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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Item ChatFlags: An AI-Powered Semaphore Interactive System(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Huan, YanThis study presents the development of ChatFlags, an intelligent system for flag recognition and interaction. YOLO11 was selected as the visual backbone based on experiments involving five flag classification tasks. The custom dataset was refined and expanded to address the lack of publicly available resources. An improved model, YOLO-AKEMA, integrating attention mechanisms and adaptive convolution, achieved higher accuracy across 27 flag categories. The user interface was built by using the AI platform Dify, supporting conversational interaction. To mitigate hallucinations in large language models, a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework was constructed by using curated flag documents and the BGE-M3 embedding model. Finally, the DeepSeek language model was integrated via workflow orchestration to complete the system. ChatFlags supports natural language dialogue, flag video analysis, knowledge quizzes, and text-to-image/video conversion. Its multimodal features enhance interactivity, offer a scalable solution for flag language education, and extend the integration potential of vision and language models.Item The Effect of Automated vs Non-Automated Advertising on Customer Response to Social Media Ads: The Mediator Role of Perceived Personalisation(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Vienings, Daniel RoedolfThe way advertising content is produced, tailored, and distributed has changed dramatically because of the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital marketing, especially on social media platforms. AI-generated advertising raises questions about customer trust, perceived manipulation, and emotional discomfort, even though it has advantages, including improved targeting precision and real-time optimisation. These issues are consistent with the personalisation paradox, which holds that emotions of creepiness can coexist with enhanced relevance brought about by personalisation. Even though AI advertising is becoming increasingly popular, little empirical research has been done on how consumers react to and perceive ads produced by AI as opposed to those developed by humans. To address this gap, this study looks at how perceived personalisation, relevance, and creepiness influence consumer engagement (clicks, likes, comments, and shares) and ad avoidance. It also investigates how business experience, being part of a moderated mediation model, influences perceptions of personalisation. A conceptual model that accounts for the direct and indirect impacts of AI-generated advertising on consumer behaviour is tested in this study using a quantitative experimental approach. Three advertising conditions, AI-generated personalised ads, AI-generated non-personalised ads, and human-created non-personalised ads were used in a between-subjects online experiment. A structured survey was used to gather information from a sample of n = 150 participants. The study tested the hypothesised links between ad type, perceived personalisation, relevance, creepiness, and behavioural effects by evaluating the measurement and structural models using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that, when compared to non-AI (human-generated) content, AI-generated advertisements did not significantly increase perceived personalisation, indicating that algorithmic targeting by itself does not necessarily provide improved customer perceptions. However, perceived personalisation had a significant impact on both creepiness and relevancy, demonstrating the dual nature of personalised advertising. The personalisation paradox is reflected in this dynamic: while personalised content might increase engagement potential, it can also cause psychological discomfort if it is viewed as being overly intrusive. Additionally, perceptions of personalisation were not significantly moderated by business experience, casting doubt on the idea that exposure to digital marketing in the workplace automatically results in positive assessments of AI-driven content. This thesis makes theoretical contributions by extending the SNS-Post Processing Framework to AI-generated advertising contexts, providing insights into how cognitive and affective responses to personalisation influence behavioural outcomes. Additionally, it also contributes to the limited empirical research on ad avoidance as a defensive mechanism triggered by AI-driven targeting. To promote customer trust and engagement, the study offers practical advice to digital platforms and advertisers on how to strike a balance between AI automation, human creativity, ethical transparency, and emotional resonance.Item Migrant Labour Exploitation in New Zealand: A Critical Analysis of the Political Discourse(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Kohli, Harsimran SinghMigrant labour exploitation often occurs in countries where there are significant numbers of seasonal migrant labour (SML) workers. A significant share of New Zealand’s workforce is made up of SML and due to this extensive reliance on imported labour, cases of SML exploitation are common. Earlier studies have documented both the occurrence of SML exploitation and its drivers, such as employer-bounded visas, high recruitment fees, and weak enforcement (Bi, 2016; Collins & Stringer, 2019; Stringer & Michailova, 2019). However, how politicians frame exploitation and how this framing influences the policies that facilitate or control exploitation have received limited attention. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how politicians represent the issue of SML and the main themes in the New Zealand political domain related to SML exploitation. In this sense, narratives are not just rhetoric, they are policy-making tools that raise a problem, legitimise some solutions, and “rule out” other options. Politicians – ministers and party leaders – define the rules of migrant labour schemes. Looking at the narratives of politicians about SML shows not only their plan for migrants but how they frame the problem, how they portray stories, and what policies politicians will use to respond exploitation. Using a qualitative research design, secondary data were collected using press releases, Hansard debates, newspapers, and websites of political parties. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings show that politicians – notably those from New Zealand’s two major parties – present narratives in support of continued and increased SML for the New Zealand economy because it helps achieve export targets, industry production demands and benefits for Pacific workers. However, SML impacts local labour and is linked with exploitation by employers. Thus, SML is presented as both beneficial and fraught. Because the beneficial aspect lifts the broader New Zealand economy, successive governments remain reactive – reforms are done when scandals emerge or due to media pressure – to correct compliances instead of addressing migrant exploitation at a structural level.Item ChatClothes: An AI-Powered Virtual Try-On System(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Zhang, YuchaoWith the advancement of deep learning, latent diffusion models, and large language models (LLMs), virtual try-on (VTON) has emerged as a promising solution for personalized fashion experiences in online shopping, digital design, and augmented retail. This thesis proposes ChatClothes, a modular and multimodal VTON system that integrates controllable diffusion-based generation with dialogue-driven garment interaction. The system architecture is orchestrated by Dify, with ComfyUI managing the visual generation pipeline and Ollama hosting local LLMs. At its core, ChatClothes employs DeepSeek, a customized large language model that interprets natural language instructions and transforms them into structured prompts for image generation and interactive refinement. This prompt-based guidance enhances semantic alignment and enables intuitive user control beyond predefined attribute labels. To improve structural consistency and detail fidelity in image synthesis, this work introduces Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) for fine-tuning the original OOTDiffusion model. Without altering the backbone architecture, this strategy focuses on enhancing pose alignment, hand generation accuracy, and garment texture reconstruction. By integrating LoRA modules, the model achieves effective adaptation and fine-grained refinement even under limited training resources. To support garment classification, YOLO12n-LC, a lightweight variant based on YOLO12n, is developed to balance accuracy, speed, and model size. It achieves competitive performance across multiple clothing categories while maintaining feasibility for device-level deployment. A complete system workflow connects image preprocessing, language understanding, garment classification, image synthesis, and output evaluation. Experiments on datasets such as DressCode and VITON-HD demonstrate the system’s initial validation in terms of realism, controllability, structural preservation. This work presents a unified framework bridging vision-language interaction with diffusion-based generation, establishing a foundation for scalable, user-centered, and device-adaptable fashion AI systems applicable across e-commerce, AR fitting mirrors, personalization platforms, and automated outfit design.Item Epidemiology of Tuberculosis and BCG Vaccine Uptake Among Pasifika in Aotearoa New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Schutz, RhonitaTuberculosis (TB) has many known risk factors that contribute to its persistence worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), as a high-income country, is fortunate to fall in the low-risk category. However, the incidence of TB is more common in particular ethnic groups such as Pasifika. The Pasifika population exhibit a unique set of vulnerabilities that increase their susceptibility to TB disease. Recent studies have reported a 13.1 per 100,000 notification rate for Pasifika in contrast to 0.5 per 100,000 among the European ethnic group in Aotearoa NZ. The Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is the only licensed vaccine widely used to prevent TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends BCG inclusion in neonatal vaccination schedules, depending on the TB epidemiology of the country. Many high incidence countries in the Pacific have been recommended to administer one dose to all neonates. However, countries with a low incidence of TB, such as Aotearoa NZ, can focus vaccination on high-risk groups only, through recommendation by healthcare workers to parents. Recommendation is based on specific eligibility criteria, meaning that all Pasifika children born in Aotearoa NZ are not necessarily entitled to BCG vaccination. Therefore, this study aims to identify strategies for improving TB prevention efforts by identifying the level of protection against TB for Pasifika. Given their higher TB burden and vulnerabilities, assessing the effectiveness of the BCG vaccination programme to capture at-risk populations is particularly important for these vulnerable ethnic groups. A Pasifika framework, Te Kora, was employed to guide a convergent parallel mixed methods design. To understand the epidemiology of TB and the BCG vaccine uptake among Pasifika in Aotearoa NZ, a quantitative observational study and a qualitative interpretive descriptive study were undertaken. TB and BCG data from 2006 to 2023 were descriptively analysed. Maroro (conversations) was used as the method to generate qualitative data to understand the perceptions of healthcare professionals on the BCG vaccination programme and TB prevention efforts. The qualitative data was then analysed with Conventional Content Analysis (CCA). The quantitative results showed that Pasifika and Asian populations in Aotearoa NZ had the highest TB incidence rates from 2006 to 2023, with average incidence rates of 11.4 per 100,000 (confidence interval (CI): 8.2 – 15.3) and 27.5 per 100,000 (CI: 23.5 – 32) respectively. Further analysis of the Pasifika population showed a higher percentage (average of 55%) of TB incidence among the less dominant Pasifika ethnicities such as Kiribati, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Niue. BCG vaccination rates were steadily high among the Asian population, with an average rate of 1000.7 per 100,000 (CI: 975.8 – 1026.2). BCG rates were also reasonably high among Pasifika, however, there was an observed rapid significant decrease to exceedingly low vaccination rates from 2011 to 2023. The average BCG vaccination rate for Pasifika was 519.4 (CI: 500.3 – 539.3) per 100,000, however, based on the significant decrease which reached vaccination rates as low as 26.6 per 100,000 (CI: 21.7 – 32.2), the Pasifika population were significantly under-vaccinated. Further analysis of the Pasifika vaccination rates indicated that Pasifika ethnicities were proportionately vaccinated relative to their population sizes except for the Cook Island Māori and Niuean ethnicities. This highlights the need for an increase in BCG vaccine uptake for the Pasifika population, especially among the less dominant Pasifika ethnicities, which have the highest proportion of TB notifications. Three main categories were constructed from the qualitative data that outlined barriers for the BCG vaccination programme and TB prevention efforts. These include systemic gaps in identifying at-risk groups, which identified knowledge gaps among healthcare workers and fragmented referral processes. The second category, perceptions of TB disease and BCG vaccine among migrants and Pasifika communities, identified stigma and migrants’ perception of TB risk. The third category is system-based factors that affect BCG uptake and TB reduction, such as the BCG policy and programme changes, the Pasifika umbrella, and effective communication. This study explored the effectiveness of current TB prevention efforts, particularly the BCG vaccination programme among at-risk populations in Aotearoa NZ with a focus on the Pasifika population. The findings highlighted specific barriers from the qualitative data that must be addressed in order to improve the current BCG vaccination programme. The study recommends system-level improvements to progress TB prevention among Pasifika, such as increasing training for healthcare workers to enhance risk assessment, uniform referral processes for all regions, disaggregated data, and health promotion strategies specifically to target TB stigma. The results of this work highlighted particular improvements that are needed to protect the Pasifika populations from TB.Item Rainbows in Summer(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Powrie, CherieThe thesis is an excerpt of “Summer Temptation”, a contemporary fiction novel that meets and challenges the romance genre, peppering it with sauciness and characteristics of what could be deemed a tragic romance/ drama featuring the evolving and pressured relationships between Jessica and Lucas Park, a married couple in a seemingly stable and happy marriage. Jessica succumbs to the persistent charms of an old school friend and engages in an illicit affair leading to betrayal and turmoil in her marriage to loyal and loving Lucas. Jessica’s inner circle offer differing viewpoints on her transgression based on their interpretations and differing loyalties, and the end result jeopardises everything she has worked for. The story is told through pivoting points of view; Jessica addresses the reader in the first person while the omniscient narrator interprets Lucas’s behaviour to convey his point of view. Both voices are disrupted as the protagonists and bystanders interrupt the flow with snippets of alternative points of view (POV) in each chapter by either the 3rd person for Jessica or in 1st person for Lucas (shown in italics). An important part of the story are their adolescent twin daughters, Olivia and Tanya who are also ultimately affected by the infidelity and the reader is invited to consider their voices through small chapters dedicated to them in a mix of 1st and 3rd person. The novel is set in Queenstown and surrounds, with iconic New Zealand scenery as a backdrop, and is also brought to life as a character in its own right. Readers of the novel get to take a front seat and make their own decisions on the complexities of romance, led through love, betrayal, hurt and regret. The thesis aims to meet and challenge audience expectations of the traditional romance genres as it canvasses these themes.Item Guardians of Matariki: Evaluating the VisionOS for Māori Storytelling(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Perese, ThomasThis exegesis presents the design, development, and internal evaluation of Guardians of Matariki, a spatial storytelling prototype for Mixed Reality, developed specifically for the Apple Vision Pro (AVP). The project addresses the research question: How can immersive spatial storytelling enhance users' engagement with Māori culture through a Mixed Reality application? Centred on the Matariki star cluster, the prototype explores how cultural content can be communicated through varying levels of immersive interaction. A structured methodology was applied using the Research Onion model. The research philosophy combined interpretivism, pragmatism, and kaupapa Māori to support culturally grounded, reflective development. The approach employed abductive reasoning and Design-Based Research (DBR) within a mixed methods framework, with qualitative and quantitative self-assessment, journaling, and heuristic walkthroughs used for data collection and analysis. Three levels of immersion were developed and evaluated: a 2D windowed interface, a 3D volumetric interface, and a full space immersive environment. NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) were used to assess cognitive load, usability, and engagement. Results indicated that increasing spatial immersion correlated with enhanced narrative embodiment, reduced cognitive load, and improved cultural clarity. The development process followed an Agile (SCRUM) sprint structure, using tools such as Reality Composer Pro, Xcode, SwiftUI, and Meshy AI. Culturally aligned UX heuristics and Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines informed design decisions. Limitations include the absence of external user testing and co-design due to time and hardware constraints. All findings reflect internal evaluation and are not generalisable. This study contributes to Indigenous digital storytelling, spatial computing, and immersive design. It demonstrates a culturally responsive method for developing immersive applications and proposes a foundation for future work involving user collaboration, cross-platform delivery, and expanded narrative design.Item Climate Crisis, Tourism and Sustainable Aviation Fuel: A Case Study of Queenstown, New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Otake, YutaThe global travel industry is a significant contributor to carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, with air travel accounting for a substantial share. As climate change intensifies, the need for sustainable solutions in tourism becomes increasingly urgent. This thesis investigates the potential effects of using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), an alternative jet fuel that was developed to mitigate carbon emissions, focusing on its implications for Queenstown, New Zealand, a premier tourist destination with one of the busiest regional airports in the country. Queenstown’s reliance on air connectivity for its tourism economy renders it an illuminating case for exploring decarbonization strategies within the travel industry. The research is grounded in the global sustainability agenda, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the net-zero 2050 carbon emissions framework. It addresses a notable gap in the literature: while SAF has been extensively studied in engineering contexts, its application and impact within tourism remain underexplored, especially in New Zealand. This study aims to bridge the gap by examining how the use of SAF could influence the Queenstown travel industry and by capturing the perspectives of key stakeholders involved in its use across the air travel sector. Employing a qualitative case study methodology, the research is framed within an interpretivist paradigm, supported by a relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the Queenstown travel industry, alongside document analysis of relevant policy papers, industry reports, and academic literature. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring patterns, insights, and key stakeholders’ perspectives, resulting in five major themes and twelve sub-themes that reflect the multifaceted nature of SAF adoption. Findings reveal that SAF holds promise for reducing aviation-related emissions and aligning Queenstown’s travel practices with global sustainability goals. Some findings highlighted that the use of SAF can be a potential way to achieve net-zero emissions and enhance Queenstown’s environmental credibility as a destination. However, some key stakeholders who participated in the semi-structured interview mentioned significant barriers to implementation, including high production costs, limited supply chains, and the absence of robust policy frameworks to support widespread adoption. These challenges underscore the need for coordinated efforts among government bodies, airlines, fuel suppliers, and tourism operators to create enabling conditions for SAF integration. The study concludes that while SAF is not a panacea, it represents a pivotal step toward sustainable air travel. Its successful deployment in Queenstown could serve as a model for other tourism-dependent regions in New Zealand seeking to mitigate their carbon footprint. The research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable tourism by offering practical insights into the role of alternative fuels in climate action. It also emphasises the importance of stakeholder collaboration, policy innovation, and public awareness in driving the transition to low-carbon air travel. Ultimately, this thesis advances the understanding of SAF within a tourism context and provides a foundation for future research and policy development. By situating SAF within the framework of climate crisis response and sustainable tourism, it highlights the urgency and complexity of decarbonising the air travel industry in a rapidly evolving global landscape.Item Fungal Electronics: An Exploration into the Conductivity of Mycelium(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Saran, DavidThis thesis explores the emerging field of Fungal Electronics, a domain that remains vastly underresearched despite fungi outnumbering plant species in global biodiversity. Motivated by this imbalance, the research combines hands-on experimentation, cultivating and monitoring fungal growth, with digital translation methods that convert raw bioelectrical data into sonic and visual formats. Using a PicoLog data logger, voltage signals from various fungi are transformed into MIDI compositions, forming the basis for experimental musical tracks that are further refined in audio workstations. The project also incorporates speculative design through macro videography and environmental soundscapes, presenting fungi as both biological agents and creative collaborators. The final output includes a multi-sensory installation where fungal music synchronizes with color-coded visual overlays and ambient footage, offering audiences a new lens through which to interpret nonhuman intelligences. These processes and findings are critically examined and contextualized within a written exegesis, with the aim of contributing novel insights into the interface between biology, sound, and digital media.Item Experiencing Engagement: An Autoethnographic Analysis of Civic Engagement Strategies at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Aotearoa New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Jefferson, AaronThis thesis explores the civic engagement strategies employed during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, using an analytic autoethnographic approach. Drawing primarily on personal experience as both a fan and researcher, supported by semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and content analysis of public reports, the study explores how the tournament fostered bonding, bridging, and linking forms of social capital. Guided by Putnam’s Social Capital Theory and Anderson’s framework for Analytic Autoethnography, I investigate how community participation, volunteerism, public engagement, and legacy initiatives contribute to social cohesion and civic identity. Data collection included field notes from matches and Fan Festival visits, observations of community programming, content analysis, and interviews with professionals involved in national and city-level event coordination. My findings are presented in the form of six vignettes and four themes. The discussion proposes that civic engagement emerges through formal strategies but also through informal, spontaneous interactions among fans, volunteers, and local communities. The tournament’s inclusive and decentralised approach enabled people across New Zealand to feel involved in a national moment of celebration and connection. Participants noted the importance of cultural responsiveness, early stakeholder engagement, and sustained follow-up to maintain civic momentum beyond the event itself. The study extends the literature on sport, social capital, and event legacy by offering a reflexive, experience-based account of engagement practices at a major international tournament. It also demonstrates the value of analytic autoethnographic methods for uncovering the emotional, relational, and narrative dimensions of civic participation, providing insights for scholars and event strategists seeking to enhance social outcomes through sport.Item A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study of Knowledge, Perceived Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk and Intention for Lifestyle Change Among South Asian Adults in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Implications for Culturally Appropriate CVD Prevention Programmes(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Joseph Amalanathan, JacinthaBackground: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally and in Aotearoa, New Zealand, with SA being at a disproportionately higher risk than other ethnicities. The label “SA” is used to refer to people from India (including those from Fiji), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Despite their high risk, there is a notable lack of nationwide culturally appropriate CVD prevention programmes targeting SA in Aotearoa. The current study aimed to 1) explore the knowledge, risk perception of CVD (heart attack and stroke), and intention to change lifestyle (regular PA and heathy dietary practices) among South Asian adults in Aotearoa, and 2) evaluate the feasibility, appropriateness, and relevance of using the Attitudes and Beliefs about Cardiovascular Disease (ABCD) Risk Questionnaire among this population. Exploring these factors will help plan for culturally appropriate education to be delivered within an Aotearoa context. Method: This was a cross-sectional online survey conducted among 51 community-dwelling SA, aged 18 years or older, living in a large metropolitan city in Aotearoa. Participants' knowledge, perceived risk of CVD, and intention to change lifestyle were measured using the self-administered ABCD Risk Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used to analyse associations between sociodemographic factors, health characteristics (self-reported CVD risk factors), and CVD-related health beliefs. Results: The study findings revealed a high level of understanding about heart attack and stroke risk and prevention; however, the substantial missing data (45%) in this section, specifically in questions about biomedical risk factors such as cholesterol and diabetes, limit the overall assumption of knowledge for this group. Participants perceived their risk of CVD as low. However, they had a moderate to high intention to change their lifestyle and understanding of the benefits of doing so. Most participants (66%) reported having at least one risk factor for CVD. Surprisingly, there was no statistically significant difference in perceived CVD risk across stratified CVD risk groups (based on self-report), suggesting a potential misalignment between calculated CVD risk and perceived CVD risk. However, the perception of having a higher risk of CVD was observed among participants with high blood pressure (BP) compared to those without a history of high BP, which was statistically significant. A moderate positive correlation was found between the intention to adopt healthy behaviours (PA and healthy dietary practices), indicating that participants who are motivated to improve their PA also tend to adopt healthy dietary practices. Conclusion: The study's findings suggest that knowledge is not directly linked to individuals’ perception of their CVD risk or the intention to change lifestyle behaviour to reduce the risk, potentially indicating knowledge alone may not be sufficient to drive lifestyle behaviours in this population. Culturally appropriate interventions that enhance the benefits of PA and healthy dietary practices, with a focus on benefits related to family and community, could be more effective in enabling the adoption of heart-healthy lifestyle practices. Additionally, based on review by experts, the ABCD Risk Questionnaire appears to be feasible, appropriate and relevant for use among this population.Item The Invisible Influence: Systemic Racism and Experiences of Migrant Workers in Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Suwanthanasin, NanthaphatAotearoa/New Zealand, like many other countries, is experiencing a rise in the number of migrants working in care professions such as aged care, disability care, and early childhood education and care (New Zealand Government, 2024). Despite this growing presence, research on the experiences of migrant workers in early childhood education (ECE) remains limited, despite their significant contributions to the sector. Notably, according to the latest data, the proportion of immigrant workers in ECE increased from 7% in 2001 to 16% in 2017 (Hyslop & Le, 2019); it is likely that this figure has continued to increase since then. Given the increasing reliance on migrant workers in ECE, it becomes essential to understand not only their contributions but also the challenges they face within the sector. While existing literature has demonstrated that racism remains a persistent challenge for migrants of colour—particularly in industries such as aged care and healthcare (Ahlberg et al., 2022; King-Dejardin, 2019; Stevens et al., 2012)—there is limited research that specifically addresses the systemic nature of this racism, especially within the ECE sector. As a result, this thesis explores the experiences of migrants of colour working in ECE in Aotearoa/New Zealand, with a particular focus on how systemic racism shapes their experiences. Systemic racism, a key concept in this study, refers to the collective and often invisible forms of racial discrimination that occur across individual, institutional, and societal or structural levels (Banaji et al., 2021; Gynter, 2003; Mooten, 2021; Schindler & Zeller, 2011; Schmidt, 2010). Understanding systemic racism requires recognising how these levels interact and reinforce one another, ultimately forming a broader system that disadvantages minority groups. As Schindler and Zeller (2011) note, such discrimination can be difficult to identify because it is embedded in the everyday functioning of these systems. Understanding these dynamics is essential for addressing the structural barriers that impact the professional lives of migrant educators in ECE settings. Guided by Critical Race Theory (CRT) and employing counter-storytelling as a methodology, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with eleven migrants of colour, including both qualified and non-qualified ECE teachers. This approach allowed the research to highlight participants' lived experiences and their interpretations, alongside the researcher’s analysis. Indeed, the findings demonstrate how systemic racism, both overt and subtle, continues to shape the professional and personal experiences of migrant teachers of colour in ECE, often manifesting in nuanced and easily overlooked ways. The findings also align with existing literature on care work, which shows that the experiences of migrants of colour are often dismissed, ignored, and marginalised (Ahlberg et al., 2022; King-Dejardin, 2019; Stevens et al., 2012). Additionally, the research contributes to understanding how systemic racism influences the ways people of colour cope and navigate their social and professional lives. Overall, this thesis expands current knowledge about the experiences of migrant teachers of colour in Aotearoa/New Zealand’s ECE sector. It contributes to greater recognition of the systemic nature of racism in ECE and how it is embedded in, and unfolds through, participants’ experiences—often in ways that are not immediately obvious or easily recognisable.Item Whole Genomes of Trimethoprim Resistant 'Escherichia coli' Isolates from Urinary Tract Infections in New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Athuraliya, Deanna RozanneUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections globally, affecting hospitals and communities with an estimated 150 million cases annually (Wagenlehner et al., 2020; Zagaglia et al., 2022). Infections are common with approximately 50% of females, 12% of men, and 5% of children experiencing a UTI episode in their lifetime (González et al., 2020). These infections are a large burden on affected individuals and healthcare systems due to the high morbidity and high medical costs involved, which are estimated to be more than $5 billion annually in the United States alone (Terlizzi et al., 2017). Escherichia coli is a common facultative anaerobe in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and can colonise the urinary tract as uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) (Jaureguy et al., 2008; Kaper et al., 2004). This bacterium is responsible for approximately 90% of community-acquired UTIs (Flores-Mireles et al., 2015). Management of UTIs often uses empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics, making them the second most common cause for hospital antibiotic prescriptions (Pujades-Rodriguez et al., 2019; Zhou et al., 2023). The overprescription of antimicrobials may factor into the emergence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) microorganisms such as E. coli. As it is one of the most critical AMR bacteria due to its ability to evade antibiotic treatment and transfer resistance genetic material to other species (Zhang et al., 2019). Trimethoprim (TMP) is a synthetic folic acid antibiotic which was commonly used as a first-line treatment for UTIs and is now used in combination with sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as TMP-SMX. However, current global TMP prescription rates have declined due to the high resistance rates observed by recent clinical screenings (Schito et al., 2009; Zagaglia et al., 2022; Zhanel et al., 2006). While several resistance mechanisms have been identified in some key bacterial species throughout international research, the extent of clinical AMR in New Zealand (NZ) and resistance mechanisms are currently underexplored. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using disk diffusion assays and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis to determine the resistance profiles of 106 E. coli isolates obtained from Middlemore Hospital (Auckland, NZ). Using disk diffusion assay AST, each isolate was tested against first-line antibiotics used to treat UTIs such as meropenem, TMP, TMP-SMX, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and nitrofurantoin, and the available national resistance data (BpacNZ, 2017; LabPLUS, 2023). One isolate was resistant to meropenem, 98 isolates were resistant to TMP, with 83 of these isolates being resistant to TMP-SMX. Eight isolates were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and two isolates were resistant to nitrofurantoin. Three of the 106 isolates were non-viable during culturing and were not investigated further. The 74 TMP-SMX resistant isolates underwent MIC testing where 24-hour optical density (OD) readings were generated at TMP concentrations ranging from 8-4096 µg/mL. These OD values were used to generate two criteria, based on growth rates features and estimated MIC, to classify isolates into low, medium, and high levels of TMP resistance. Based on these criteria, many of these isolates were classified as being of medium level resistance. Results from MIC testing suggested resistant isolates were able to tolerate a TMP concentration of upwards of 128 times above the clinical breakpoint as demonstrated by OD curves. Therefore, whole genomes of six TMP-SMX resistant isolates were sequenced using Nanopore MinION (Oxford Nanopore Technology), with two isolates selected from each of the three TMP resistance levels generated from the two criteria. This aimed to identify differences in antibiotic resistance mechanisms within each resistant level. OrthoVenn3 and Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) were used to investigate novel resistance mechanisms, where efflux pumps and antibiotic target alterations were highlighted as potential mechanisms involved in E. coli TMP resistance, with the presence of the dihydrofolate reductase (dfrA) gene being an established mechanism (Brolund et al., 2010; Grape et al., 2007; Somorin et al., 2022). A total of 152 protein clusters were shared among all six isolates, with known AMR genes detected irrespective of the isolates TMP resistance, each containing two or three copies of the dfrA gene located on plasmids. Overall, these results confirm the presence of TMP resistance in NZ E. coli isolates from UTIs. The level of TMP resistance shows no observable influence on the presence or absence of AMR genes. Future research on the expression levels of these genes to fully understand TMP resistance in UPEC.Item Enhancing Construction Health and Safety Training using Handheld Augmented Reality for Site Safety Protocols in New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Hikaka, RayRecent studies have explored the use of augmented reality (AR) to improve safety training in construction. Multiple studies conclude that it is more effective and engaging than traditional methods. However, limited research exists on how specific trades such as crane operators and riggers accept and adopt AR applications in their workflows. My research aims to explore the development of a handheld AR training application designed to support compliance with safety protocols and improve hazard awareness, specifically within the New Zealand infrastructure construction context. Using a mixed-methods approach combining pre- and post-training surveys with focus group discussions, the study evaluates changes in participants’ knowledge and attitudes. The research question guiding my study is: How can a user-friendly handheld AR training application be designed to improve safety awareness and hazard preparedness for crane operators and riggers in infrastructure construction? The objective is to evaluate its usability, realism, and effectiveness using a mixed-methods approach. Early prototyping revealed that expert advice emphasises user friendly designs, realism and site-specific activities to ensure a contextually relevant AR training application. My study encourages future research on exploring the long-term retention of adopting handheld AR in existing site safety processes to observe the benefits of AR incentivised training programs.Item The Hidden Workforce: Neurodivergent Realities in Hospitality and Tourism(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) van Niekerk, VincentThis thesis explores the lived experiences of neurodivergent employees within the international hospitality and tourism industry, with a focus on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite increasing global conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion, neurodiversity remains a largely invisible and underrepresented dimension in the international hospitality and tourism industry and human resource management (HRM) policies. The research presented in this thesis addresses this critical gap in knowledge. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to explore both the systematic challenges and untapped strengths of neurodivergent workers within the industry. A quantitative and qualitative survey was completed by 110 employees in the international hospitality and tourism industry who self-identified as neurodiverse, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with three managers in the industry. Key findings include a concerning lack of formal neuroinclusive HRM practices, inconsistent managerial awareness, and challenges related to discrimination and career advancement faced by neurodivergent employees working in the international hospitality and tourism industry. The findings reveal that neurodivergent staff often experience stigma, communication barriers, and an exclusionary workplace culture, yet also demonstrate extraordinary strengths regarding attention to detail, creativity, problem solving and customer service. The findings are analysed through the lens of the social model of disability, leading to a proposed framework for more inclusive HRM informed by neurodivergent voices. This research also contributes practical recommendations, including the adaptation of New Zealand‘s Rainbow Tick certification mark into a broader “Diversity Tick” that incorporates neurodivergent employees in organisational HR policies and workplace culture. This research study is, to the best of the author’s knowledge, the first to apply Kahn’s (1990) theoretical framework to neurodiversity within the international hospitality and tourism industry. Data collected for this research also enable a comparison of the neuroinclusivity experienced by hospitality and tourism industry employees in New Zealand and the United States for the first time. By adapting Kahn’s (1990) model of employee engagement and disengagement to focus on his concept psychological safety , this study advances our understanding of how to cultivate inclusive workplaces in which neurodivergent employees are not merely accommodated but actively valued and empowered to thrive.Item Stories of Resistance: An Exploratory Study of Intersectionality in Sex Work in Aotearoa New Zealand(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Thompson, Hannah BonnieSex work in Aotearoa New Zealand is a significant issue for social justice and public policy because, despite the country’s longstanding globally unique decriminalisation model, sex workers, particularly those who are migrant and gender-expansive, continue to face intersecting forms of stigma, discrimination, and structural exclusion. These challenges are compounded by societal attitudes, political inaction, and institutional barriers that undermine the safety and rights of sex workers. This thesis focuses on the extent to which “risk” and “safety” are intersectional in sex work in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how migrant and gender-expansive sex workers actively resist discrimination. The thesis draws on findings from a peer/ally-designed, qualitative and arts-based study of sex workers in Aotearoa New Zealand, which used reflective thematic analysis of in-depth, semi- structured interviews, and a group “craft session”. This approach enabled a nuanced understanding of how individual, community, and structural factors shape the lived experience of people who sell sex and their strategies for existence and resistance. The analysis shows that sex workers actively manage risk and safety, and assert agency through personal strategies, collective support networks, and spatial practices, while simultaneously confronting systemic barriers rooted in misogyny, racism, and xenophobia. These experiences are captured through six themes, organised from micro to macro levels, under the overarching narrative of the Right to Exist. The thesis argues that while decriminalisation provides a legal framework for safety, it remains insufficient without broader cultural and institutional change, particularly given that the current legal framework in Aotearoa New Zealand excludes non-resident migrants from its protections. This thesis concludes by suggesting that the decriminalisation law be extended to include all sex workers, removing the Section 19 amendment, and that recognising and supporting the diverse strategies of resistance employed by sex workers, especially those at the margins, is essential for advancing equity, dignity, and justice in sex work policy and praxis.Item Whispers of Prana(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Chetty, Kimera RoseThis practice-led research thesis explores the choreography of space. A quiet unfolding between body, memory, and spatial design. It listens to the echo of footsteps long after the music fades, tracing how movement leaves imprints not only on the floors but on the very spirit of space itself. Rooted in dance and guided by Vaastu Shastra, the ancient Hindu spatial system, it asks how architecture might learn to breathe, how built form can soften, respond, and evolve with the rhythms of the bodies it holds. Dance by nature is ephemeral, lived moment by moment, never quite the same twice. Architecture, by contrast, is often conceived as permanent, fixed, and enduring. This work lingers in the space between them, questioning what becomes of built space when it begins to listen to motion, when it bends to rhythm and pauses for breath without losing its grounding. As a South African-born, Aotearoa-raised, Hindu designer, my project is a return. An inward turning toward something I in perpetuum carried but hadn’t yet claimed. Born into Hinduism but only sincerely meeting its philosophies through this work, I began to see space not as a container, but as a being. Through Vaastu Shasta, space reintroduced itself as alive, not merely shaped by us but shaping us in return. The result is a speculative design: The Nātyāloka Dance Complex, imagined within the layered heart of Auckland’s urban rhythm. More than a building, it's a vessel of breath, a keeper of rhythm, and a spatial partner to choreography. Nātyāloka repositions spatial design not as a backdrop for dance but as its collaborator. A place where the city’s energy gathers, where culture pulses through every surface, and where movement becomes a language used to sculpt space.Item Gen Z Fashion on TikTok: Navigating Identity Perceptions and Revisiting Simmel’s Paradoxical Fashion Theory(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Todorova, MonikaSocial media applications such as TikTok have created a new context for how fashion through content is engaged with and consumed, which in turn impacts and has a significant role on its users. Barnard (1996) argued that fashion is a form of communication, with meaning being embedded within a broader sociocultural environment. With this, there is opportunity to extend this notion within the updated online context of TikTok, analysing how users of TikTok platform create meaning either by consuming or uploading fashion content. This study also analyses the application’s role and impact on its user’s fashion decision-making choices and even their own perceptions of their identity. Additionally, this study explores the relevance of Simmel’s (1957) dualistic paradigm, considering the ongoing tension inherent between individuality and collectivism within the context of TikTok. To address these two research problems, the study utilised a qualitative research approach that was interpretive and phenomenological in nature. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with highly fashion-conscious TikTok users within the Generation Z demographic, considered typical users of the application. Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) was employed, revealing different tensions surrounding the role and function of influence, critical perspectives on the algorithm and the complexities of identity representation on the app. In turn, the study found that users simultaneously criticised and found selective merit in terms of being influenced by fashion content on TikTok, showcasing high levels of discernment and weariness of the commercial or consumer-driven functions of TikTok. Meaning is revealed as participants critically monitor the fashion decision making of other people, which in turn influences their own fashion choices. The findings reveal that users are highly discerning, valuing authenticity from the content they observe and its creators. In line with Simmel’s dualistic theory, participants valued individuality in contrast to following trends, with the behaviours described by participants potentially intensifying the tension between individuality and collectivism. This study contributes new insights on the usage behaviours, critical thinking processes and how Generation Z users discern influence. Furthermore, the importance of authenticity within content and fashion are highlighted, extending understanding of social media that can be insightful to the wider community of people invested in fashion. Additionally, this study is beneficial for like minded fashion-conscious users within the cohort, as the findings can further advance understanding of their world and what is important.Item Unfurling // Material Affect and Intimacy Through Sculpture and Installation(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Lees, Rebecca FrancesBy engaging with the liminal, both as a conceptual threshold and material state, this sculptural project examines how intimacy can be revealed through spatial and material relationships within installation. Moving beyond an initial engagement with the abject and the singular sculptural object, this practice explores the affective potential of material proximity, weight, gravity, and scale within an installation framework. Through arrangements of objects and armatures, the work seeks to implicate encounters that foreground embodied perception, drawing attention to the physical and psychological tensions between the viewer, form, and space.Item A Cognitive Engineering Approach to Transparency of Contrastivity of AI Algorithms(Auckland University of Technology, 2025) Obolonkova, XeniyaThe increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within critical decision-making domains has intensified the need for transparency, fairness, and explainability in model design and operation. While technical methods for post-hoc explainability have advanced, their integration into system architectures capable of addressing societal, psychological, and governance concerns remains limited. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for AI model transparency that integrates post-hoc interpretability techniques within the principles of Ecological Interface Design (EID)(Vicente, 1995). We validate the applicability of a cognitive engineering approach - specifically, Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) (Rasmussen, 1985) and Work Domain Analysis (WDA) - to achieve greater model transparency in the area of textual analysis. The framework leverages abstraction hierarchy modelling and constraint visualisation to connect lower-level elements- such as features and coefficients to higher-order functional and relational representations, enabling multi-level reasoning about model behaviour. The approach addresses fairness assessment, bias mitigation, and reasoning quality evaluation for both individual and group predictions, incorporating reasoning in model explanations (Miller, 2018) into “Explanation Contrastivity” metric to make causal reasoning explicit.