Masters Theses

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/5

The Masters Theses collection contains digital copies of AUT University masters theses deposited with the Library since 2002 and made available open access. From 2007 onwards, all theses for masters degrees awarded are required to be deposited in Tuwhera Open Theses & Dissertations 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 & Dissertations. 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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Minority Stress and Quality of Life Among Sexual Minorities: The Role of Sexuality-Specific Parental Support and Parental Attitudes
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Ladyman-Miller, Brandi
Background: Sexual minorities face elevated risks of reduced quality of life compared to their heterosexual peers. According to the minority stress model, these disparities stem from additional stressors associated with their minority status, including distal stressors (e.g., discrimination, victimisation, and microaggressions) and proximal stressors (e.g., identity concealment, rejection anticipation, internalised homophobia, and community connectedness). Objective: To examine the unique and combined effects of distal and proximal stress on quality of life among sexual minorities, and to test whether sexuality-specific parental support and parental acceptance moderate these associations. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 250 sexual minority participants. Distal and proximal stress were assessed alongside measures of self-esteem, dispositional optimism, sexuality-specific parental support, and parental acceptance. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were conducted to evaluate predictors of quality of life and potential buffering effects. Results: Both forms of stress independently predicted poorer quality of life, though distal stress was the stronger predictor. After accounting for self-esteem and dispositional optimism, proximal stress no longer explained unique variance in quality of life. Sexuality-specific parental support and maternal acceptance moderated the association between distal stress and quality of life. In contrast, neither moderated the effects of proximal stress, and paternal acceptance did not moderate the effects of either stressor. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of strengthening psychological resources, reducing distal stressors at structural and interpersonal levels, and fostering positive family dynamics to improve quality of life among sexual minorities.
The Architecture of Leaving: Reconstructing Communities on the Move
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) McArdle, Callum
The global climate continues to change, creating worsening living conditions across diverse regions vulnerable to its impacts. With this comes a rise in climate-related disasters such as flooding, coastal inundation, droughts, wildfires, etc. The need for climate adaptation and mitigation is urgent, especially for those who are particularly vulnerable. This thesis examines how managed retreat strategies can better support communities facing displacement. The research combines a review of past literature, key precedent analysis, in-depth site-based design research and material strategy analysis to inform three speculative architectural proposals. Previous research lacked in-depth exploration into the housing solutions needed to make managed retreat a socially viable adaptation strategy. Additionally, there has been no previous connection between managed retreat strategies and the implementation of circular economy principles. These gaps in the research offer a unique opportunity to engage with a managed retreat strategy in ways never before seen; exploring these new possibilities could be the key to improving an otherwise controversial adaptation strategy. By combining managed retreat with circular economy strategies, specifically deconstruction and material reuse, to produce three speculative architectural proposals, the thesis explores a housing design framework that enables communities to relocate with reduced financial and social burdens. Additionally, the design explorations seek to reduce material waste, contributing to both sustainable design and climate adaptation discourses.
Design-for-Failure in Multi-Robot Systems through Integrated Architectures and Proactive Successor Allocation
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Hu, Dong
Modern warehouse multi-robot systems (MRS) are required to sustain high operational efficiency while remaining resilient to inevitable robot failures. However, traditional multirobot task allocation (MRTA) research typically assumes fault-free environments. This assumption often results in centralized recovery bottlenecks or excessive computational overhead when failures occur. To address these limitations, this thesis introduces a novel binary analysis framework that categorizes fault-tolerant architectures into two types: native and integrated. Native architectures embed resilience directly into the task allocation design. In contrast, integrated architectures achieve fault tolerance through modular coupling with recovery mechanisms. A high-fidelity 2D simulation platform was developed to perform benchmark evaluations of four representative algorithms: the centralized native algorithm MRPF, the distributed native algorithm BFTC, and two integrated methods: FT-CBPA and FT-ACO + BA. Experimental results under different load conditions demonstrated that integrated fault-tolerant architectures, which combine high-performance allocation strategies with modular recovery mechanisms, consistently outperform native architectures that tightly embed recovery logic within the allocation process. Comparative simulations further reveal that integrated architectures achieve superior scalability and higher task completion rates under failure scenarios. Building upon the advantages identified in the integrated approach, this thesis proposes SPA-CBPA (Successor Pre-Allocation Consensus-Based Payload Allocation). This method transforms fault recovery from a reactive, post-event reallocation process into a deterministic pre-event activation mechanism through proactive successor assignment. Consequently, it successfully reduces the computational complexity of fault recovery from O(N) to almost O(1). Extensive benchmarking indicates that, compared to reactive benchmarks, SPACBPA reduces the delay in fault recovery to nearly zero and decreases the overhead of recovery-related communication by up to 65.2%. Although instantaneous recovery results in a modest 20% to 38% increase in total makespan, the proposed method significantly improves predictability and operational reliability in mission-critical logistics environments. Overall, this research concludes a “design-for-failure" paradigm, demonstrating that proactive successor pre-allocation is essential for developing the next generation of scalable, efficient, and resilient multi-robot systems.
Mauri Tau: Māori Cultural Somatics - From Nervous Systems to Global Systems
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Livermore, Cathy
Reflecting Kaupapa Māori research, this exegesis positions personal and collective healing, systems change and future-making as fundamentally concurrent processes best supported through a creative-led approach. Rooted in Māori ontologies and constituted by creative-led practice and embodied cognition this research discusses Mauri Tau Practices, a uniquely Indigenous, somatic-informed approach to wellbeing. Approaching whakapapa experientially through multimodal, sensorial, creative, ethnographic, and autobiographical lenses, this (re)search explores relationships between cultural identity, creative expression, embodied cognition, decolonisation, systems change and wellbeing. Centring socio-cultural transformative potentials arising from somatic encounters of self within and as collective, it presents an inclusive, reflective, trauma-informed approach grounded in historical and tempo-spatial forces shaping wellbeing in Aotearoa. Phenomenologically informed, Mauri Tau Practices reflect a living third space generated by Māori cosmological knowledge, positioned within a postcolonial context, and developed autobiographically within a transcultural whakapapa in constant negotiation with colonial, Māori, and migrant realities. Correlations with Eurocentric feminist posthumanist theories are considered, alongside embodied, ancestral, and ecological relationships informing renewed ways of knowing that can enact systems change and future-making. This exegesis serves as a convergence point for Mauri Tau Practices responding within a continuum of personal and collective cultural (re)evolutions. Expressed through a thematic and genealogically-informed structure reflecting a Māori way Mauri Tau Practices are emphasised as a significant creative practice-led methodology, alongside the mauritau.me website as a key creative contribution providing open public access to introductory cultural somatic practice through sound and video led by the author. Embracing how cultural principles manifest as movement, presence, and process philosophical and methodological potentials for better wellbeing outcomes for Māori and non-Māori in Aotearoa NZ are identified. Investigating how these manifestations respond to reshaping postcolonial conditions in Aotearoa, Mauri Tau Practices situates the corporeal body as a creative and material form with intrinsic value and intelligence to inform theoretical and philosophical discourse on future-making through cultivated embodied coherence.
Efficacy and Comparison of ANK Neutral Anolyte and 77X for Pathogen Control on Pre harvest Citrus Fruit and Their Suitability as Hard Surface Sanitizers
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Annamaraju Venkata Sai, Gayatri Amulya
Fresh citrus fruit and all surfaces that come into contact with them during harvesting, processing, and storage pose serious food safety risks because they become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. This study tested ANK Neutral Anolyte and 77X for their ability to kill bacteria and stop biofilm formation on hard plastic crate surfaces and pre-harvest citrus fruit against E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus 6538, and P. aeruginosa 9027. The products’ performance was assessed by comparing them with commercial sanitizers to determine their effectiveness as disinfectants for hard surfaces used in fruit production. Disc diffusion assays, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis, and 96-well biofilm metabolic (XTT-menadione) assays were used to determine the antimicrobial activity of the treatment. The results showed that 77X exhibited strong antibacterial activity, with activity increasing with higher concentrations across all tested microorganisms (13.33 ± 0.58 mm, 19 ± 0.58 mm, and 14.33 ± 0.58 mm against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa, respectively). The product displayed broad-spectrum effectiveness, which is proven through its lower minimum inhibitory concentration values and its ability to create measurable inhibition zones. ANK Neutral Anolyte showed minimal antibacterial activity in agar diffusion tests, but it produced inhibitory effects through MIC determination and direct contact biofilm tests, which demonstrate that its antimicrobial efficiency depends on both concentration and time and environmental factors. Both agents reduced existing biofilms' metabolic processes, but their effectiveness increased with longer contact times and better concentration levels. 77X showed matching results to standard sanitizers while ANK Neutral Anolyte needed more precise optimization processes before reaching equivalent performance levels. This study proved that ANK Neutral Anolyte and 77X act as effective sanitizers for both plastic crates and pre-harvest citrus fruit. The study found that 77X demonstrated superior and more consistent antimicrobial performance.
Impact of Positivity Pressure on Burnout and Job Satisfaction
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Bulsara Kobad, Pearl
Emotional demands in the workplace may significantly affect employee wellbeing. One such demand is the expectation to remain positive, known as 'positivity pressure', which has been associated with burnout and lower job satisfaction. However, it remains unclear whether burnout explains how positivity pressure influences job satisfaction. This study therefore investigates the mediating role of burnout in the relationship between positivity pressure and job satisfaction among employees between in New Zealand and India, with a small number of participants from other countries. The final sample consisted of 129 participants. After conducting a mediation analysis, we found that our results are consistent with previous research and support the link between positivity pressure and lower job satisfaction and burnout. However, we found that burnout partially mediates the relationship between positivity pressure and job satisfaction, but that positivity pressure also directly affects job satisfaction. These findings may have implications for managers, practitioners, and leaders interested in understanding factors related to workplace satisfaction, job retention, and emotional safety at work.
Fale Tupu : An Indigenous Toolkit for Designing Culturally Grounded Living Environments with Pasifika Communities in Aotearoa
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Lee Chee, Amelia
Fale Tupu is a design resource developed to address the enduring gap between Pasifika housing aspirations and the limited tools available to translate them into built form. It emerges as the primary output of this practice-led research project that reimagines how community housing for Pasifika families can be culturally grounded, adaptable and regenerative. Designed for use within the social housing sector, Fale Tupu provides a design toolkit through which cultural values can be directly embedded into design and delivery. The toolkit comprises four interconnected tools that guide housing providers and practitioners from principle to practice. The Maumoana Framework establishes a cultural–ecological compass, ensuring each project stage is grounded in reciprocity, kinship and care for place. Fale (house) Typologies, the incremental housing model, enables homes to expand and contract over time, reflecting the dynamic needs of multigenerational families. The Material Palette supports design decisions through affordable, durable, and low-maintenance options, alongside regenerative alternatives where budgets allow. Finally, Communal Wellbeing Spaces illustrate how homes may adapt and evolve over time to fit the needs of our aiga (families). Together, these tools translate Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Great Pacific Ocean) values into practice-ready design instruments for housing providers. Situated within the context of Pasifika housing providers (PHPs), Fale Tupu responds to a sector that operates at the intersection of cultural knowledge and state regulation. PHPs deliver social housing and wraparound wellbeing services yet remain constrained by policy, funding, and a lack of culturally specific design resources. This research directly addresses the absence of a design resource by offering tools that PHPs can use to guide architects, planners, and contractors while maintaining cultural integrity and community accountability. At a broader level, Fale Tupu contributes to both architectural research and practice by operationalising a Moananui-centred methodology. It advances the academic discourse on Indigenous regenerative design by demonstrating how theory can be transformed into actionable tools, bridging methodological innovation with spatial application. In practice, it offers a replicable framework through which housing providers can advocate for, design, and deliver culturally aligned, future-focused homes. Fale Tupu ultimately reframes housing as a living system, one that sustains identity, nurtures intergenerational relationships, and restores balance between people, place and environment.
Saving Face: Future Proofing Tāmaki Makaurau Through Facade Adaptions
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Bloor, Cosmo
Our daily effect on climate change may feel minute, but when multiplied by eight billion, the results become much more tangible. Inherently the way we live, work and travel is flawed, as cities advance across natural environments, in search of new places for growing populations to live and work. The fabric of our urban environments creates separation between human and non-human communities, impacting historical and cultural spaces. Roads and urban sprawl split environments, reducing natural habitats and dissolving natural systems, while the glass boxes of our skyscrapers create pockets of isolation. A change is needed to reconnect our communities to our culture and history by reconnecting with the landscape, and reintroducing nature into our lives and cities to create holistic regeneration. Our buildings can hold the key to our future through the application of green architecture and passive design principles that can vastly reduce our carbon footprint and improve our resilience to climate change. This evolution in the built environment is beginning to happen, supported by a slow change in mindset brought on by the now relevance of our impact on the world. Companies search for solutions to reduce their carbon footprint, and countries look to create data sets to find answers and solutions to curb the steady rise of our world’s temperature. However, change needs to happen now and at a greater level to address the challenges associated with climate change to provide an immediate solution supported by long term initiatives. Saving Face looks to produce a complex architectural and ecological solution to this problem by producing an immediate and sustainable response to cities impacts on climate change. Through an application of past ecologies in a new vertical streetscape language, a regeneration of Auckland City Tāmaki Makaurau can occur.
Comparative Analysis of E-Waste Policies in New Zealand and Leading Global Markets: A Path Toward Sustainable E-Waste Management
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Biyani, Keshav
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the reasons underlying New Zealand's inadequate e-waste recycling performance in comparison to high-performing jurisdictions (the European Union (EU) and Australia) and to identify policy lessons that can facilitate the shift to more effective e-waste management. The study uses comparative policy analysis and thematic analysis of legislation, policy reports, and scheme evaluations from these jurisdictions to identify key features of effective extended producer responsibility and product stewardship systems. These include enforceable producer responsibility, clear collection targets, circular product design requirements, and accessible, well-governed collection systems. These stand in contrast to New Zealand's mostly voluntary, fragmented arrangements, which are influenced by a broader tradition of light‑handed regulation, insufficient national goals, unequal access to services, and poor coordination. The study concludes that implementing international "best practices" requires adapting policies to New Zealand's institutional and political environment. The study identifies several key priorities: enacting mandatory e-waste extended producer responsibility (EPR) with reuse and refurbishment goals; establishing national infrastructure for collection and reporting, incorporating circular design and right-to-repair obligations; and establishing a specialised stewardship governance body to provide high-participation, equitable e-waste services.
Understanding Informal Communication: A Qualitative Study on Exploring the Influence of Informal Communication on Workplace Relationships of Generation Z Employees in the Banking Industry
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Kyaw, Phyo Khant
As Generation Z increasingly enters the workforce, their distinct communication preferences and relational expectations are reshaping contemporary organisational environments. Within this shift, informal communication, characterised by spontaneous interactions and exchanges occurring beyond formal organisational systems, has gained growing recognition for its influence on employee relationships. While existing research acknowledges the value of informal communication, its role within generationally diverse and highly formalised industries remains underexplored. This study adopts a qualitative approach guided by a phenomenological methodology to examine how informal communication influences workplace relationships among Generation Z employees in the New Zealand banking sector. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with five Generation Z employees from different banking organisations. Drawing on their lived experiences, how informal communication operates within a traditionally formal and hierarchical industry context is explored. The findings, developed through thematic analysis, indicate that informal communication plays a significant role in fostering trust, accessibility, and relational closeness, while also facilitating collaboration and information sharing beyond formal channels. At the same time, the findings highlight the importance of maintaining professional boundaries within power-asymmetrical relationships, particularly across hierarchical and generational lines. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of informal communication as both a relational and organisational mechanism within the banking sector. By foregrounding Generation Z perspectives, the research offers theoretical insights into workplace communication dynamics and provides practical implications for banking organisations seeking to support inclusive, effective, and relationally sustainable workplace environments.
The Nature of Care
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Ely, Zara
It is estimated that humans spend 89% of their time indoors, despite having an innate connection to nature dating back to the origins of human existence. Modern-day life distances itself from nature, with consequences that are not yet fully understood. Nature provides the means of survival, not only physically, but also as a mechanism for restoration, an aid in learning, and support in healing. Many current approaches to design fail to foster a union between the natural and built environments, resulting in degradation of natural systems and a compromise to human health and wellbeing. Exacerbated by recent events, Aotearoa’s health system fails to provide a successful model of care to New Zealanders. Noncommunicable disease and disability permeate the population. Projected population growth will compound these points of tension. Rapid rates of ageing are expected to heighten rates of dementia; however, a system already under strain is not equipped to manage these needs. To address these issues, this design-led research asks: How can biophilic design principles be integrated into hospital design to enhance wellbeing and healing in Aotearoa? Moreover, how can these biophilic principles be applied explicitly to a dementia hospital to enhance patients’ holistic wellbeing and quality of life? The methodology for this research employs a range of methods and aims to provide a theoretical framework that can be applied in industry to hospital settings around Aotearoa. The framework is then tested in this thesis project at a dementia-specialised hospital. A series of experiments was applied to test design interventions, grounded in contextual literature. This thesis found that creative approaches to integrating biophilia, such as using fractals as wayfinding tools, considering circadian rhythms, and emphasising the significance of the human scale, can drive design and offer seemingly legitimate approaches to answering this research question.
in(ter)dependence: Achieving Localised Self-Sufficiency in Future Urban Environments while Enhancing Biodiversity and Interspecies Co-Existence
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Webster, Steven Geoffrey
in(ter)dependence is a design-based research project that explores how architecture and architectural systems can support urban agricultural self-sufficiency in urban fabrics. The project aims to develop an agroecological architecture that is sensitive to Indigenous knowledge and practices, that builds local food systems, economies and more-than-human communities. This project seeks to pivot from dependence on the current harmful industrial food system, instead empowering a distributed, context-responsive and ecological approach. This project also acknowledges that a shift in societal ontology is required to achieve this vision, and therefore addresses this shift through an architectural intervention. Situated in a future beyond our present day, this project intervenes in a world suffering from the impacts of anthropogenic climate change, extensive biodiversity loss and widespread social inequities. Intervening at the precipice of societal change, in(ter)dependence catalyses the shift from the Anthropocene to the Ecocene, through shifting the socio-political ontology from capital-centric to agroecological kinship. This project intervenes within the urban fabric and ultimately seeks to disestablish dependence on our broken commercialised food system. Instead, empowering a distributed, context-responsive approach through the establishment of interventions – architectural and otherwise – that support flaxroots agroecological initiatives and later the establishment of a central node in this web, the Memorial to the Sixth Mass Extinction. This will be achieved by implementing tactful and strategic modes of engaging with vacancy, food production, and generalised public ontology. This distributed approach not only increases accessibility but also empowers human communities to connect with food production and value the intrinsic interdependencies shared with more-than-humans. Located within Tāmaki Makaurau the project focuses its intervention on the suburb of Māngere. Interrogation of the wider site vernacular distilled two core typologies: the mound, or maunga, and the glasshouse. These typologies are investigated to reveal their distinct and definitive characteristics, resulting in the programmes of their architecturalisation. For the mound aspect, these programme(s) stem from the notions of the underground, germination, solemness, and latent potential. For the glasshouse, the programme embodies notions of efficient productivity and a lively, lightweight structure full of light. The programmes contained within the mound are concerned with seeding change. The mound houses a literal seed bank for the surrounding communities and region alongside the facilities to extract and cure these seeds. At a relational transformational level, the mound embraces the Memorial to the Sixth Mass Extinction – a memorial to the significant losses incurred throughout the Anthropocene. The memorial aims to spatialise generalised grief and mourning surrounding the current ecocide, and acknowledge the harm inflicted by industrialised civilisation, before pivoting toward an eco-relational sensibility. This is delivered through the arrival at the ‘glasshouse’, an architecture that rises from the earth, simultaneously piercing and disappearing within in the skyline. The architecture resembles that of the hakari, a performative skeletal structure that hosted celebratory feasts (Treadwell, 1999; A. Yates, 2010), and in this instance celebrates, supports, and enables the surrounding agroecological food system.
Talia na Vanua
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Rupan, Krishneel
The Pacific Islands is unique in its combination of ecological and cultural diversity and ecological sensitivity (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 1999). While the Pacific Islands contribute little towards global issues like climate change, they stand to suffer the greatest impact from them. Rising sea levels, cyclones, and flooding pose constant challenges to infrastructure, livelihoods, and cultural continuity. Fiji is a small island that is deeply rooted in cultural resilience and adaptive potential. Despite limited economic resources, Fiji demonstrates a strong commitment to climate action through disaster preparedness activities and community-led building. Nonetheless, a large number of rural areas remain disproportionately impacted, particularly in Vanua Levu’s northern region, where the people heavily rely on informal and subsistence economies for recovery. This thesis situates itself in the Fijian town of Labasa, a town rooted in agriculture, forestry, and the foundational values of land, people, and spiritual connection. Flooding and cyclones damage houses, crops, and access to essential services yearly, underscoring the need for adaptable and regenerative design solutions. Talia na Vanua proposes a primary relief hub, with modular housing kitsets and support for food security, addressing both shelter and food shortages. Through the fusion of Indigenous Fijian architectural principles, material knowledge, and community-based practices, the project reimagines architecture as a living system that nurtures both people and place. Guided by the foundation of iTaukei design principles – developed by a Fijian designer, Ratu Epener, during his thesis project at Unitec in 2021 to support local design responsiveness - this research develops a culturally grounded methodology for climate-responsive design. Talia na Vanua contributes to a broader Pacific architectural discourse that honours tradition while advancing innovation to create resilient, self-sustaining, and interconnected communities.
The Evolution of Sustainable HRM Reporting Practices in New Zealand's Top Listed Companies: A Longitudinal Analysis of Public Reports 2019-2023
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Dave, Kritika
The study examines the evolution of Sustainable Human Resource Management (HRM) reporting within New Zealand's leading publicly listed corporations from 2019 to 2023. The research employs a longitudinal content analysis of publicly accessible annual and sustainability reports to assess how organizations communicate Sustainable HRM practices in key domains such as diversity and inclusion, fair compensation, talent development, employee well-being, occupational health and safety, and green HRM initiatives. The study also looks at how The Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 affects HR-related reporting, especially when it comes to climate governance and the climate competence of the workforce. The findings suggest that reporting maturity is improving steadily but unevenly. There have been significant developments in wellness, OHS, and diversity disclosures, but not much progress in green HRM and climate-related HR integration. Even if worldwide frameworks and regulatory pressures have pushed firms to better integrate their HRM and sustainability goals, the way they report on these is still not standard across industries and companies. This research contributes to the Sustainable HRM literature by identifying trends in development, ongoing deficiencies, and avenues for enhancing strategic and transparent HRM disclosure within New Zealand's corporate sector.
Employee Perspectives on Engagement Strategies in Fijian ICT Organisations
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Dewakar, Meenal
Employee engagement is widely recognised as a driver of organisational performance, yet dominant engagement frameworks are grounded in Western assumptions that may not translate into collectivist and hierarchical cultures. This study explores employee engagement in Fijian workplaces by addressing two research questions: (1) What are the current employee engagement strategies used in Fijian ICT workplaces? and (2) How do Fijian cultural dimensions affect the effectiveness of these strategies? Adopting a qualitative, interpretivist approach grounded in Talanoa principles, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with twelve ICT professionals in Fiji. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five global themes were identified: recognition and growth, motivation and fairness, trustworthy leadership and collaborative culture, cultural belonging and inclusion, and organisational constraints. The findings reveal that employee engagement in Fiji extends beyond transactional incentives to encompass fairness, relational trust, and cultural respect. Participants valued practices such as inclusive celebrations, communal support, and flexible arrangements more than individualised rewards. Engagement was experienced as relational and collective, shaped by expectations of respect, reciprocity, and belonging. However, structural challenges, including pay inequities, limited career pathways, and high turnover, constrained engagement despite strong cultural foundations. The study contributes to theory by demonstrating the role of culture in shaping how engagement is understood and enacted. It challenges dominant engagement models and calls for contextual frameworks that integrate Indigenous values, communal reciprocity, and relational leadership. Practically, the findings offer guidance for designing culturally responsive engagement strategies in Fiji and other collectivist contexts, highlighting the importance of aligning organisational practices with local meanings of respect, fairness, and community.
Parasocial Friendship is Magic: An Exploration of Parasocial Relationships, Loneliness and Self-Esteem
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) File, Lily
Parasocial relationships refer to a perceived relationship between a television viewer and their favourite character. The relationship occurs when a viewer misinterprets a character’s scripted actions as an interaction directed towards them, despite no physical interaction occurring. Some literature suggests that this relationship may protect a fan from negative mental health outcomes, but it is currently unclear if there are discernible benefits that stem from television viewing. The current study aimed to examine the role parasocial relationships may play in relieving feelings of loneliness related to low self-esteem. This was measured through an online Qualtrics survey distributed across four English-speaking countries. Participants were asked to identify how closely they related to their favourite television character, what their main reason for watching television was and how they rank their current self-esteem and level of loneliness. The main method of analysis used was a mediation model to determine if parasocial relationships could mediate the relationship between loneliness and self-esteem. Unfortunately, there were no statistically significant findings in the mediation model. However, the study found that older participants were more likely to engage with television due to loneliness than younger participants were and those with higher levels of self-esteem were more likely to watch television for entertainment purposes rather than as a coping mechanism to boost their mood.
Designing With Nature: Culturally Informed Biophilic Design for Community Wellbeing in New Zealand
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Tomlinson, Cilla
This thesis examines how biophilic design and design approaches drawing on Māori concepts can inform the design of a holistic healthcare centre in New Zealand. The research explores how architecture can support human wellbeing and ecological regeneration by creating connections between people, culture and the environment. Grounded in the theoretical foundations of biophilia, environmental psychology and Indigenous Māori worldviews, the study investigates how design can respond to Māori health inequities and broader societal disconnection from nature. Employing a design-led methodology in which concepts are iteratively developed, tested and reflected upon, the study applies Terrapin Bright Green’s 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design, Te Whare Tapa Whā and Te Aranga Māori design principles to a holistic community-focused architectural intervention. The research proposes a framework for integrating biophilic and culturally responsive design approaches through iterative design exploration and critical reflection. The thesis suggests that integrating natural elements and culturally responsive strategies may support occupant health, contribute to ecological resilience, and enable meaningful engagement with place and culture. These outcomes are presented as evidence-informed design propositions rather than empirically measured results. The thesis offers a framework for biophilic and culturally informed design, providing insights for architects, educators and policymakers seeking to integrate human-centred and place-responsive approaches.
Influence of Augmented Reality Technology on Customer Experience in Online Shopping
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Bhowal, Anindita
Augmented reality offers a novel approach to enhancing online retail engagement, and its application in online commerce is expanding rapidly. Despite this growth, its influence on key customer experience outcomes remains insufficiently understood. While prior research has, highlighted augmented reality’s potential to enhance engagement and personalization, limited empirical evidence explains how augmented reality affects customer satisfaction and trust. Drawing on flow theory, this study investigates how perceptions of unique augmented reality features, namely interactivity, vividness, and novelty, shape customer satisfaction and trust in online shopping through the mediating roles of flow experience and customer engagement, as well as the moderating role of perceived customer support. To test the proposed conceptual model, an online survey was conducted with 235 participants, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).The findings demonstrate that perceptions of augmented reality features significantly enhance the flow experience, which, in turn, fosters customer engagement and leads to higher levels of satisfaction and trust. However, the results reveal a counterintuitive moderating effect of perceived customer support, as higher levels of perceived customer support, weakens the positive relationship between flow experience and customer engagement. This finding challenges the common assumption that service support uniformly strengthens immersive technology experiences and highlights perceived customer support as a contextual boundary condition rather than a universally reinforcing factor. This study advances theoretical understanding by integrating perceptions of augmented reality features, flow experience, customer engagement, and customer satisfaction and trust into a cohesive framework for online customer experience. Practically, the findings suggest that the effectiveness of augmented reality in online shopping depends not only on the novelty of technology but also on the underlying mechanisms to enhance the online shopping experience, leading to greater customer satisfaction and trust.
Te Raranga Tamaki a Te Manawa (Weaving Auckland & Westgate)
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Robertson, Kane
Weaving Tamaki & Te Manawa is a design-led research inquiry into Tamaki Makaurau’s dynamic rhythms in the city. It shows how rhythm analysis investigation can be a critical tool for remediating our arrhythmic urban fabrics. Through this Lens and crucial engagement with Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), the intended research aims to understand the outcomes of Te Manawa’s conflicting rhythms and how TOD can serve as a stakeholder for transforming its synergy into a cohesive, eurythmic urban environment. By taking the research application into a dominant car-dependent setting, we can better understand its conflicts and how Rhythm transformation is applied through design. Through the examination of historical, current, and future planning ideologies, the design project critiques the fragmented urbanism that has shaped Tamaki Makaurau and proposes an alternative planning trajectory that addresses the arrhythmia of sprawl, ecological degradation, and social disconnection. The design process employs adaptive planning-scenario strategies and interventions to explore how the rhythms of the urban fabric in Te Manawa could be altered through TOD implementation. Through this design speculation, the study will help argue whether coordinated and interdisciplinary approaches, such as those from rhythm analysis through the vessel of TOD in Te Manawa and Tamaki Makaurau, are appropriate substitutes for fostering ecological and social regeneration (Eurymia). Instead of proposing an alternative strategic master plan for site intervention, the final output will demonstrate how rhythm analysis can be combined with Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) principles to interpret and reshape the temporal and spatial rhythms of urban life. This approach illustrates that a coordinated design framework for combating arrhythmia in Tamaki Makaurau can be both effective locally and serve as a model for broader applications across Aotearoa.
The Impacts of Teacher Feedback on Self Confidence in Adults with Developmental Dyslexia
(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Craig, Meoghan
This research explores the practice of audio documentary making to present the experiences of dyslexic people within the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Based on literature research and wider contextual reviews, this research looks to answer the question: what are the impacts of teacher feedback on self confidence in adults with developmental dyslexia? Also how have these impacts influenced them in their subsequent areas of life. Research within the field of dyslexia is often targeted at children and their early life experiences while this research study looks to expand upon that existing knowledge by giving voice to the continued experience of dyslexic adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants and the following thematic analysis of the interview transcripts provided three sub-themes (’Equity Through Allowances’, ’Passion Led Learning’ and ’Social Stigma) as well as three core themes (’The Impact of a Diagnosis’, Teacher Feedback’ and Formation of Confidence and Self-Esteem) which formed the basis of the audio documentary structure. The ensuing discussion covered the creative process in communicating these themes as well as research analysis supported varying findings; offering non generalisable insights on the adult dyslexic experience, with varying agreements and contradictions depending on each participant’s unique experiences. The choice in medium of an audio documentary through the contextualisation of the audio format was chosen to aid in the accessibility of this research to the dyslexic community to which this study refers.

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