface. Identities reflect an understanding of ‘who one is’ – the continuing meanings people associate with themselves and as members of social groups. Furthermore, bodybuilders are not just ‘bodybuilders’, they are also people. Bodybuilding is not their only identity, it is one of their numerous identities. This research explored not only the meanings participants attribute to bodybuilding, but also how it is lived and experienced within the broader self. A phenomenological-inspired, mixed methodological approach was adopted using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were male and female competitive bodybuilders of varying ages residing in New Zealand. They were at different stages in their bodybuilding career and represented a range of competitive experience. A postal questionnaire was completed by 382 competitive bodybuilders, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 participants. Photo elicitation was also used. A key outcome of this research has been to highlight the changeable, complex, contradictory nature of bodybuilder identities. Fluidity, ambiguity and pluralism existed amongst the everyday practices and identities of participants. Although bodybuilders shared commonalities, their identities were not identical or stable: bodybuilding could be about transforming the body,looking good, being competitive, creative and/or healthy. It could be a lifestyle, involve personal challenge, self-development, social belonging and friendship. Identity experiences could be influenced by personality, background, gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity, work, family and church. The bodybuilder identities were also found to be closely connected to participant perceptions concerning their natural body, genetic advantages and limitations. Furthermore, their identities were not depthless but entailed commitment, passion, mental, social and emotional dimensions. Competitive bodybuilding was a meaningful activity, that often left an indelible mark and continued to shape participant lives even after they had ceased competitive bodybuilding.

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Boyte, Karen-Ann. "Job design and wellness in New Zealand Contact Centres: a paradigm shift or same old management? : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the postgraduate degree of Master of Business Studies, Human Resource Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1042.

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The impact of the Contact Centre workplace upon employee satisfaction or wellness is attracting the attention of researchers across the globe. Over 10 years of research has resulted in recommendations about how Contact Centres should be managed and how the jobs of Contact Centre agents should be designed. There is growing concern that the current practices result in significant psychosocial risk factors which are ultimately harming the Contact Agents and less obviously the bottom line of their organisations through emotional exhaustion, stress, employee absenteeism and turnover. The aim of this study was to explore whether Contact Centre managers were aware of these recommendations, in particular those relating to the design of motivating, satisfying and “healthy” jobs. Using an expanded Job Characteristic Model, this descriptive study explored the level of awareness of New Zealand Contact Centre managers (n=20) regarding the recommendations about the design of jobs, and what changes, if any, have occurred as a result. Where changes have not been forthcoming, the study explored the constraints which were preventing or limiting change. The results of this study indicated that there is a low level of awareness of the research recommendations, that approaches to improving the management and design of Contact Centre agents roles are ad hoc, and that there is a level of resistance in providing agents with autonomy to manage their day to day roles. Some efforts to increase task and skill variety have been made but these are also ad hoc rather than built into the job. As a result of this study, it appears that Contact Centres in New Zealand are still adopting a mass production model of management. This study has implications for Contact Centre managers and senior organisational managers, these are discussed. Limitations of the research, implications for Contact Centre Managements are highlighted and areas for further research are highlighted

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Sandhu, Sukhbir Kaur. "What colours them green? An enquiry into the drivers of corporate environmentalism in business organizations in developing and developed countries". Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/790.

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Drawing on perspectives from stakeholder, resource dependence, institutional and the resource based theories and using a multiple-case inductive study, this research reframes the drivers of corporate environmentalism in the context of developing and developed countries. Based on case analysis of 23 environmentally responsive organizations in India and New Zealand, corporate environmentalism in this research has been operationalized as a two level construct. Organizations were categorized as being at first order responsiveness when they were observed to recognize the importance of the natural environment and exhibited attempts to decrease their impact on the natural environment through the adoption of programmes aimed at pollution reduction and prevention, decreased resource consumption and recycling of wastes. Organizations at second order responsiveness were observed to exhibit a higher order commitment in integrating environmental issues into their strategic decision making. This involved strategies such as green product development and initiating projects aimed at industrial ecology. Detailed within and cross case analysis revealed fundamental differences in the drivers that propel business organizations in developing and developed countries to be environmentally responsive at each level. The findings of this study reveal that lax enforcement of environmental regulations in developing countries implied that domestic regulations were not a driving factor for corporate environmentalism. Neither was pressure from consumers or communities reported to be a driving factor. Instead first order environmental responsiveness in organizations in developing countries was observed to be driven by pressure arising out of internationalization. Thus pressure from multinational organizational customers in developed countries and the institutional pressures imposed by the liability of foreignness (that arises when these firms set up subsidiaries in developed countries) drives first order responsiveness in the organizations in developing countries. However higher order environmental responsiveness in organizations in developing countries was observed to be associated with deep rooted identities and capabilities based in social responsiveness. In the context of business organizations in developed countries, the necessity to comply with stringently enforced domestic environmental regulations emerged as the primary driver for first order responsiveness. Societal expectations to comply with environmental regulations reinforce the regulatory drivers. Internationalization drives first order responsiveness in organizations in developed countries to the extent that the requirements of the host country are additional to and exceed current regulatory requirements in the parent country. Higher order corporate environmentalism in organizations in developed countries was observed to be associated with environmentally high impact organizations. Such organizations are considered environmental liabilities and are forced by stakeholders (with access to resource needed for continuity of operations) to exhibit higher order responsiveness or face a cancellation of the license to operate. The major contribution of this research lies in extending and reframing the existing theory about the drivers of corporate environmentalism.

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Lin, C. Y. "An examination of implementing customer relationship management by Chinese-owned SMEs". Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/332.

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In the last decade, the ever increasing pressure of competition faced by businesses has led to the development of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). In short, CRM is the practice of integrating all aspects of business functions for dealing with customers, with the assistance of technology, and with the intention of boosting company profitability. CRM has been widely promoted as a critical contributor to business survival. However, the high failure rate of CRM projects has also attracted research attention and many factors have been discussed as contributing to the success or failure of CRM implementation. This research argues that CRM is not simply a software package or a computer program. CRM, instead, should be perceived as a strategic issue in order to realize its potential. In addition, this study also argues that CRM implementation is affected by organizational, strategic and cultural factors. In particular, this study was conducted within the context of Chinese small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), with company size and culture as two major focuses in this study. SMEs were chosen as this segment has been overlooked in CRM study, yet it represents a great potential for growth in CRM adoption. Chinese culture was chosen as most of CRM studies have been conducted within a western cultural background. The Chinese culture has distinctive characteristics different from western culture, and this has strong influences on business operations. A quantitative method was adopted for this study and a mailed survey was used to collect data to examine the relevance of these factors within this context. Research participants were recruited using a systematic sampling technique through a comprehensive Chinese business directory. Results suggest that there are positive associations between a company's CRM implementation and its practice of organizational, strategic, and cultural issues. In particular, four organizational issues – organizational integration, executive commitment, system readiness, and resource availability; three strategic issues – vision, planning, and customer-centric culture; and one cultural issue – networking, have an impact on a company's CRM implementation.

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29

Bourke, Josephine Emily. "Elder care, self-employed women and work-family balance: an exploration using work-family border theory : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Human Resource Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1066.

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Despite work-life balance being an area of interest to many researchers, there is little reference to any effects related specifically to elder care. Current demographics indicate that the proportion of elderly in the community is increasing, and with greater workforce participation (particularly among women workers) the availability of family caregivers is less guaranteed. Women are more likely to be responsible for elder care, and as they seek to manage their work and life, are also more likely to seek workplace flexibility, sometimes through self-employment. The effect that elder care may be having on the work-life balance of self-employed women is the focus of this research project. Using work-family border theory as a lens, this research documented the effect that elder care had on the lives of a group of self-employed women who also had elder care responsibilities. Eight women from the Wellington region participated in this research, which was carried out from a broadly phenomenological perspective. Each participant shared information, using a case study approach, about their business and elder care responsibilities. The results of this research indicate the profound effect of emotions in the elder care situation, and also the effect of expectations from others whose influences affected the ability of the participants to achieve work-life balance.

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30

Rangiaho, Melina. "Senior management's influence on the contextual components of an organisation that affect creativity : a case study of a New Zealand manufacturing company". Diss., Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/351.

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Organisations are under enormous pressure to become more innovative in all areas of their operations if they are going to continue to compete successfully (Leavy, 2003). The first stage of successful innovation is ensuring that creativity, the generation of novel ideas, is achieved (McFadzean, et al., 2004). With regards to an organisation's creative environment, theory has suggested that the basic orientation of a company's support for creativity comes directly from the behaviours of the highest levels of management (Amabile, 1996). Despite this proposed relationship, little empirical research has been conducted that examines the role that senior management of an organisation play in influencing a work environment that stimulates creativity. A research model has been developed that illustrates the possible relationships between the functions of senior managers and the creative work environment of an organisation. Essentially this model is be utilised as a framework to examine how do the management functions create the stimulants and impediments of an organisation's environment that affect creativity? The method used to investigate this research question is a qualitative investigation of two manufacturing plants that operate in a larger New Zealand food processing company. This entailed gathering information through semi-structured interviews with employees from the senior management to lower level employees. In addition, direct observations at the plants and archival data in the form of company reports, articles and prior studies were used to gather further information. From this research, three key findings were established. (1) Amabile, et al's., (1996) theory that a number of variables stimulate creativity, while others impede it, was supported. (2) Trust was found to be the key intervening variable, the foundation, upon which a creative context can be built. (3) The Senior Manager, in the case of this research the Operations Manager and Production Centre Manager, played a crucial role in providing the contextual variables that facilitate creativity. As this research suggests, organisational creativity is complicated by the fact that it is affected by the social dynamics operating between key parties within an organisation. Consequently, it is characterised by informal relationships, freedom and resource allocation that ultimately requires that a level of trust exists between key parties. It is senior management's responsibility to ensure that such a work environment is created. These managers are only able to build trust within their organisations by acting with benevolence, integrity and demonstrating that they are committed to employee creativity.

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Allison, Gareth M. "A cross-cultural study of motivation for consuming luxuries". Diss., Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1236.

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This research investigated three main research questions. First, can the structure and nature of motivation for the consumption of luxury products be identified? Second, are there differences between consumers from different parts of the world in their motivation for consuming luxury products? Third, can cultural values be used to predict motivation for the consumption of luxury products? Data was obtained by way of an online survey at a New Zealand University, and via a mixed-mode survey at a public University in Thailand. A total of 307 (NZ n=130; Thai n=177) usable responses were obtained. In respect of the first research question, the model of motivation for consuming luxuries developed by Vigneron and Johnson (1999) was empirically tested. This model proposed that five forms of motivation would exist; status, uniqueness, conformity, quality, and hedonic. In the present study, a four factor model of consumer motivation was uncovered, consisting of status-seeking, pleasure-seeking, uniqueness-seeking, and value-seeking. Value-seeking emerged as the most important motivation for the consumption of luxury products. Status-seeking was the least important form of motivation. This finding suggests that the conventional emphasis in the luxury products literature, on status as a motivator of luxury consumption, may be misplaced. In respect of the second research question, differences were found to exist between New Zealanders and Thais in the importance that respondents attach to the different forms of motivation for consuming luxuries (Wilks Lambda = 0.540, F= 61.167, p = <0.001). A series of univariate ANOVAs identified that Thais possess higher levels of value-seeking motivation than New Zealanders (F = 15.152, p = 0.000), and that New Zealanders possessed significantly higher levels of pleasure-seeking than Thais (F = 87.589, p = 0.000). No significant difference was found to exist between New Zealanders and Thais in respect of status-seeking and uniqueness-seeking. In order to investigate the third and final research question, it was necessary to measure the orientation of participants in the research towards a set of cultural values. The four-quadrant individualism, collectivism and vertical, horizontal typology of cultural orientation was used as the basis of cultural values in this research (Triandis, 1995). This typology suggests that there are two forms of individualism: vertical (VI) and horizontal (HI), and two forms of collectivism: vertical (VC) and horizontal (HC). This was measured on the scale developed by Singelis, Triandis, Bhawuk and Gelfand (1995). The cultural orientation of individuals was found to be more heterogenous within countries than was anticipated. Whilst, as expected, Thais primarily orientated towards VC, there were significant numbers of individuals who orientated towards HI and HC. New Zealanders were largely split between HI and HC. Correlation analysis and a series of multiple regressions were conducted in order to investigate the relationship between cultural orientation and motivation for consuming luxuries. VI and VC were found to be related to status-seeking. VI and HC were positively related to pleasure-seeking, and VC was found to be negatively related to pleasure-seeking. HI was related to uniqueness-seeking. VC and HI were found to be related to value-seeking.

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32

Anderson, Luke William. "An analysis of the interval of observation and the risk in stocks : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Finance at Massey Unviersity, Palmerston North, New Zealand". Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1026.

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This research examines how the interval of observation affects the assessment of risk in stocks. I do this by analysing the economic and statistical significance of the worst returns on stocks, and by analysing the relationship between the interval of observation and factors which are thought to affect the return on stocks. This research shows the interval of observation used to assess the risk in stocks is important and the conclusions change considerably depending on how the data is drawn. In addition, the results indicate an investor’s time horizon is important in deciding their asset allocation and the style of investment should be suitable for the time horizon selected.

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33

Trent, M. J. W. "An exploratory study to identify the concerns that New Zealand consumers have about business-to-consumer e-commerce". Diss., Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/427.

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To date much of the literature on consumers' concerns about business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce has described findings from quantitative research. As a result, much of that literature has focused on specific previously-identified concerns (e.g., privacy of personal information, use of credit cards for on-line payment). Also, there has been little research into the concerns of New Zealand consumers, and all of it has been quantitative. In order to gain a broader understanding, this study took a qualitative approach. Three focus groups were conducted, in order to identify consumers' concerns. The concerns that were thus identified were combined with those that a review of the literature had previously identified, and were used to draw up a set of guidelines to be used in semi-structured interviews. Fifteen interviews were then conducted, in order to gain consumers' views about each concern. It seems that at a higher level, consumer's concerns have shifted. The literature suggests that in the past consumers' concerns about Internet shopping have focused on the fact that Internet shopping is conducted via the Internet – as a result of which consumers have, for example, been concerned about the privacy of their personal information ('if I give them my e-mail address, will I get spam?') This study suggests that now consumers' concerns focus on the fact that Internet shopping is a form of shopping – as a result of which they are now only prepared to use the Web sites of 'reputable companies', and they now require to be able to evaluate an item adequately before buying it. And it seems that another result of this is that consumers now expect that the 'reputable companies' whose Web sites they visit will – as a matter of course - address to their satisfaction issues such as the privacy of their personal information. While there are some types of products that consumers are prepared to buy on-line (e.g., air travel), there are many about which they are reluctant. Concerns were expressed about a wide range of potential purchases, and for a variety of reasons; also, some data was inconsistent (for example, some consumers were not prepared to buy clothes on-line, but others were). This appears to be an area in which consumer attitudes are still evolving. It is suggested that it may be helpful for further research on this matter to consider both demographic factors and the degree of consumer involvement in particular types of purchases.

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34

Teh, Chor Tik. "Compliance and impact of corporate governance best practice code on the financial performance of New Zealand listed companies : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business and Admnistration at Massey University, Auckland campus, New Zealand". Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1004.

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The corporate governance best practice code (Code) of the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) came into effect on October 29, 2003. However, so far there is no systematic study of compliance with and impact of NZX Code on the performance of NZX companies. This study attempts to provide some answers to the perceived knowledge gap. The NZX Code recommends certain governance mechanisms to enhance corporate performance. The mechanisms analysed in this study are the percentage of independent directors, duality, presence of board subcommittees (audit, remuneration, and nomination), and the performance evaluation of board and individual directors. This thesis examines the possible relationship between recommended governance structures and the performance of NZX companies for the years 2003 (pre-Code) and 2007 (post Code), using data from the same 89 companies for each year. Although the number of companies adopting the NZX structures has increased, the rate of full compliance of the Code remains disappointingly low, rising from 5.6% in 2003 to just 22.5% in 2007. Probably due to the small sample size relative to the number of independent variables, and the problem of co-linearity, the multiple linear regression results do not seem to be conclusive and may be unreliable as the basis to form any formal statistical inference. However, treating the 89 companies as the whole population (89 out of 90), and using a simpler and more descriptive statistical tool to analyse the impact of individual independent variables on firm performance, the 2007 results show a consistent pattern of a positive relationship between Code compliance and firm performance, assuming all other factors being constant. This positive relationship is further reinforced by dividing the population into the various industry groupings as classified by the NZX, which also results in a consistent pattern of companies which comply fully with the Code structures financially outperforming companies that only partially comply with the Code during 2007. Surprisingly, listed companies adhering to the Chairman/CEO dual role do not seem to have impacted negatively on firm performance, contrary to agency theory expectation.

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35

Stevens, Ana. "Options for developing a new mid micron value proposition for consumers". Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/364.

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The research for this thesis "Options for Developing a New Mid Micron Value Proposition for Consumers", is a part of a larger "New Mid Micron Products" project initiated by Mid Micron New Zealand Inc with the key goal of turning the Mid Micron Sector into a more vibrant and profitable one. The motivation for the project can be found in the dramatic fall in demand for New Zealand Mid Micron wool over the past decade. Two dominant causes for the fall in demand for Mid Micron wool were identified: the substandard skin comfort of final products made from Mid Micron wool, and a problem with the structure of the Mid Micron Sector. These problems are addressed in the "New Mid Micron Products" project that combines new product development and new marketing initiatives. Product development involved the use of new spinning technology to improve skin comfort quality and develop new products that are softer and prickle free. The aim is to extract more value for woolgrowers by having the wool converted into a higher value product. The new marketing initiatives, which were identified in this thesis research, Focusing On New Market Segments via E-Commerce and Reconfiguring The Value Chain, and concentrate on the operational issues of capturing the value from the newly developed Mid Micron products. Taking into account the nature of the overall Mid Micron Project and type of developed products, this research identified the Operational Excellence and Product Leadership models as alternative routes to develop a new Mid Micron Value Proposition for consumers. Operational Excellence, and the associated Cost Leadership strategy, is a low capital investment option, while Product Leadership and the associated Differentiation strategy is a high capital investment option. The models' principles and their elements, products, price and delivery to market, are evaluated in the context of the Mid Micron Business.

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36

Doody, Sarah-jane P. "High-involvement work systems : their effect on employee turnover and organisational performance in New Zealand organisations". Diss., Lincoln University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/271.

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Organisations can create a competitive advantage through the way they design their human resource systems. High involvement work systems are considered to be a way to increase organisational performance and decrease employee turnover. However, the components involved are difficult and complex to define, and the synergy amongst the different components hard to evaluate. The literature suggests that the research is not uniform in its approach, and most research does not clearly define the variables involved or agree on the expected results of such systems. This research looks at high involvement work systems in the New Zealand organisational context, and relating these systems to employee turnover and organisational performance. The results of the study suggest that there does not appear to be a relationship between high involvement work systems, and employee turnover and organisational performance; but high involvement systems may contribute to increased labour productivity in New Zealand organisations.

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37

Brüniche-Olsen, Lau. "Perceived risk and entry mode strategies of Danish firms in Central and Eastern Europe". Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1427.

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In his assessment of the theory development within international market entry mode, Cumberland (2006) outlines the importance of devoting more attention to the research linking the theoretical level and the operational level. Other researchers have shown the performance of a firm is highly affected by its internationalisation process and selecting the right entry mode is one of the most critical managerial decisions. Despite many years of interest from researchers, the entry choice strategy area is still considered a frontier issue. Researchers have suggested that managing risk is one of the major strategic objectives for managers of multinational firms. Furthermore, risk is regarded as a key determinant in relation to entry mode choice. Research has found that the various risk variables should be regarded as an integrated measure in relation to entry mode choice and not single measures. By looking at a single risk variable, the firm might analyse the situation incorrectly, which may lead to an incorrect entry mode. This study investigates the relationship between entry mode choice, perceived risk and risk tolerance for Danish firms entering Central and Eastern Europe by using a probabilistic model. The results indicate risk should be regarded as an integrated measure in relation to entry mode. Despite not all risk variables showing significant correlation with entry mode, some relations were found. The preferred model for predicting entry mode included years of CEE experience, number of competitors, cultural difference, consumer taste and future market potential. In addition, the analysis showed that Danish firms generally are relatively risk averse. Regardless of entry mode, the analysis showed that Danish firms regard CEE as politically stable and do not see a potential risk in government involvement in their activities. Furthermore, Danish firms experience relatively high and increasing competition in CEE, however, they indicate the same methods are available for marketing in CEE as in Denmark.

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38

Handtrack, Christian. "Aude sapere - knowledge management and its implications for strategic management in organisations : an analysis of small and medium enterprises in New Zealand and the United Kingdom based on an original knowledge management model". Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1089.

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This study set out to provide important empirical evidence on the role of knowledge management (KM) within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in New Zealand and the United Kingdom and to explore how such companies handle their planning and strategic choices. In today’s knowledge economies the management of knowledge has become vital. In the context of SMEs, this is even more critical because they often operate under difficult conditions and are subject to global pressures from large corporations and demanding customers. In spite of the significance of SMEs as essential for any nation’s growth and success, and even though many scholars and business managers claim that knowledge management is highly relevant for SMEs, there has been little research about this concept in SMEs, in general, and in New Zealand, in particular. The few studies in the literature conclude that this concept is mostly neglected by SMEs even though it is vital and has high potential benefits for them. A quantitative research method approach was adopted. Self-completion questionnaires were sent to the senior management of firms with 100 employees or less, from a cross-section of industries. As part of this process an original knowledge management model was developed. The basic research questions were deduced from this model and the items in the questionnaire were created to answer these research questions. In New Zealand, a total of 417 SMEs were contacted by mail and 180 useable questionnaires were returned. In the United Kingdom, 1268 SMEs were contacted and 241 useable responses were received. The response rates of 43.2% in New Zealand, of 19% for the United Kingdom and of 25% in total, are satisfactory. Therefore, the basis of this study was a large (421 responses) and high quality transnational sample, which allowed for sound quantitative analyses. The claim by previous researchers that knowledge management in the SME sector is not yet fully developed appears to be supported by the results of this research. The large majority of respondents regard themselves as not familiar enough with the concept of knowledge management to actually benefit from it in practice. Even though the respondents in both countries seem to appreciate knowledge management as a relevant and useful concept with potential, many do not seem to be sufficiently informed about this concept. Few have a knowledge management initiative in place or are planning or in the process of setting up one. The responses, which vary little between the two sub-samples, point to a short-term rather than a long-term management perspective being dominant. Major barriers in terms of the deliberate creation and sharing of knowledge are a lack of time and higher importance given to daily operational activities. The respondents - predominantly senior managers - indicate that they primarily consider themselves to be responsible for ensuring that knowledge is captured and shared and relatively little responsibility is given to other employees or specialists. SMEs do apply several aspects of knowledge management, however, this is generally informal and with an operational rather than a strategic focus. From the responses it is apparent that knowledge is shared internally mostly via people-based mechanisms. More advanced measures such as the systematic collection, organisation and storage of knowledge are less common. The results indicate a number of differences between the respondents. In this regard it is most evident that the more familiar respondents are with the concept of knowledge management the more proactive they are in terms of managing knowledge on an operational and strategic level. This transnational research strongly links knowledge management to strategy and it clarifies how this concept can impact the formulation of strategy and the strategic competence of SMEs. Therefore, the results add new knowledge to the areas of SME research and strategic knowledge management.

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39

Worinu, Mark. "The operation and effectiveness of formal and informal supply chains for fresh produce in the Papua New Guinea highlands". Master's thesis, Lincoln University. Agriculture and Life Sciences Division, 2007. http://theses.lincoln.ac.nz/public/adt-NZLIU20080318.100431/.

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The research aim was to gain a more detailed understanding of the operation of different key segments for fresh produce supply chains originating in the Highlands Provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research investigates a number of supply chain dimensions of effectiveness which include, value creation and integration of processes, logistics, quality, information, relationship/vertical integration and overall effectiveness. These were linked together in SC framework. Two potato chains were investigated, one formal, the other informal. The informal potato chain involves small holder farmers, input suppliers and local markets including kai bars and the urban market. The chain originates and ends within the Western Highlands Province. The formal potato chain has farmers, input suppliers, wholesaler/marker, transport companies (trucking and coastal shipping agents), supermarkets, hotels and kai bars. This chain originates in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province and ends in Port Moresby, National Capital District. The effectiveness of both the formal and informal chains was identified, and comparisons were made to see how each chain differed. The informal chain was found to have different problems to the formal chains. However, participants to both chains demonstrate a high entrepreneurial behavior. A key finding of the study was that the chains spread their risk by operating in multiple market segments and this can help to solve issues with variable quality. The marketers in each chain position themselves in these different market segments. It was clear from this work that focusing on functions and not the whole chain can lead to a distorted view of chain performance. For example, for the informal chain, a focus on logistics issues, particularly poor roads and problems with availability of seeds, can misrepresent the effectiveness of this chain. Therefore, it was concluded that it is important to look at the overall performance of each chain rather than looking specifically at particular chain functions in isolation.

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40

Nichols, E. "Maturity modelling of corporate responsibility: New Zealand case studies". Lincoln University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1968.

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Corporations are increasingly being expected to be responsible to not only shareholders, but also to employees, society and for the environment. This expectation increases as business crises, such the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Enron collapse, continue to occur. In New Zealand several umbrella organisations were established to aid organisations in the quest to become sustainable or corporately responsible, such as New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, New Zealand Businesses for Social Responsibility, and the Sustainable Business Network. A number of high profile companies such as Hubbard Foods Ltd, Landcare Research, Fonterra and Telecom belong to these umbrella organisations and have produced reports that reflect not only economic prosperity but also environmental quality and social equity. The aim of this research is to identify how organisations are implementing corporate responsibility issues into the operations, and using this information to construct a maturity model. The value of a maturity model is as an analytic tool, where an organisation can be benchmarked against the best in the field. Developing a maturity model for integrating corporate responsibility into an organisation enables managers to identify at which stage the organisation is currently situated and then provides an action plan of where to progress in the future. A preliminary maturity model is developed based on previous models from the fields of corporate responsibility, environmental management and sustainability. This exploratory study used the case study method to analyse six organisations that are members of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development and are producing annual sustainability reports. Using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines for sustainability reporting, 10 years of annual reports from each case company were analysed and compared against these guidelines. The results were used to identify what corporate responsibility areas businesses are currently reporting on and therefore implementing within the organisation, and identifying if there is an evolutionary pattern applicable to all organisations thereby enabling the construction of a maturity model. The findings show that although there was an increase in the GRI indicators included the reporting is poorly developed. The major areas of change have been in the reporting of governance and management structures, the development and inclusion of vision statements and changes in management policies. There was increased reporting in some environmental and social indicators, but no clear patterns of change emerged. Using the data and analysis a refinement of the proposed maturity model was made.

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41

April, Wilfred Isak. "An exploration of entrepreneurship potential among rural youth in Namibia : the Arandis village". Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1459.

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Background: Entrepreneurship potential amongst rural Nama youth should be considered a courageous idea to enhance the motivation and development of the community. At independence in 1990, Namibia developed its own economic and youth policies which were drafted in alignment with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which address concerns about the role rural young people, can play in their own communities. Theoretical Background: This paper explores the role of indigenous entrepreneurship as it pertains to development amongst rural youth in Namibia. It considers the cultural context within which entrepreneurship takes place. To identify and understand the cultural context, the study draws upon the theoretical frameworks of Geert Hofstede, specifically his continuum of individualism/collectivism. The need to continually incorporate new aspects whilst consciously maintaining the traditional, reflects a key African concept, that of "Ubuntu" (unmuntu ngumutu ngabantu). Methodology: An empirical investigation of rural youth in Arandis village was conducted. To explore the significance of entrepreneurship, culture and the notion of Ubuntu in Africa, a comprehensive study of stakeholder views at both a community and national level was also carried out. These investigations were guided by questionnaires, in-depth interviews (supported by story-telling), playback national radio interviews, a panel discussion and a review of Namibian policy documents. Analysis of data also explored practical initiatives and possible forms of enterprise which could contribute to the creation of opportunity for youth in Arandis and in Namibia. Findings: The major findings of this thesis are that: entrepreneurship in Namibia is defined by participants and stakeholders as the efforts made by an individual in accumulating the necessary resources to benefit the community; rural young people in Arandis are potential entrepreneurs (illustrated, by the strong passion they showed to be role models in their community and their strong sense of cultural identity).

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42

Murray, Nicky. "A history of apprenticeship in New Zealand". Lincoln University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1599.

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This Master's thesis is a history of apprenticeship in New Zealand. Apprenticeship has traditionally been the main route for entry into the skilled trades. At one level apprenticeship is a way of training people to do a particular job. The apprentice acquires, in a variety of formal and informal ways, the skills necessary to carry out their trade. The skills involved with each trade, tied inextricably to the technology that is used, are seen as the 'property' of the tradesperson. Learning the technical aspects of the job, however, is only a part of what goes on during an apprenticeship. The apprentice is also socialised into the customs and practices of the trade, learning implicitly and explicitly the hierarchies within the workplace, and gaining an appreciation of the status of his or her trade. Apprenticeship must also be viewed in the wider context of the relationship between labour and capital. The use of apprenticeship as an exclusionary device has implications for both worker and employer. Definitions of skill, and the ways in which technological advances are negotiated, are both dependent on the social setting of the workplace, which is mediated by social arrangements such as apprenticeship. This thesis thus traces the development of apprenticeship policies over the years, and examines within a theoretical context the debate surrounding those policies. Several themes emerge including the inadequacy of the market to deliver sustained training, the tension between educators and employers, and the importance of a tripartite accord to support efficient and equitable training. Apprenticeship has proved to be a remarkably resilient system in New Zealand. This thesis identifies factors that have challenged this resilience, such as changes in work practices and technology, and the historically small wage differentials between skilled and unskilled work. It also identifies the characteristics that have encouraged the retention of apprenticeship, such as the small-scale nature of industry in New Zealand, and the latter's distinctive industrial relations system. It is argued that benefits to both employer and worker, and the strength of the socialisation process embodied in apprenticeship, will ensure that some form of apprenticeship remains a favoured means of training young people for many of the skilled trades.

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43

Wilson, Mark M. J. "Supply chains behaving badly : a dynamic model of inter-organisational supply chain exchange behaviour under rational, relational and chaotic paradigms". Phd thesis, Lincoln University. Commerce Division, 2006. http://theses.lincoln.ac.nz/public/adt-NZLIU20080229.095848/.

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Supply chain exchange relationships are complex and sometimes chaotic sociological and organisational phenomena. This complexity is compounded by the boundary spanning necessity of forming supply chain partnerships that are further exacerbated by goal divergence and asymmetric information. One of the main questions for consideration is how these dyadic exchange relationships are maintained and develop over time in response to the various channel behaviours of the actors (the buyer and seller)? In particular, exchange relationships are theorised to be sensitive in some degree to attempts at economic appropriation, and conversely coordinative efforts. Such efforts manifest themselves into the mutually opposing forces broadly labelled as opportunistic and collaborative behavioural paradigms. Drawing from the concepts of Systems and Chaos/Complexity theories, it is theorised that the movement from one form of relational arrangement to another is enacted in a non-linear and dynamic manner with periods of relational equilibrium disrupted by bifurcations resulting in the emergence of new levels of relationship. However, not all exchange relationships are susceptible to constant change, rather, there should be some threshold barrier or relationship inertia that must be overcome before a bifurcation occurs. Yet what is not known is how strong these bonds are to the enactment of opportunistic and collaborative partner behaviours. Hence, 189 manufacturing supply chain relationships were survey-interviewed in order to determine the impact that collaborative and opportunistic behaviours have on supply chain relational movement. The results show that generally exchange relationships do in fact change in response to these enacted behaviours, and that actual levels of supply chain behaviour over a range of 12 variables could be measured. Indeed, the level of opportunistic behaviour experienced by the sample was disturbing. In addition, the level of tolerance (zone of tolerance) for specific behaviours was measured for the first time in the field. Overall, it was found that supply chain exchange relationships do indeed evolve in a non-linear dynamic manner in response to opportunistic and collaborative manoeuvres by the dyadic actors. Finally, these ideas were summarised in the Dynamic Relational Development (DRD) concept that explains how supply chain relationships dynamically change. In addition, the dualistic nature of the collaborative versus opportunistic behaviour choice for exchange actors is tentatively reconciled by the deontological approach of the Supply Chain Citizen theory offered in this research.

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44

Murray, Nicole Anne. "Who gets their hands 'dirty' in the knowledge society? Training for the skilled trades in New Zealand". Lincoln University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1714.

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The vision of New Zealand as a 'knowledge society' is a mantra that has opened the twenty-first century. Underpinning any 'knowledge society', however; are people who turn resources into concrete products and who build, maintain and service the technological and social infrastructure essential to society. This thesis examines the skilled trades and, in particular, how people are trained for those trades. Industry training is a crucial component of the wealth-generating capabilities of New Zealand. It is also an essential part of the way that many young people make the transition from school to work and from adolescence to adulthood. The means of training tradespeople has moved over the years from the rigid and prescriptive apprenticeship system, to the more voluntaristic, industry-led 'industry training' strategy, introduced following the Industry Training Act 1992. Regardless of the system used to organise training, however, there have been long-standing problems in New Zealand with achieving the optimum number of skilled workers, possessing the correct 'mix' of skills required. In this research, based upon semi-structured interviews with industry training stakeholders four industry case studies, policy content analysis and an in-depth examination of the Modem Apprenticeships scheme, I ask three key questions. First, what are the things that, as a country, we could or should reasonably expect a 'good' industry training system to contribute to? These may be things like: an adequate supply of appropriately skilled workers, the ability to upskill or reskill these workers as needed, clear transition routes for young people, lifelong learning opportunities, equity goals and foundation skills. Second, I ask how the current system performs against these criteria. The short answer is that the performance is 'patchy'. There are dire skill shortages in many areas. While opportunities for workplace upskilling, reskilling or 'lifelong learning' are available, I argue that they are not yet cemented into a 'training culture'. Workplace-based learning is an important transition route for a small percentage of our young people but the favoured route is some form of tertiary education, which may be an expensive and not necessarily relevant option. Third, I ask why the performance of New Zealand's industry training system is often less than desirable. My argument is that the problems and solutions thereof, of skill formation in New Zealand have been understood largely in terms of the supply-side. That is, we have either critiqued, or looked to reform, whatever system has been in place to train skilled workers. The inadequacy of this approach is evident from weaknesses in the ability of either the prescriptive apprenticeship system or the voluntaristic industry training strategy to deliver an appropriately skilled workforce. Thus, I also examine the demand side of skill formation: the wider influences that impact on employers' training decisions. Training decisions made by individual employers, the aggregation of which represent the level and quality of training for New Zealand as a whole, are influenced by a plethora of factors. At the micro level of the employer or firm, I explore barriers to training and some of the constraints to the demand for skills. I then examine broader influences, such as the changing shape of the workforce, labour market regulation and wider economic factors, all of which impact on training levels.

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45

Chen, Shaohui 1966. "Human resource management in Chinese-western joint ventures". 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2277.

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Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy.
The international human resource management models developed in the last decade pursue a contextual analysis of the standardisation (global integration) of multinational parent companies’ human resource management policies and practices and localisation (local differentiation) of host countries' practices. However, as a popular but unique international alliance, the process by which international joint ventures determined HRM policies and practices remained unclear. This research utilizes a resource dependency perspective to explore the company-specific determinants of Chinese-western joint ventures' HRM formation, by investigating JV parent companies HRM decision drivers in terms of contractual and non-contractual resources, expertise, consistency requirements, and internationalization experience. Through five in-depth case studies, this research demonstrated that HRM standardisation or localisation is a function of the IJV parents’ HR decision drivers. Additional variables, contextual factors and future research directions are discussed. Contributions of this research include a balanced consideration of both partners in the international joint venture to counter the ethnocentric lens of MNC-subsidiary relationships. The research recasts standardisation and localisation as a continuum that should express the interests of multiple partners, rather than the interests of one in a host country context.

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46

Gilbert, John. "The Management of Senior Managers: How Firms in New Zealand Acquire, Defend and Extract Value from their Senior Managerial Resources". 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2168.

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Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy.
The main aim of this study was to develop an understanding of current practice in New Zealand firms with regard to the management of managers, in particular the senior management team consisting of the CEO and direct reports. Although theory drawn from organizational economics, human resource development and strategic human resource management do provide useful perspectives, there is not, as yet, a well developed or coordinated theory on the management of managers. In this study a theoretical framework is developed, which identifies three broad goal domains for the management of managers and the key strategic tensions that firms may have to deal with in order to achieve their goals within these domains. The theoretical framework also proposes a taxonomy of company styles that describes different patterns of practice that might be expected in firms at various stages of development or in different contexts. The empirical research is centred on case studies of practice in four mid-sized New Zealand firms selected to represent a cross-section of established companies in different sectors and with some variation in patterns of ownership. The main findings are that current practice is largely consistent with the predictions of the theoretical framework and that the firms in the study face pronounced challenges with regard to the recruitment and retention of managers. In particular, the difficulties are compounded by the relatively shallow pool of talent available in a small economy, which makes it difficult for firms to establish robust managerial internal labour markets capable of supplying the bulk of the firms' senior managerial needs. Other findings of note are that there is little evidence of clearly perceived agency issues of the kind raised by the organizational economics literature and that processes and systems for identifying managerial talent in general, and for developing managers at the senior level, are not well developed. The broad conclusions are that firms in a small economy face particular difficulties in making the transition from an emergent stage to having fully evolved internal capabilities to bring managers with superior talent through to senior positions.

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47

Flint-Hartle, Susan. "Franchising in the real estate agency sector : multiple perspectives and converging angles of inquiry : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Massey University". 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1437.

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This thesis investigates the widespread phenomenon of franchising in the real estate agency sector. To date, franchising research has been largely multi disciplinary, explanatory theory relatively undeveloped and there has been heavy reliance on the point of view of the franchisor. This thesis broadens investigation to include multiple perspectives of both the franchisor and franchisee. It examines the important contribution made to the relationship by both parties and the nature of their parallel business venturing. Drawing on data collected from the main real estate franchisors operating in New Zealand and from samples of franchisee business owners in the Asia-Pacific region, the study uses a pragmatic mixed methodological approach. It is believed by breaking the quantitative tradition the complex nature and sector specific characteristics of franchising can be better understood. Two interlinked studies are undertaken. First, the franchisor's perspective of franchising is examined and a window study is used to illustrate the notion of resource competency. Second, franchising as an entrepreneurial activity mainly from the franchisee point of view expands existing debate linking franchising with the entrepreneurship domain. It is argued that the strategic decision to franchise taken by real estate agency franchisors requires a wider explanation than offered by current agency and resource scarcity theory. The success of franchising in this sector is based on the development of a sophisticated resource competency that ensures a highly evolved, sustaining relationship with the franchisee and perpetuation into the mature growth phase. Franchising systems are defined as entrepreneurial organisations in which cooperation between two different types of entrepreneur takes place. The franchisor initiates the system and builds the brand while the franchisee develops the local market. Thus value is created as entrepreneurial ventures are established and flourish. Franchisors and franchisees amalgamate innovations and franchisees develop their own resource competencies complimentary to the parent organisation. Together with the people involved, wealth creation and innovative processes and activities undertaken by both parties in the relationship, franchising in real estate agency is shown to be fully compatible with entrepreneurship constructs.

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48

Wu, Minyu. "The search for sustainable competitive advantage : a stakeholder management perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand". 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1543.

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Competitive advantage and stakeholder management are two important research streams that have attracted much attention during the past two decades. Although competitive advantage is the core issue of strategic management in which stakeholder management is rooted, the two topics have developed seemingly independently in the literature. The main purpose of this thesis is to explore how stakeholder management influences competitive advantage. The research is guided by a theoretical framework that employs a stakeholder perspective, linking three perspectives of competitive advantage—the resource-based view, the relational view, and the activity-position view. The general research approach chosen is a qualitative, multiple-case study. Ten cases were selected, from leading firms of several industries in Taiwan, and in-depth interviews were conducted. Results showed that a firm’s competitive advantage comes from its resource capacity (superior resources, unique capabilities, and solid relationships) and a mix of activities that respond to the competitive context. Competitive advantage, too, can be analysed in terms of two components: resource advantage and positional advantage. Stakeholder management can have significant influences on resource advantages as stakeholders play important roles in the process of value creation. They are the providers who supply valued resources to the firm and, as such, can act as catalysts or hindrances that either facilitate or impede the generation of valued resources. Successful stakeholder management strengthens a firm’s resource profile and thus enhances its resource advantages. Stakeholder management also has considerable influences on positional advantages, as stakeholders are relevant to activities and drivers that determine cost and differentiation. Moreover, stakeholders are key players in the competitive context, who help to shape the competitiveness of the firm. The study reported that stakeholder management helps to sustain competitive advantage through advancing a firm’s resource capacity—resource commitment, developing capabilities, and building relationships. Stakeholder management also generates several isolating mechanisms that preserve competitive advantage, including time compression diseconomies, causal ambiguity, social complexity, and transaction costs. However, in the face of ever-changing situations, managers need to adopt different strategies for managing stakeholder relations. To achieve sustained competitive advantage in a dynamic context, firms not only have to strengthen the capacity of resource advantage to fit the competitive strategy, but also need to use innovative and entrepreneurial approaches for managing their stakeholder relations.

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49

Obren, Mark. "Linking increased returns to industry-level change : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business and Administration in Strategy at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1556.

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While the change literature is currently dominated by the punctuated equilibrium paradigm, anomalies have appeared to the paradigm in the form of high velocity change and hypercompetition. D'Aveni (1999) reconciles these anomalies with the punctuated equilibrium paradigm by suggesting that the frequency of change experienced affects the change experienced. This research considered whether the presence of increasing returns in an industry is correlated with the frequency of change experienced by the industry and the types of change that appear, thus providing an explanation for the differing forms of change. A second observation in the literature is that an industry experiences a period of instability after a discontinuity. This research considered whether the temporal proximity or type of a preceding discontinuity influenced the likelihood or type of later discontinuities. A longitudinal study identified discontinuities in nine industries throughout the industries' histories. The industries were categorised as: increasing returns, derived from external network effects (Airlines, Data Communications, Electricity and Shipping Lines), complementarity (Information Storage) or information content (Software), respectively; or as constant returns (Aircraft Manufacturing, Telecommunications Manufacturing and Shipbuilding). A comparison of discontinuities has been made between pairs of industries with a common end-user of the industry outputs, where one industry exhibits increasing returns and the companion industry has constant returns, using Binomial Distribution, Fisher's Exact Test and Generalised Linear Modelling techniques. Further Generalised Linear Models tested the interactions of discontinuities. Industries with increasing returns were found to have greater frequency of change. The types of change experienced were found to affect subsequent change, with both types of discontinuities being correlated with increased proportions of competency-enhancing change for ten years, while competency-destroying and competency-enhancing discontinuities were associated with increased frequency of change for twenty and ten years, respectively. The evidence associating increasing returns with competency type was unreliable. Consequently, increasing returns industries may experience a greater variation of frequency of change, with industries entering and leaving periods of enhanced frequencies of change. Thus, industries with increasing returns are more likely to experience change consistent with hypercompetition and high velocity conditions, compared with the punctuated equilibrium style change experienced by constant returns industries.

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50

Harris, David J. "A discourse analysis of institutionalised logics in the field of New Zealand rugby 1985 and 2005 : a thesis presented for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business and Administration at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand". 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1602.

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Why do carefully considered and reasoned decisions in organisational settings so often produce unintended and sub-optimal outcomes? This is an on-going and vexing question for those charged with the governance of organisations. This research focuses on one potential contributory factor - the institutionalised logics of a particular field. Taking an historical perspective, the research examines the nature of taken-for-granted ideas and understandings that might be seen to have existed amongst the communities involved in New Zealand rugby in 1985 and in 2005. It is proposed that these taken-for-granted ideas and understandings might have an impact upon the success, or failure, of initiatives and decisions made by those charged with the governance of the game. Utilising ideas emerging from institutional theory (Freidland & Alford, 1991; Meyer & Rowan, 1977; Oliver, 1992; Thornton & Ocasio, 1999; Tolbert & Zucker, 1999), and following the work of Phillips, Lawrence and Hardy (2004), these ideas and understandings are offered, conceptually, as institutionalised logics, simultaneously facilitating and constraining action in the field. Given that these understandings might be inchoate and hidden, an interpretive model of discourse analysis is employed to examine their nature. The data comes from texts created in 1985 and 2005. and from 32 in-depth interviews that were used to develop an insider's interpretation of the context. The analysis uses data from the interviews and the texts to build an interpretation of the nature of twenty such logics that might be seen to have existed in the chosen years. The results are presented as discrete understandings, explained in the context of the environment at the time. Examples of the institutionalised logics uncovered include. "The clubs are history', 'Central control is the way to go!' and 'The coach is king'. The research presents an interpretation of evolving institutionalised logics which might impact on the way decisions of the New Zealand Rugby Union are interpreted by the communities affected. The discussion highlights the implications that these understandings might have for decisions made about the game in New Zealand. It is argued that these taken-for-granted ideas and understandings, and their changing and contradictory nature, should be explicitly considered by those charged with governance of New Zealand rugby. An analysis of the institutionalised logics might contribute towards improved organisational performance, by providing another piece in the puzzle of governance.

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Tesis sobre el tema "Fields of Research – 350000 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services – 350200 Business and Management"

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