Doctoral Theses

Permanent link for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10292/4

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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Now showing 1 - 20 of 1568

3D Localization Techniques for Wireless Sensor Networks
(Auckland University of Technology, 2019) Ahmad, Tanveer
Location information is crucial for the correct interpretation of data collected through wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The de facto system for wireless localization, Global Positioning System (GPS) does not work properly in indoor environment, thus researchers are thriving to find other localization schemes for indoor WSNs. The main goal of this work is to study and design three-dimensional (3D) wireless localization schemes for indoor applications. In this thesis, a new and accurate, efficient and cost-effective algorithm, called parametric loop division (PLD) has been proposed for localizing static nodes within a WSN. In the proposed technique, reference points can help to produce new parametric points by calculating the mid points and by taking step size that falls within the network boundary. The objective of PLD scheme is to estimate the actual localization volume and find the node position in 3D space by using subdivision method. In each step, triangles are subdivided into pairs with the addition of extraordinary nodes in its control ring matrix. Parametric points are generated by using the step size and RSSI is compared with threshold value for localization. The work involves the development of novel solution which utilizes the anchor node position information to calibrate nodes with unknown target, allowing it to work even in a changing environment with increased reliability and accuracy. Subsequently, PLD is evaluated in presence of different types of noises. Firstly, the localization accuracy was tested without the addition of noise in distance measurement. Like other schemes, PLD is adversely affected by the noise, which reduces the accuracy of the system. A new framework with extended kalman filtering (EKF) is proposed to refine the nodes coordinates affected by the noise. Furthermore, an analytical framework is presented with the detailed study of lower bound of the localization accuracy. The PLD is tested for naive, Gaussian and intelligent noise. The anchor node is modelled by only using the knowledge information of coordinates to redesign the distance vertex from anchor to parametric points. Finally, we consider the mobile based localization scheme, which has become popular recently with the development of autonomous robots and unmanned aerial vehicles. We designed an extended centroid based localization system that use the weight on distance to compute the signal power. A fuzzy logic approach is adopted for computation. The design is divided in to In the first phase, RSSI is mapped to fuzzy membership function. The mobile anchor exchange beacon and measure distance using RSSI data. The target node position is computed in a circle within the sensing region for a mobile anchor node, which moves on a random walk for broadcasting beacons. RSSI and signal power is used as an input for fuzzy system. In the second phase, for accurate node positioning a perpendicular bisector is drawn from rough estimation to circle drawn previously. Like EKF, fuzzy logic works well in nonlinear estimation of target nodes locations. Localization problem is evolving with the advance of mobile technologies and this thesis contributes to the fast development of this topic. However, there are still some issued left out as future study, mainly on the effect of anchor node localization error, implementing mobile anchor in a PLD algorithm and energy-aware localization schemes in WSNs.
A 3D Printed Ballistic Drug Delivery System for Wildlife Administration
(Auckland University of Technology, 2019) Long, Jingjunjiao
Overpopulation of wildlife, especially in pest-prone territories, is a major ecological problem. Culling is the most effective population control approach but drug-induced contraception is also common for protected species. The administration of contraception in the wild has been restricted to conventional methods such as surgery which require capturing and handling often large numbers of incorporative or dangerous animals. This thesis proposed a new approach for wildlife contraception by utilising three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to fabricate a novel ballistic drug delivery system (BDDS) capable of remotely administering contraceptives amongst any other required drug(s). A literature review was conducted focusing on the use and application of fused deposition modelling (FDM) method of 3D printing in drug delivery (Chapter 2). In chapter 3, A ballistic projectile for short-term (seasonal) progesterone (P4)-induced contraception was developed using FDM. A sustained drug release (over five months) was achieved with the projectile providing sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate thin and medium-thickness skins. Subsequently, this projectile was modified to a multi-compartment model capable of loading and delivering multiple drugs, including anti-inflammatory dexamethasone (DEX), local anaesthetic lidocaine hydrochloride (LDC) and contraceptive levonorgestrel (LNG). The drug formulations were independently developed in the following chapters: DEX was formulated in poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels, and a sustained release was achieved over one month (Chapter 4), LDC was incorporated with chitosan-pectin (CS-PEC) hydrogel and manufactured as a customised 3D printed wound dressing that released LDC in 5h (Chapter 5), LNG was incorporated within a combined system of CS microspheres and PVA hydrogels, achieving controlled release for over two years (Chapter 6). The above formulations, can be easily incorporated into a multiple-compartment projectile as a BDDS or could be used individually for other clinical applications. The new knowledge created by this thesis provide new insights into ballistic delivery to wildlife, and make a major contribution to advance the application of 3D printing technology in drug delivery.
A Cloud Adoption Feasibility Assessment Framework (CAFAF) for E-government in Developing Countries: A Design Science Approach
(Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Pokhrel, Bikash
The purpose of the study was to determine whether cloud computing could be beneficial in improving the success of E-Government implementation in developing countries such as the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Cloud computing has often been reported in the literature as effective and efficient in managing IT resources at a national level. Developed countries have paid substantial attention to embracing technological innovations through cloud computing and catering to the potential for E-Government applications in the form of Government Private Cloud, also referred to as G-Cloud. In contrast, developing countries have been unable to take full advantage of the Government Private Cloud models adopted by developed countries due to underlying challenges, such as poor ICT infrastructure, skills shortages, and a lack of financial and internal resources. The literature on theoretical cloud concepts has overlooked the technological and economic feasibility needs of cloud computing in a practical E-Government context and considering the role of stakeholder involvement. Cloud vendor tools offered limited approaches to the cloud feasibility assessment - particularly those at an agency or department level. These vendor tools often ignored considerations of government agency-specific needs or their political context. Due to government agencies' varying business, political and technological needs in developing economies, cloud adoption feasibility differs from agency to agency. Despite the interest shown by several studies, no authors, to date, empirically studied the formulation of cloud adoption feasibility assessment tools based on a conceptual cloud computing framework. Therefore, this study was conceived to identify important factors influencing cloud adoption in developing countries through a literature review and then to develop a new framework that may be useful for E-Government cloud consideration. The study aimed to propose, evaluate, and refine a new Cloud Adoption Feasibility Assessment Framework (CAFAF) to assist agencies in deciding whether or not the cloud can be appropriate for implementation. The study followed the Design Science Research approach (guided by Johannesson and Perjons (2012) and Vaishnavi and Kuechler (2004). The Design Science Research (DSR) paradigm aligned well with the research motivation and objectives and ultimately provided an excellent research process for the resulting outcome in the framework. Four DSR design phases were used to improve the CAFAF and associated automated calculation spreadsheet tools, resulting in six artifacts, each composed of several constructs and sub-constructs. The core contribution of this study has been the creation of a new decision-making CAFAF framework and the associated calculation spreadsheet tools for a cloud feasibility assessment relevant to developing countries. Highly valuable are the spreadsheets that are directly accessible for decision-makers in government and others navigating feasibility planning for cloud migration and business case development. The CAFAF and its associated tools represent a significant new contribution to the design of service-oriented frameworks that can assist in E-Government agency decision-making. The findings identified that common industry cloud feasibility and migration frameworks needed to improve to take into consideration a more holistic view and to develop supporting tools that can investigate the relevance of cloud computing with stakeholders’ varying needs and their context in mind. This study addresses a gap in the absence of a vendor-independent feasibility assessment tool tailored to the context of developing countries and contributes to the emerging cloud computing research domain where the focus in the context of a developing country's government agencies has been found to be substantially scant in publications compared to those in developed economies.
A Discursive Dance – A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of Caring Touch in Health Practice
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Power, Nicola
The act of one person touching another is an act discursively produced and, therefore, constructed as acceptable in some situations and not in others dependant on who, where, and when the touch is actioned. Challenges, therefore, have the potential to arise; particularly within the realms of health practice where acts of touch are commonplace. This study has a specific focus on caring touch. Caring touch is a form of non-verbal communication enacted between people to demonstrate compassion, support, and empathy; and is constructed by social, gender and cultural perspectives. The aim of this inquiry was to analyse the discursive constructions of caring touch in health practice. The complexity of caring touch required a methodology that recognised the presence of multiple viewpoints, values, and practices. Therefore, this study employed post-structural discourse analysis, which drew on the work of Michel Foucault and his notions of discourse, the subject, technologies, and governmentality. Semi-structured interviews with 20 practitioners recruited from nursing, paramedicine, midwifery, and medicine, provided the data for this inquiry. Analysis of the data demonstrated an interplay of multiple discourses that made caring touch, as an act incorporated into health practice, challenging. Findings from this study showed constructions of caring touch were at times juxtaposed across, and within, the four health disciplines. Although scopes of practice meant participants were able to legitimately cross boundaries of interpersonal space to employ their specific acts of care, caring touch was made more complex as it was not a ‘necessary’ part of practice. At times, caring touch was constructed as part of professional identity where it was normalised as complementary to other tasks undertaken, and an important aspect of care. Conversely, caring touch was sometimes constructed as an ‘extra’, an unnecessary part of professional practice that restricted time for diagnosis and treatment. Evident for most participants were uncertainties pertaining to what acts of caring touch were doable and, what were not, in terms of their professional practice, situating these participants at a discursive impasse. Similarly, there was an underlying unknowingness that pointed to wider constructs of touching another person that dominated practice. Contradictions in the constructions of caring touch co-existed for the participants. This created tensions and unease; particularly for the male practitioners, where an undercurrent that discourses of gender and the sexualisation of touch knowingly or otherwise, influenced their acts of caring touch. Irrespective of how the male practitioners experienced or understood caring touch, there was a hesitation regarding how acts of caring touch would be interpreted. Acts of caring touch, therefore, became too complex to negotiate and touch interactions with patients were limited. In summary, caring touch is a social construction that permeates the working lives of many health practitioners where acts of caring touch are both taken up or marginalised according to the discourses that dominate practice for the individual. The findings from this study contribute to the body of knowledge in a topic of significant complexity. This thesis opens up possibilities for the production and circulation of alternative discourses that may broaden the potential for patient wellbeing; and specifically, may create a space for health practitioners to navigate opportunities for caring touch.
A High Time Resolution Study of the Radio Emission from Pulsars
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Prymak, Nataliya
This thesis reports on the foundation, establishment, development, and initial outcomes of the large-scale pulsar radio emission statistics survey (PRESS), which was initiated and carried out during this PhD project. The research started by developing and testing novel methods of analysing single-pulse polarisation fluctuation, based on the theory developed by van Straten (2009) and van Straten and Tiburzi (2017). For this pioneering effort, we used an existing set of single-pulse polarisation observations recorded at the Arecibo radio telescope (Hankins & Rankin, 2010). By analysing the covariances between the Stokes parameters in these archival data, we discovered several rare polarisation phenomena. In particular, the Arecibo data included a highly sensitive observation of the first- discovered pulsar, PSR B1919+21 (also known as PSR J1921+2153), which allowed us to perform a direct comparison between our statistical approach and more traditional methods of analysis. For example, principal component analysis of the matrix of covariances between the Stokes parameters led to the discovery of an unexpected oblate spheroidal distribution of the polarisation vector. This was confirmed using a scatter plot in the Poincaré sphere, which revealed a toroidal distribution of polarisation vectors centered near the origin of the Poincaré sphere. Further temporal and spectral analysis of the polarization fluctuations led us to discover that the polarisation vectors cycle around the toroidal axis of revolution synchronously with the drifting sub-pulse modulation of the total intensity, an effect that has been observed in only one other study (Edwards, 2004). Prior to launching the observation campaign for PRESS, we experimentally verified a novel equation that describes sensitivity to the variance of modulated radio emission using single pulse observations of PSR J0437-4715 (Osłowski et al., 2014). After a brief description of the observing campaign that was carried out using Murriyang, the 64-m Parkes radio telescope, we present an overview of the current state of the PRESS data processing pipeline, including encountered challenges and solutions implemented during pipeline development. This part of the thesis primarily describes our efforts to validate the quality of the outputs produced by the data processing pipeline and the challenges presented by Radio Frequency Interference. Finally, we report on the preliminary results of a single-pulse statistical analysis of PRESS observations of PSR J1921+2153. The techniques, tools, and data presented in this thesis create new opportunities for future single pulse studies of radio pulsar emission.
A Modular Multilevel Converter that Integrates Artificial Intelligence for Fault Locating and Protection
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Inwumoh, Jude
High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission has provided a variety of possibilities for renewable energy resources and regional substations to boost power supply reliability and operational flexibility. To accommodate this development and improve power system performance, the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) has been comprehensively adopted as a potential converter solution for HVDC applications due to its modularity and scalability. However, challenges such as cost, power losses, faults, regulating AC circulating current and energy balance can hamper their practical applications and deployment, especially in controlling and protecting the MMC-HVDC grid. Furthermore, the most crucial and challenging control issue lies in the inability of the converter to offer DC fault protection, since conventional control schemes always struggle to achieve converter energy balance and DC Fault Ride Through (DC-FRT) capability due to the unbalanced system parameters. Reviewing this research gap, a novel control structure has been proposed in this thesis ensuring a proper dynamic response, balancing the arm and leg internal energies, minimising the oscillations in DC current, offering DC-FRT capability and supporting Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) of AC loads. Moreover, the proposed control scheme is integrated in a novel MMC topology as a means of providing primary protection against fault. Since a DC fault can cause a severe and sudden rise in the converter’s arm current, it will be more detrimental to the Half Bridge (HB) MMCs that lack DC Fault Ride-Through (DC-FRT) capability. Several fault-tolerant converters with DC-FRT capability are surveyed. However, the cost of implementation, power losses, complexity, and controllability of the converters limit their applications. To cut down on the cost and the number of electronic devices, a cascaded hybrid design and an Alternate Arm Converter (AAC) were suggested in literature. However, they require a large number of capacitors and inductors to filter the distortions created by the switching of the MMC’s IGBTs. Furthermore, they cannot provide reactive power compensation in the event of a DC short circuit since all their MMC arms will stop conducting as they clear the fault. Therefore, this thesis proposes a novel single-clamped hybrid-arm MMC topology with STATCOM and DC-FRT capability at reduced losses, cost, and number of electronic devices. Implementing the proposed control system and the novel converter topology could be limited to non-permanent faults. For a DC overcurrent fault that lasts for an extended period (a permanent fault), the converter cannot sustain the grid with reactive power compensation for that long. Thus, the MMC-HVDC systems would struggle to ensure power supply reliability, thereby shutting down the entire HVDC network. As a result, a reliable backup fault location approach is paramount for grid protection and restoration during such a fault impact. The conventional fault location methods still struggle with setting manual protective thresholds and, they are vulnerable to fault resistance and noise. In most cases, they require a communication channel for the fault data which could potentially lead to signal delay and data loss. In Multi-Terminal (MT) HVDC network, locating a fault is challenging due to the poor selectivity and sensitivity of the traditional location schemes. Therefore, this thesis proposes a robust fault location approach based on Bidirectional Long-Short Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) using deep learning. The proposed method is a simplified decision-making model that uses fault features from only one end of the network to eliminate the need for a communication channel. The proposed Bi-LSTM fault location scheme is accurate; however, it is critical to locate faults in a sufficiently fast and more accurate manner. This thesis also presented a faster and robust location scheme to minimize the outage time and costs associated with faults on HVDC transmission lines. Therefore, a novel fault location technique is proposed to integrate support vector machine (SVM) algorithms to reduce the time needed to locate faults through fault classification. After classification, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) is used for location identification.
A Multilevel Investigation on How Hospitality Employees’ Career Commitment Changes Over Time
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Zhu, Dan
As working in the hospitality industry is often considered a negative career option by the latent workforce, the industry is facing labour shortages. The high turnover rate of the industry being a global concern not only indicates that hospitality workers are leaving their employers, but also implies that they are withdrawing from the industry. This PhD research project aims to contribute to the understanding of hospitality employees’ career commitment which is vital for the sustainable development of hospitality businesses and the industry but has received scant attention from researchers. Though a number of studies have uncovered the reasons for leaving the hospitality sector, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on the factors driving hospitality employees to stay in their occupational field. Even, among the limited works on this topic, the majority adopted between-person (cross-sectional) design and neglected within-person variance in career commitment and its antecedents, failing to provide evidence on whether their findings can remain valid over time. Based on vocational theories and meta-analytical reviews, the present study examines the relations of career commitment with the two important but less investigated antecedents (i.e., occupational self-efficacy and family support) using longitudinal design. This work also explores the mediation mechanism (i.e., affective organisational commitment) underlying these relationships. A review of extant literature shows that few studies have tested an integrated model of career commitment combining both antecedents and outcomes. Particularly, with respect to the consequences of career commitment, much emphasis has been placed on the organisational outcome. This study assesses the causal relation between career commitment and wellbeing to provide a better understanding of the impact of career commitment on individual outcomes. While it is widely believed that the development of a career is a life-long process and several career-related constructs (e.g., career calling) have been found to be time-varying, the temporal nature of career commitment is understudied due to lack of longitudinal data. This study fills this gap by exploring the dynamic process through which career commitment develops. This thesis also investigates whether the predictive effects of the antecedents may vary as time passes. The study adopts a positivist paradigm with a quantitative methodology. A survey research method is employed with the aim of empirically and quantitatively examining hospitality employees’ career commitment. Longitudinal data were gathered from 310 respondents working in the hospitality industry who were surveyed at three points in time, with a three-month lag between each. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 26, Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) 7 and Mplus 8.0 were applied to analyse data and test hypotheses. The research findings show that occupational self-efficacy and family support positively predict career commitment at both the within- and between-person levels. The results also exhibit that affective organisational commitment mediates such relations at both the within- and between-person levels. The positive time-lagged effect of career commitment on wellbeing is revealed. The research also reveals that career commitment indeed changes over time. While early-career employees display higher levels of career commitment than old-timers (employees who have relatively longer career tenure), they experience a drop in career commitment as time passes. In contrast, an increasing trajectory of change occurs in old-timers’ career commitment. The change in the magnitude of the antecedents of career commitment is also captured. This is the first work to develop and present a dynamic theoretical model for understanding the antecedents of career commitment, the psychological process concerning how it is influenced by the antecedents, as well as its effect on individual outcomes using multi-wave and multilevel research design. This is also the first study to record the developmental trajectory of career commitment and the time-varying effects of the antecedents. The contributions of the findings to the existing knowledge and their implications for practitioners are elucidated along with detailed suggestions for future studies on hospitality employees’ career development and management.
A Non-Contact Vital Signs Monitoring Approach Using FMCW mmWave Radar
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Singh, Anuradha
Vital signs such as heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (RR) are critical for the clinical assessment of an individual's health and have high predictive value in identifying undesired events like cardiac arrest, critical dizziness, arrhythmias, and synchronization with respiration rate. Traditional contact-based methods are limited by their reliance on accessories attached to the body, making continuous monitoring challenging in both clinical and home environments. Moreover, wearable devices may not be suitable for patients with skin allergies, burns, or infants. Microwave radar sensing, which offers superior penetration through materials and clothing, and is less affected by environmental conditions, is posited as a promising alternative for continuous, non-contact monitoring. However, extracting physiological information from radar signals presents a significant challenge, primarily because the phase changes in the received signal are highly susceptible to environmental noise and interference, particularly when measuring HR in realistic circumstances. Even the individual's body movement can substantially impact HR readings. Skin displacement from heart activity is much smaller than that caused by respiration, leading to a weaker reflected signal from heartbeats compared to respiration. Furthermore, the HR spectrum's entire frequency range contains significant noise from the second and third-order harmonics of the respiration and intermodulation products. Environmental clutter and random body movements also add to the noise in the received reflected signal, posing a considerable challenge in developing an efficient system for HR estimation. The research focuses on developing an efficient, accurate, and privacy-aware non-contact vital sign (NCVS) monitoring method using mm-wave radar technology and devising a signal processing algorithm to improve the accuracy of heart rate and respiration rate measurements. The research adopts a multi-pronged approach to achieve these goals. This includes analytical modelling of the chest wall motion due to cardiovascular activity, facilitating a nuanced understanding of trade-offs between various radar parameters. Furthermore, the study proposes using a non-linear signal analysis technique, resonance sparse spectrum decomposition (RSSD), to better capture and analyze the complex dynamics of non-stationary signals. RSSD decomposes the signal into time-varying frequency components using wavelet decomposition and sparse approximation, identifies and isolates resonant frequencies, and constructs a sparse representation of the signal. This approach offers a highly accurate and efficient method for analyzing non-stationary signals with time-varying spectral characteristics. A harmonic-based algorithm is formulated to improve the accuracy of HR measurement. Additionally, target localization, crucial for the practical deployment of radar-based NCVS systems, becomes even more challenging due to the inevitable positional changes in real-world scenarios. We introduce an automatic, real-time beam steering and beam forming algorithm for identifying target locations, which augments the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and enhances vital sign estimation accuracy. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated through a series of experiments carried out in various realistic settings, including artificial clutter and body movements such as reading a book, drinking water, and forward and backward body movements. To mitigate the noise and interference due to these additional attributes, we optimize the Q factor selection for each dataset by modifying the RSSD algorithm parameter selection by leveraging the sub-band energy distribution leading to a more precise extraction of HR. The findings demonstrate that the proposed method effectively mitigates issues caused by unwanted clutter, manages random body motion and harmonic interference, and significantly improves HR estimation accuracy by reducing noise in the phase signal.
A Novel Blockchain-Based Incentive Mechanism to Mitigate Inequalities for Prescription Management System
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Khan, Arshad
The research proposes a BlockPres framework and an incentive mechanism based on blockchain technology. The aim is to encourage participation and the use of healthcare services. The integration of advanced technologies has led to the development of a smart healthcare system, which is increasingly recognized as essential in meeting the needs of today's society. The literature review identified challenges in the Prescription Management System (PMS), an essential aspect of the healthcare system. It also found that trust, affordability, and accessibility contribute to unequal access to services. Therefore, such disparities create disadvantages in different communities when accessing healthcare services. The BlockPres framework is created and introduced in this study as a solution to the issues in the prescription management system in New Zealand. It utilizes a novel incentive mechanism that rewards patients for actively participating and engaging with healthcare services. Tokens can be earned by patients whenever they participate and engage with the PMS, and spent on other healthcare services or for purchasing products. Tokens can also be transferred to others to assist them in obtaining additional healthcare services. The blockchain technology incorporated into BlockPres provides immutability, decentralization, accountability, and security features, for increasing equal access and participation by easy to use authorization and authentication for healthcare providers and patients. Moreover, BlockPres empowers the under-served by providing them control and access to their records. The researcher formulated questions and hypotheses around the problem, and the proposed solution. The study adopted and adapted Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) to be the guiding framework for the research. DSRM consists of three primary phases: problem identification, solution design, and evaluation. In the problem identification phase, the study identified the issue and formulated research questions that led to the development of the BlockPres Artefact in the solution design phase. The evaluation phase of DSRM has validation to verify the proposed artefact and incentive mechanism. To answer the research questions and validate the proposed solution, an evaluation of the BlockPres artefact was completed. The evaluation involved two stages. First, a simulation was performed using the Ethereum blockchain. It tested the successful completion of transactions and the performance rates, and confirmed the efficiency and effectiveness of blockchain for a prescription management system. Secondly, based on the simulation results, a BlockPres prototype was developed to evaluate the solution and incentive mechanism. The results showed that the artefact improved motivation and community engagement, trust, and perceptions of PMS and health services. However, it is recommended that industry experts test the artefact in future work to validate its effectiveness in a live environment.
A Nudging ERA? Evaluating the Effects of a Legislative Default on Union Membership Decisions to Inform the Suitability of Nudge Theory in Employment Relations.
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Treanor, Damian
Union decline has been the most significant issue in employment relations for the past 30 years and how to revitalise unionism has been a significant focus of academia and policymakers. In New Zealand, the political zeitgeist favours soft regulation, and eschews hard regulation, of employee union membership decisions but to date, these soft regulations have been ineffective in rejuvenating unionism in New Zealand. A new approach that has the potential to be an effective soft regulatory tool is nudge theory. Nudges have a strong potential to promote union membership decisions whilst preserving employees’ freedom of association, but the potential of nudges in employment relations policy has not been explored. This thesis explores the potential of nudge theory as a method to promote unionism by exploring the impact, and effectiveness of a new regulation that is analogous to a nudge, the requirement under s62a of the Employment Relations Act 2000 for employers to pass-on employee information to the union by default. A mixed- method of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods was used including survey data, semi-structured interviews and form completion data. A multi-industry case study methodology was used to ensure a breadth of data and limiting section-specific factors. It was found that nudges are effective at promoting employees to speak to a union and had a small but positive impact on union membership outcomes. Most employees were comfortable with their information being passed on to the union, including those who intended to join but had not, and employees who did not intend to join but did not mind the prospect of being contacted. Negative outcomes were identified; these recommend nudges should be utilised with caution and that many employees were uncomfortable with the nudge. This thesis explores the potential of nudges to promote union membership, demonstrates that it has strong potential to be an effective tool, and make recommendations on how nudges should be utilised to maximise positive outcome and minimise negative outcomes
A Philosophical Critique of the Best Interests Test as a Criterion for Decision Making in Law and Clinical Practice
(Auckland University of Technology, 2007) Godbold, Rosemary P
The best interest test is the legal mechanism which governs decision making on behalf of adults who lack the capacity to make their own health care treatment decisions. The test has attracted considerable criticism from health professionals, academics, judges and lawyers for being ill-defined and non-specific. The question of what is meant by 'best interests' remains largely unanswered. As a consequence, the test gives medical and legal decision makers considerable discretion to apply their personal value judgements within supposedly value-free philosophical frameworks - unreasoned and opaque decision making processes are the inevitable result. Because of the dominance of supposedly value-free philosophical frameworks, the place of values in decision making is not always fully understood. Reasoning is not possible without values, which stem from our emotions and passions, our upbringing, our religion, our cultures, our processes of socialisation and from our life experiences. Values help us make sense of our daily lives. I argue that law - like any other social institution - is essentially a human, values based construct. I put forward a theory of values-based law which argues for the recognition that laws, rules and conventions are based on, and contain, individual values. Currently, medical and legal decision makers justify grave decisions on behalf of society's most vulnerable citizens without revealing, or even acknowledging the values which drive and inform their decisions. Any opportunities to scrutinise or debate the values driving decisions are lost. Ultimately, values-based law argues that values underlying best interest determinations must be exposed to facilitate honest, transparent and fulsome decision making on behalf of adults who lack capacity. By applying the theory of values-based law, supposedly value-free decision making processes are exposed as insufficient to facilitate fulsome, honest and transparent legal reasoning.
A Place to Stand: Exploring Connections Between Immigrant Experience, Whakapapa and Creative Writing.
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Bradley, Anne
“A Place to Stand: Exploring connections between immigrant experience, whakapapa and creative writing” is a doctoral thesis in creative writing which comprises a critical (exegesis) and creative (fiction writing) component. The exegesis discusses the themes of colonisation, immigrant experience, identity and grief, and reflects on the transformative potential of connecting with whakapapa for an immigrant author. The creative component consists of a work of literary fiction titled Waiotapu (sacred waters) which explores these themes through the imagined experiences of the protagonist, a French immigrant to Aotearoa New Zealand. Our globalised world is characterised by transience. Narratives of displacement collide and mingle. Colonisation, war, and economic migration continue to uproot individuals, families and communities, disrupting connections with beloved people and places. I find myself part of one such narrative: a migrant, separated from my homeland. Unsettled. An outsider living in a land colonised by my ancestors. A shameful history from which I inherit unearned advantage, despite my status as an immigrant. Decades of research spans important global themes of immigration, associated socio-political issues, and the impact of colonisation on First Nation peoples. A growing body of literature also explores pākehā engagement with te ao Māori (the Māori world or worldview), however this is written by kaituhi pākehā (European authors) who were born in Aotearoa New Zealand and have an accompanying sense of belonging as tangata tiriti, despite being members of the settler community. There is little on the impact engagement with indigenous culture has on new pākehā immigrants. This is the focus of this study, which is unique in drawing together the themes of immigrant experience, whakapapa and creative writing, contributing to the field of narrative theory. I applied principles of narrative research to explore the impact of my engagement with te ao Māori as a result of my immigration to Aotearoa New Zealand, in the context of transcultural creative writing. My hypothesis was that engagement with te ao Māori, particularly whakapapa (ancestral connections to people and places) could provide me with a metaphorical tūrangawaewae, a place to stand, as an immigrant author with a mixed-up sense of identity and uncertain voice. I found that, while interrogating my own whakapapa did have a profound influence on my sense of identity and voice as an author, an unexpected outcome was the discovery that writing itself can be a tūrangawaewae that provides a space to return to and a sense of belonging; a place to stand.
A Reference Architecture for Large Scale Distributed Domain-Driven Big Data Systems
(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Ataei, Pouya
Today, people are the ceaseless generators of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data that, if gleaned and processed, can reveal game-changing patterns. Additionally, advancements in technology have made it easier and faster to collect and analyse this data. This has led to the age of big data. The age of big data began when the volume, variety, and velocity of data overwhelmed traditional systems. Many businesses have attempted to harness the power of big data; nevertheless, the success rate is low. According to multiple surveys, only a 20% of big data projects are successful. This is due to the challenges of adopting big data, such as organisational culture, rapid technological change, system complexity, and data architecture. This thesis aims to address data architecture challenges of adopting big data by introducing a domain-driven, decentralised big data reference architecture. This reference architecture is designed specifically to mitigate big data challenges by providing a scalable data architecture for big data systems, flexible and rapid data processing for varied velocity, adaptable management for a wide variety of data formats, maintainable approach for data discovery and aggregation, and increased attention to cross-cutting concerns such as metadata, privacy and security. This research uses design science research as the underlying research framework while utilising empirically grounded reference architecture guidelines for the development of the artefact. The evaluation of the artefact involves two distinct methods: a case-mechanism experiment and expert opinion, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of the big data reference architecture. The reference architecture’s usefulness and effectiveness are supported by this process, which shows that it can handle volume, velocity, and variety of big data by processing data quickly, being scalable, and being able to adapt to different data formats. Additionally, the reference architecture’s design mitigates the complexity of monolithic data pipelines, decentralises data ownership to avoid bottlenecks, and fosters a more integrated, agile approach to big data systems. This study positions itself as a progressive step in big data reference architectures, directly targeting and offering solutions to the existing shortcomings of big data architectures. It is aimed primarily at data architects and researchers seeking innovative approaches in big data system design and development, as well as practitioners looking to understand and apply the latest advancements in big data architectures.
A Spiking Neural Network Architecture for Localizing Event-Trigger Indoor Moving Sound Sources
(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Roozbehi, Zahra
Imagine being blindfolded in a room and hearing a voice fading and moving around. How do we track the sound's origin and distance, and how do we distinguish what is being said? What computational methods and techniques exist for addressing this problem? Sound source localization refers to acoustic methods and technology for determining sound source in a three-dimensional space. However, existing methods struggle in real-world scenarios with background noise and multiple moving sound sources. In the domain of real-time applications, researchers continue to face challenges in sound source tracking and classification. The aim of this thesis is to introduce and evaluate a novel approach based on spiking neural networks to address the challenge of sound localization in dynamic environments. We present the adaptive resonance theory-based reservoir spiking neural network (ART-rSNN) and demonstrate its application in real-time, multi-source sound detection and classification. Extensive simulations comparing our approach with other conventional machine learning models reveal that these models have some problems in categorizing and detecting sound events with multiple sources in real-time in comparison to our approach. The ART-rSNN can dynamically and autonomously adjust its neuron configuration based on received sound cues. This dynamic characteristic enables it to concentrate computation exclusively in the vicinity of estimated sound sources – a departure from static methods. Overall, our framework handles the challenges of spatio-temporal data analysis required for this task while demonstrating adaptability in managing changing acoustic environments. What sets our work apart is its reliance on the measured power of sound without necessitating prior spatial sound source data for supervised learning. This distinctive feature improves the performance of our approach, especially in scenarios where other deep-learning approaches struggle to handle multiple sound sources using only time-domain raw signals. In conclusion, the dynamic adaptability of our ART-rSNN, coupled with its performance in noisy environments and multi-source scenarios, positions it as a promising advancement in the field of AI-based approaches to sound localization and classification.
A Study Examining the Adoption of New Public Management Inspired Accounting Reforms in the Solomon Islands: A Foucauldian Perspective
(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Oru, Marianne
This study explores the adoption and practice of two New Public Management (NPM) inspired accounting tools, (cash-basis IPSAS or cash IPSAS for short, and performance-based budgeting) and a participatory accounting system, that incorporates local knowledge in the Solomon Islands. The study was informed by recent calls to pay attention to the context where the reforms are implemented to better understand how the reforms can be translated to suit local needs. This followed numerous failures, especially by developing countries in streamlining their accounting practices to align with international best practices framed under the doctrines of NPM. Similarly, despite the burgeoning literature emphasising the significance of the context, there remains insufficient empirical evidence on the wider social impacts of these accounting reforms. This study responds to these concerns by using a qualitative inquiry approach that draws on Michel Foucault’s concepts of power/knowledge. The findings of this study identified the existence of a dominant power centralism regime or bigman politics as a key factor influencing the adoption and practice of these neo-liberal reforms in the Solomon Islands. At the national government level, the cash IPSAS and performance budgeting have been unsuccessful in providing greater accountability and improved service delivery. The two reforms have been obstructed by politician-allocated expenditures (PAEs) such as the Rural Constituency Development Fund (RCDF), which is an attribute of the bigman system. This leads to detrimental implications for the two reforms at the national government level. On the other hand, implementing the cash IPSAS and the participatory budgeting system at the provincial level has improved accountability and transparency. The incorporation of the reforms with a locally designed funding framework called the Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) has been instrumental in transforming the problematic provincial government institution. Recent Auditor General’s reports have revealed drastic improvement as the provincial governments strive to maintain an adequate level of compliance to qualify for PCDF annual grants. A significant outcome of this is enhanced social accountability, which has enabled citizens to question and hold the elites at the national government level accountable. Overall, the findings revealed two important implications for accounting: implications for NPM and the broader social implications. For the first, the concept of accountability framed under the NPM doctrine has not been achieved. The social form of accountability associated with the PAEs equated accountability with social relations, norms, and visibility. Accordingly, it clashed with the accountability framed under NPM that emphasises reporting and complying with a set of performance-based criteria. The second identifies the broader societal implications of the reforms for the Solomon Islands. The enhanced social accountability through which the rural and mass public in Honiara have been empowered has led to greater participation in governance. This creates new mindsets and the reconstruction of new knowledge concerning the mode of governing using the controversial Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The reforming of the controversial CDF Act 2013 is a significant positive social outcome of the reforms. The study thus provides further empirical insights into how neoliberal accounting tools inspired by the doctrines of NPM, when locally designed, can produce better results. Policymakers, therefore, should promote an integrated approach to reform that reflects the localities of developing countries when proposing international best practices.
A Study on the Selective Laser Melting of Scalmalloy and the Influence of Cold Rolling, Heat Treatment and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding on its Mechanical Properties and Microstructure
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Turangi, Celine
Scalmalloy is an Al-Mg-Sc-Zr modified aluminium alloy specifically designed for the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process of Selective Laser Melting (SLM). This thesis investigates the processing and manufacture of Scalmalloy in an Additive Manufacturing (AM) 400 Renishaw laser beam melting (LBM) machine and the effect post processing treatments (heat treatment, cold rolling and a combination of heat treatment and cold rolling) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) has on the mechanical properties and microstructures of Scalmalloy when compared to its as-built structure. Heat treatment is well reported in the literature, however there is opportunity to explore different heat treatment conditions. Cold rolling has not been widely reported for Scalmalloy and offers a novel area to study its effect on Scalmalloy. Lastly, GTAW of Scalmalloy has not been reported in the literature and offers solutions to join complex additively manufactured parts together and to join Scalmalloy parts to pre-existing structures. Hence, this thesis is comprised of three main studies: 1. Experimental works were carried out to determine optimal SLM parameters for Scalmalloy using an AM Renishaw LBM machine with constant parameters of 400W laser power, layer thickness of 30µm and hatch distance of 150µm. Energy volume densities were then modified to establish an optimum range. Findings showed that samples manufactured with an energy volume density between 70J/mm3 and 110J/mm3 resulted in samples with >99% relative densities. Furthermore, it was shown that the influence of the layout position of each sample on the build platform had very little impact on relative densities. Therefore, optimal processing parameters were found with 400W laser power, allowing productivity to be increased when compared to current literature employing 200W laser power. 2. Scalmalloy samples manufactured using the optimal SLM process parameters from the first study were subjected to cold rolling, heat treatment and a combination of both. Scalmalloy in its as built condition can possess reasonably high tensile strengths, which can be further increased by heat treatment, and, in turn, the microstructure is also refined. When heat treatment was applied an immediate increase of 14.6% occurred, while subsequent heat treatment had slightly lower values due to slight over ageing but remained higher than the as built condition. Once cold rolling was applied to the as built condition almost no increase was evident thought to be due to the low rolling reduction, however when cold rolling and heat treatment was applied an immediate increase of 28.4% occurred. The grain size distribution was consistent with literature for the as built condition, however, it was increased by the cold rolling due to elongation of the grains. Overall, the application of heat treatment and cold rolling had a positive effect on the microstructure of Scalmalloy reflected in its increased mechanical properties. 3. GTAW was performed to join Scalmalloy to itself and to extruded aluminium alloys using standard welding parameters employed to weld conventionally manufactured aluminium alloys. High porosity and defects were found in the welded joint leading to poor mechanical properties likely due to release of hydrogen content within the Scalmalloy base metal. Hence, standard welding parameters are feasible to be used for GTAW of Scalmalloy, but only as a starting point, highlighting that parameters cannot be simply transferred from one alloy to another, but rather have to be modified in order to achieve optimum results. The main output of this thesis is that the academic community would have a better understanding of the effect that different heat treatment methods, cold rolling, and GTAW have on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Scalmalloy. Hence, providing a modified heat treatment than the typical heat treatment reported in the literature, and providing info on cold rolling of additively manufactured components, which has not been widely reported. In addition, to evaluating the feasibility of welding Scalmalloy using standard welding parameters for conventionally manufactured aluminium alloys, consequently, aiming to eliminate size limitations in additive manufacturing and reduce manufacturing costs.
A Teenage Gothic American Dream: A Critical Exploration of Adolescence, Time, and Nature in Post-2010 Gothic-Horror Television Series
(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Speakman, Blair
This Doctor of Philosophy explores adolescence, time, and nature in connection to the construction of identity in American culture in the twenty-first century in three post-2010 Gothic-horror television series, Riverdale (2017-), Teen Wolf (2011-2017), and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020). The Gothic emerged as a mode of narrative representation in the Eighteenth century and has become omnipresent in a variety of popular culture texts including television. Following the proliferation of cable channels and streaming-video-on-demand services such as Netflix, the presence of Gothic-horror on television has exploded into what is, arguably, a new ‘Golden Age’. A number of post-2010 Gothic-horror television series feature ensemble casts of teenage protagonists and explore the trials and tribulations of adolescence. However, there is still limited scholarly attention on the representation of adolescent characters and cultural conceptions of time and nature in these television series. To critically examine adolescence, time, and nature in the selected television series, the project’s research questions are: 1) ‘What is the relationship between the representation of adolescent characters, time, and nature in Gothic-horror television series and the ongoing construction of identity in American culture in the twenty-first century?’; 2) ‘What do contemporary Gothic-horror television series reveal through their engagement with notions of time and their depiction of dreams, visions, and themes of nature versus urban?’ ; and 3) ‘What do contemporary Gothic-horror television series reveal through its engagement with notions of time and its depiction of dreams, visions, and themes of nature versus urban’. Thematic analysis and textual analysis are used to discuss adolescence, nature, and time in relation to a range of academic fields including the Gothic and television studies. The project explores how through the adolescent characters in Riverdale, Teen Wolf, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, these series disrupt culturally constructed notions of nature and time. Specifically, the study uncovers the ways in which characters often experience distorted realities including dreams/nightmares or temporal interruptions in time. Remarkably, the project also reveals that the chosen series are preoccupied with the EcoGothic and the transformative nature of the forest setting, as well as horror of the decay of the American Dream.
Able, Affable, and Available: Occupational Culture of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Relations Consultants
(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Bhargava, Deepti
The practice of public relations is a social field within itself which is shaped by the socio-cultural backgrounds, values and motivations, day-to-day interactions, behaviours, norms, and expectations of its practitioners. The occupational culture of public relations is therefore not universal but varies according to the context within which practitioners operate and is influenced by their lifeworld and routine practices. Existing research has shown that external consultancy practice may vary from the way public relations is carried out within internal organisational departments. However, while there are generalised perceptions about the identity and practice of public relations consultants, little is known about the background and lived experiences of consultants in Aotearoa New Zealand. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the lifeworld and day-to-day practices of public relations consultants in the country to gain a better understanding of their occupational culture. To achieve this aim, the researcher applied a constructivist approach and observed two consultants at their respective workplaces using video ethnography. The data was analysed with the help of Ethnographic Communication Analysis (ECA) that examined verbal and non-verbal (such as gesture, gaze, posture, and proxemics) aspects of the routine interactions of these two public relations consultants with their clients and colleagues. The examined interactions included a problem-solving phone conversation with a client, job interview to select a prospective candidate, collaboration with a colleague, and a meeting with a client representative to manage staff turnover. Along with the participant observation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 consultants (including one who was also observed) to add further validity and credibility to the interpretations. . The findings revealed that the occupational culture of public relations consultants in the country was about being affable, able, and available. Firstly, the consultants were found to be affable in that they used politeness strategies, valued social capital, and applied personal influence. Secondly, they believed that to do well in practice consultants must be able to write well, learn through experience and get the work done within the timeframe set by the client. Finally, consultants defined themselves through their flexible and extreme work ethos and empahsised the need to demonstrate availability to the client. The findings of the study not only highlighted the occupational nuances specific to public relations consultants but also demonstrated the importance of their interpersonal relationships with clients and colleagues. Additionally, this investigation of occupational culture has raised various concerns about issues relating to identity and habitus of public relations consultants and what they imply for the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the occupation. With this study, the researcher hopes to inspire reflection on the current discipline, teaching and practice of public relations consulting. This research has contributed to the understanding of public relations as an occupational field and advanced the application of social theory in the discipline. It is advised that future researchers continue to use ethnographic approaches to understand and make sense of the lived experiences of public relations practitioners, both consultants and those working in-house.
The Academic Journeys of Returning Postgraduate Students: Perceptions of Appropriate Educational Provision for Their Web-Based Learning
(Auckland University of Technology, 2016) Angove, Nancy Christine
This thesis makes an original contribution to research into the challenges facing mature postgraduate students returning to web-based study. The distinct challenges this cohort faces distinguish it from other student groups, but little research has been conducted on the transition process these students undergo in adapting to the online environment. In particular, the thesis focuses on the academic literacy needs of these students. It seeks to capture both the challenges this cohort encounters and also the enabling strategies that facilitate their studies. Using a grounded theory approach, the study explores tutor, support staff and student perspectives regarding these challenges and strategies. In this way the thesis addresses a gap in the existing literature. Data collection involved focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and a document and records review. Three parallel streams - tutors, support staff and students from five New Zealand universities - participated. Findings revealed continuing tension between the traditional view of academic literacy practices as autonomous and transparent and the contemporary perspective of writing as socially situated practice. The findings, which are in agreement with the literature, confirm that there is a distinct gap between undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and particularly in the area of web-based studies. The students need to find ways to manage this gap. The thesis identifies four main areas of challenge faced by students in adjusting to the academic environment: managing the gap though induction, developing self-management, developing critical reading, and developing critical writing. Student experiences demonstrated that face to face induction was an enabling strategy which established expectations, began socialisation processes, and familiarised students with the web-based mode. Self- management, along with induction, established the foundation for student learning. Students spoke of creating a study environment, being a self- starter, and employing time management strategies from course commencement. Support, both in their home environment and from the institution, was important, along with the confidence to proactively seek assistance. Reading was often perceived in terms of reading to write, with a focus on required readings. Some students described their initial experiences as being at the level of reading for understanding, rather than reading critically; consequently strategies which encouraged reading for a purpose, combined with interaction on discussion forums (DFs), were valued. Writing for assessment included both traditional and applied genres and digital text formats, which differed according to context. Writing was often framed by an emphasis on structure, having a sequenced argument, demonstrating an acceptable tone, integrating readings, and staying within the ideas expressed in the literature. When writing, some students felt that new viewpoints, even if supported by the literature, were not encouraged. Recommendations arising from the findings include making the detail and purpose of course activities explicit, providing specific links to institutional web-based support, ensuring the availability of targeted assistance, and responding to individual needs at induction. Further research into the perspectives of other non-mainstream cohorts in the web-based environment would add to knowledge in the area. Research that focuses on the challenges of the online environment from course coordinators’ perspectives would also inform teaching and learning. This study has indicated that there is insufficient cooperation between various support services and postgraduate academic staff at New Zealand universities, and this area requires further investigation. These are issues of great concern in a rapidly changing educational environment.
Accountability Towards Enabling Commercialisation of Research in Public Tertiary Education Institutions
(Auckland University of Technology, 2010) Narayan, Anil Kumar
Commercialisation of research has increasingly become a desirable activity for many tertiary education institutions (TEIs) across the globe. There is now widespread recognition by all sectors of society that TEIs engagement with research commercialisation will help drive a nation’s innovation system and contribute to the needs of the economy and society. However, in recent times, the growing accountability agenda for research commercialisation has raised important challenges for TEIs. There are increasing concerns that TEIs have failed to achieve the desired results of research commercialisation (for e.g. Dahlstrand, 2008; Goldfarb & Henrekson, 2003; Salmi, 2009) as has been anticipated by both public and private entities. Predictably, a broad range of stakeholders are increasingly asking TEIs to justify the use of public resources and to provide a more thorough account of their research outcomes (Fielen, 2007; Gauthier, 2004). There also remains considerable uncertainty amongst TEIs as to the mechanisms by which they are able to leverage the intellectual abilities of their research staff, particularly, given the complex and long-term nature of the commercialisation process. This study draws on the theoretical perspectives of new institutional theory (NIT) and uses three New Zealand TEIs as case studies to explore how public TEIs identify and render accountability in the process of enabling commercialisation of research. Data was collected using a mixed method approach of interviews and a broad range of secondary documents and archival records that covered the period 2002-2010. The constructive-interpretive research strategy permitted the simultaneous selection, inductive analysis, and interpretation of contextual data in order to construct emergent themes arising from the real-life context of commercialisation. The study highlights a number of important findings. First, TEIs are embedded in a complex network of institutionalised relationships with normative and cultural-cognitive obligations towards enabling commercialisation of research. These relationships require careful management to help shape TEIs responses to select and use appropriate accountability mechanisms to enable and enhance commercialisation. Second, while research commercialisation has become legitimised in terms of nation building activities, the commercialisation agenda has been potentially undermined by a strong performance based research funding (PBRF) culture. As a consequence, commercialisation remains a marginal activity as TEIs strongly view accountability for research in terms of funding levels. In the main, TEIs do not consider returning value in terms of commercialisation as an obligatory part of accepting funding to support basic research. Finally, new public management (NPM) accountability with a focus on bureaucratic compliance fails to recognise the uncertain, complex, and long-term nature of the research commercialisation process. To avoid NPM tensions, TEIs have ‘decoupled’ from the technical requirements to render accountability for commercialisation performance. Consequently, this is causing legitimating behaviour in TEIs and in fact, accountability for research commercialisation seems to have become a ‘representational faithfulness’ to the rhetoric in the TEIs strategic documents. This research makes important contribution to theory, policy and practice. In regards to theory, the current research contributes through the application of new institutional theory (NIT) to two demanding fields of research and this is the first time NIT has been applied to examine public sector accountability within the context of enabling academic research commercialisation. A conceptual model of accountability has been developed identifying accountability obligations, management of accountability expectations, and discharge of accountability obligations. While most studies are ex post, this framework provides a three stage model to help examine ex ante and ex post accountability. In relation to practice, this study identifies the gap between rhetoric and reality of accountability that seems to have become a characteristic of the accountability environment within which public TEIs operate. While the rhetoric in strategic documents helps legitimise research commercialisation, the accountability practices of commercialisation are not thoroughly embedded, widely accepted, and effective as the rhetoric suggests. The study provides a model for enabling commercialisation of research that helps inform practice from early stage development of a research culture, to setting clear research targets in terms of PBRF goals, to finally establishing commercialisation initiatives. In relation to policy, this study identifies notable tensions between academic research and commercialisation. As a consequence, government needs to become more explicit in articulating its policy on research commercialisation so that TEIs move beyond identifying accountability simply in terms of PBRF goals. The study demonstrates that government policy needs to provide incentives to ensure that academic research and research commercialisation become two important roles of TEIs that complement and reinforce each other. The PBRF policy needs to be redeveloped to recognise research in terms of economic contributions and value adding activities leading to commercial outcomes. There is an urgent need for both government and TEIs to frame policy that encourages the development of a research culture within TEIs that remains sufficiently focussed on successful research commercialisation.

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