Doctoral Theses
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The Doctoral Theses collection contains digital copies of AUT doctoral theses deposited with the Library since 2004 and made available open access. All theses for doctorates awarded from 2007 onwards are required to be deposited in Tuwhera Open Theses unless subject to an embargo.
For theses submitted prior to 2007, open access was not mandatory, so only those theses for which the author has given consent are available in Tuwhera Open Theses. Where consent for open access has not been provided, the thesis is usually recorded in the AUT Library catalogue where the full text, if available, may be accessed with an AUT password. Other people should request an Interlibrary Loan through their library.
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- ItemAn Inquiry into the Political Economy of Gross National Happiness: An Integrated Policy Response for Sustainable Happiness and Wellbeing through Enhanced Government Performance(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Tobden, JambaSpirituality and compassion have been integrated with governance since the foundation of Bhutan as a nation state. Bhutan’s measurement of Gross National Happiness (GNH) is a deliberate attempt to embed Bhutanese cultural and historical values into national governance structures. The GNH index is a unique approach that includes both traditional areas of socio-economic concern, such as living standards, health, and education, and less traditional aspects, including culture, community vitality, and psychological wellbeing. One of the issues tracked in the survey which forms the GNH index is the perception of government performance. The intent and scope of this thesis was to examine Government Performance as a key indicator within Bhutan’s policy framework with the aim to support GNH that would enhance sustainable happiness and wellbeing in Bhutan. Bhutan’s GNH official policy is precisely to maximise Gross National Happiness for its people. According to the index, happiness and wellbeing are thriving in Bhutan, in light of GNH policies and programmes which Bhutan initially pursued in the 1970s. The concepts entered western discourse in the 1980s and have become a fashionable topic since 2000. In these enabling conditions, nation-wide GNH surveys have been conducted every five years in Bhutan since 2010. For Bhutan, the development philosophy of GNH entails four pillars, nine domains, and 33 indicators. The four pillars are: sustainable and equitable socio-economic development; promotion and preservation of culture; conservation of environment; and the execution of effective and inclusive good governance. Since the 2010 GNH survey, these four pillars have been further elaborated into nine domains. Good governance is one of the nine domains, and government performance is one of the 33 indicators, along with three other indicators under the good governance domain. The basis of the inquiry is the results from the latest GNH survey on government performance and an analysis of the responses of key political and administrative figures in Bhutan. The latest report (CBS, 2016) showed that the perception of government performance was among the lowest of the 33 indicators. More strikingly, this indicator declined the most when compared to the 2010 survey. For Bhutan to improve its GNH, this indicator must be investigated in depth. This thesis centres on a significantly understudied context of government performance as it explores the nature of GNH qualitatively. This work is of national importance to Bhutan, representing a high-level and intellectually rigorous engagement with national policy for social good. The social good for the people is largely affected by government performance, and that government performance is influenced by political economy. Framed within social constructivism as the theoretical framework, this study employed a qualitative inductive approach with in-depth semi-structured interviews involving an understudied sample of 28 key participants in the policy process. The participants consisted of advanced Researchers, Chief Policy Officers, Members of Parliament, Presidents of Political parties, leadership of various institutions representing government, civil society organisations and private sectors, and other public figures within Bhutan. Adopting thematic analysis of the interview data, the responses were inductively thematised and analysed in relation to the expert interview methodology. The qualitative exploration in this study offers unique insights into the interpretations and complexities of the political economy of GNH and its influence on people’s wellbeing and happiness through government performance underpinning an intricate and textured picture of the lives of Bhutanese. This thesis deepens the literature and contributes to the insights into GNH from an experts’ perspective, in particular the policy architects in Bhutan. The analysis reveals the current issues pertaining to government performance, defines the perfecting reforms in the government machineries, and ultimately offers alternative policy options for achieving sustainable happiness and wellbeing in Bhutan. This thesis makes a novel contribution to the literature on Bhutan’s political economy of GNH, the first of its kind. It argues for greater attention by shifting its focus away from a series of quantitative GNH index studies to a qualitative analysis. It also argues for a re-examination of government policies and processes to enable the maximisation of GNH. This thesis argues for greater attention by shifting its focus away from simply measuring a quantitative GNH index to analysing the policy and implementation problems to prevent the maximisation of GNH, which in itself requires a qualitative analysis. The idea of shifting the focus away from quantitative index to qualitative analysis suggests how maximising GNH could be achieved. The expert participants defined GNH as “development with values”, and a deliberate attempt to embed Bhutanese values into national governance structures. This thesis reveals that GNH provides clarity on what it means to be a politician, to be a public servant, as a citizen and as an individual human being. That clarity is primarily the need to pursue everything in moderation, and the need to provide policy, focus, and sharpness. The dominant themes that emerged from the interviews were government performance in job creation, the gap between rich and poor; practical and policy challenges in maximising GNH; that GNH must be dynamic and how Bhutan achieves GNH must change; and a need for a national GNH narrative. In addition, this study has wider educational, economic, and social policy implications for countries seeking to structure national identities which go beyond employability, clearly aligning with the global vision for an inclusive economics.
- ItemEnergy Management System for the Integration of Electric Vehicles in the Smart Grid(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Mohammad, AsaadAmid the global pursuit of sustainability, Electric Vehicles (EVs) and solar energy source (PV) have emerged as transformative technologies with the potential to revolutionize the transportation and energy sectors. EVs promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the reliance on fossil fuels. EVs act as mobile energy storage devices with significant capacity. When connected to the grid, they can absorb excess electricity during periods of high renewable energy generation and release it during peak demand, effectively acting as grid batteries. Meanwhile, PV systems offer a clean and renewable energy source that can be harnessed at the point of generation, reducing stress on the grid, and promoting energy independence. However, the seamless integration of these technologies into the existing electricity grid presents multifaceted challenges that must be addressed to fully unlock their potential. This thesis delves into the dynamic relationship between PV systems and EVs, with a specific focus on transactive energy management as a pivotal means to optimize their interaction with the distribution networks. EVs, predominantly in a parked state, present an untapped opportunity for active engagement in transactive markets, enabling the sale of surplus energy to the grid during periods of favourable pricing, thereby affording novel revenue streams to EV owners. The central goal of this research is to develop frameworks that enable the efficient exchange of energy between PV-integrated distribution networks and EVs while considering technical, social and economic aspects. One of the core challenges lies in the technical integration of PV-EV systems with the distribution networks. This encompasses optimizing EV charging schedules, managing bidirectional power flows, accounting for system uncertainties and accurate forecasting strategies. The objective is to optimize the utilization of PV for EV charging and maximize the active involvement of EVs in transactive energy markets, thereby increasing the reliability and stability of the distribution network. Moreover, the thesis explores various transactive models that facilitate energy exchange, such as peer-to-peer energy trading and aggregator-based markets. The models are evaluated in terms of feasibility, benefits, and challenges, with a particular focus on their applicability in the context of workplace PV-integrated EVs. To optimize energy transactions, the thesis develops advanced algorithms that leverage real data including PV generation patterns, EV charging behaviour, electricity prices, and market dynamics. These algorithms are designed to minimize costs while considering system uncertainties to ultimately promote more efficient energy usage. The thesis substantiates its findings through real-world case studies and simulations. Range anxiety, being the biggest barrier to the adoption of EVs, is considered in designing the transactive energy management system while minimizing operational costs. In conclusion, this research underscores the critical importance of transactive energy management for PV-integrated workplace electric vehicles. By addressing the complex technical, economic, and operational challenges, this work contributes to the broader efforts aimed at harnessing the full potential of EV-based transactive energy markets and advancing the global energy transition. The proposed methods in this research are generic, theoretically flexible, and capable of being applied to the distribution networks to smartly manage EVs’ participation in transactive energy markets.
- ItemExplicating the Prominent Researched Factors Contributing to Couple Relationship Well-being: A Multi-Grounded Meta-Synthesis(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Sharkey, Jennifer AnnThis study comprehensively reviews and summarises the multi-disciplinary relationship science research to elucidate the key factors involved in developing and maintaining couple relationship well-being. The aim was to develop an explanatory model based on a significant body of experimental knowledge that can be used to inform and guide therapists, educators, researchers, and couples in the betterment of couple relationships. To achieve this a pragmatic five-phase Multi-Grounded Theory investigation allowed: 1. The collation of more than 25,000 academic publications into Endnote. 2. The identification of more than 1,000 relevant factors being researched in these studies, creating a dictionary-codebook. 3. Network modelling of the ten most prominent factors in the literature and their co-occurrence with other factors in research studies. 4. The interpretation of these findings by reviewing the literature they were drawn from. 5. The diagrammatical structuring of the findings into an explanatory model. The ten factors found to be the most researched relating to couple relationship well-being in the collated corpus were: Attachment, personality, emotion, perception, emotion regulation, conflict, communication, neurological, biological sex differences, and stress. Research throughout the last seventy years has repeatedly affirmed these factors as critical to the development and maintenance of couple relationship well-being outcomes (both negatively and positively). As attachment and personality were the most prolifically researched of these ten and were the factors most researched conjunctively with other factors, these became pivotal in the creation of the explanatory model. In the model, attachment and personality are shown as significantly influencing individual and relational patterns of emotion, perception, and emotional regulation which in turn influence conflict and communication patterns. Attachment and personality are themselves influenced by biopsychosocial factors, including genetic and neurological factors, as well as biological sex differences. Stress and stress-related contexts – both historical and current – influence all these factors. The final explanatory model created in this study is a unique summation of an exceptionally large corpus of empirically-based knowledge, offering an unprecedented and readily accessible overview of the multi-disciplinary research findings regarding couple relationship well-being.
- ItemOpen Source Blockchain Software Health: A Theoretical Framework(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Nijsse, JeffThe thesis combines research into blockchain software with the health of software ecosystems to produce a theoretical framework for open source blockchain health. The motivation comes from the blockchain trilemma, which argues that a blockchain network can achieve only two out of the three design objectives from decentralisation, security, and scalability. Between decentralisation and scalability, the objective is to investigate blockchain software from a health perspective to determine areas for improvement. To fulfil these objectives, the study formulates a series of three focused research questions. The first is derived from the blockchain trilemma and asks: What are the factors that influence blockchain consensus? The second looks at software systems as a whole and asks: What is a definition of software health? The final research question unites software health and open source software (OSS) blockchain projects asking: What is included in a comprehensive model of OSS blockchain health? To help answer these questions, hypotheses are formed that can then be tested within the overall methodology of Design Science Research (DSR). DSR allows for an iterative process where findings help inform processes and is particularly well suited for research in socio-technical fields. The focus of DSR is on the output artefacts that can be disseminated for further assessment and contribution to the field. Among its contributions, the study offers a re-characterisation of the blockchain trilemma, distilling it into a dilemma that navigates between consensus methods, which are tied to decentralisation, and performance factors correlated with scaling capabilities. This, through the first question leads to the artefact of a taxonomy of blockchain consensus methods that reveals the landscape of algorithms underpinning decentralised networks. In addition, the study introduces a conceptualisation of software health, drawn from literature in natural, business, and software ecosystems. It posits that the health of a software ecosystem is a composite construct comprising sustainability, robustness, and niche occupation. Sustainability is further decomposed into interest and engagement. To operationalise the definition of health the study employs exploratory factor analysis to search for latent constructs from specific metrics identified in the literature. General Interest is gauged through the observed variables of forks, stars, and mentions, while Developer Engagement consists of commits, pull requests, comments, and contributors. Software Robustness is measured using the metrics criticality, time since the last update, geographic distribution of contributors, and market capitalisation ranking. These metrics are empirically substantiated through confirmatory factor analyses. Structural equation modelling is used to add a structural element to the latent factors. The study follows a framework for developing theory in Information Systems to derive a theoretical framework for software health. The framework is the prime artefact of the work, not only advancing scholarly discourse and contributing to knowledge, but also yielding actionable guidance applicable to a variety of stakeholders, ranging from project managers to volunteer open source developers. In summary, the study contributes to both academic and practical realms by providing a methodologically rigorous, empirically substantiated framework, and metrics for assessing the health of blockchain projects in the OSS ecosystem.
- ItemManaging Protected Area Tourism for Sustainable Community Development: The Case of Ruhuna National Park (Yala), Sri Lanka(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Senarathna, DineshaSince demarcating the world’s first protected area 150 years ago, many countries are increasingly leveraging their rich natural environments as valuable assets to promote tourism and strengthen community development. The existing literature on community development in Protected Area (PA) tourism has predominantly focused on African countries, while the South Asian context, particularly in Sri Lanka, is limited, with a lack of evidence-based research on community perceptions of PA tourism impacts. This doctoral research addresses this gap by conducting a case study on Ruhuna NP (Yala), Sri Lanka, and the proximate community of Ranakeliya to provide empirical evidence of the complex issues surrounding PA tourism growth. In PA tourism, few studies have explored the local community’s internal dialogue concerning power dynamics in resource consumption and benefit sharing amongst stakeholders, and there is also limited knowledge about the community’s response to park conservation initiatives. This research adopts the Community Capital Framework (CCF), stakeholder theory, and political ecology approaches to explain the impacts of PA tourism on a local community. This doctoral research aims to gain a deeper understanding of how PA-focused tourism can be managed to generate sustainable development for communities and, in turn, enhance the willingness of communities to embrace conservation efforts and support PA’s broader environmental goals. The research makes distinctive contributions to the current literature on PA tourism, community development and conservation. The research achieves three objectives: 1) to explore and explain the relationships between key stakeholder groups engaged in PA tourism practices, and 2) to understand the community-level impacts of PA-based tourism using a case study approach, and 3) to make theoretical and methodological contributions at the intersection of PA tourism, sustainable community development and conservation. A mixed methods approach was adopted to obtain evidence from the case study on PA tourism issues outlined above. Participatory observation, surveys, semi-structured interviews, and participatory mapping exercises have addressed the research’s key objectives. Descriptive statistical approaches, and thematic and spatial analysis were applied for data analysis. The findings show that the locals are experts in defining their problems and finding potential solutions, drawing on their local, traditional, and spatial knowledge. Despite certain context-specific drawbacks inherent in Yala PA tourism (due to power dynamics between stakeholders), that disadvantage the local community and hinder conservation efforts, this doctoral research concludes that several opportunities still exist. The local community’s intention to contribute to conservation is unexpectedly high. The prospects can be harnessed by managing PA tourism to create sustainable community benefits (through integrating local culture and livelihoods), thereby enhancing the local community’s commitment to achieving Yala’s conservation goals. The community women’s leadership in participatory conservation practices instils conservation passion in their children, emphasising the necessity of connecting these practices to PA tourism and educating the young generation about Yala’s value for long-term sustainability. The thesis offers practical insights for evidence-based tourism strategies in PA conservation policies and sustainable community benefits applicable to Sri Lanka, and also to other developing countries. The research yields a valuable community-created mapping tool for Yala park management, local authorities, and PA tourism practitioners, and identifies areas (based on impacts) to develop indicators of successful sustainable community development achieved through Yala PA tourism.