Tuwhera Research Repository

The Tuwhera Research Repository provides sustainable open access and archiving to a broad range of AUT produced research - theses, research outputs and datasets.

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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
An Analysis of Personal Wireless Network Security in Tonga: A Follow-up Study of Nukualofa
(Zenodo) Lutui, Raymond (Project Lead); Nasir, Nabeel (Researcher); Tete'imoana, Osai (Data Collector)
Access status: Open Access ,
Recruitment and Retention of Māori Nurses: Enabling Thriving Within the Indigenous Workforce in Aotearoa.
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Karauria, Serita; Zambas, Shelaine; Wilson, Denise
Culturally responsive healthcare for Māori depends on a nursing workforce that reflects and understands the communities it serves. Yet, in Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori remain significantly underrepresented in nursing, comprising 18% of the population but only 7.4% of the workforce as of 2025, a disparity that has widened over time. This study aimed to move beyond deficit-focused narratives to explore the conditions that support Māori nurses to thrive in their practice, identity, and leadership. The research was guided by a dual -framework approach, integrating Kaupapa Māori as the overarching Indigenous research paradigm with Appreciative Inquiry as a strengths-based process model. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews (hui) and focus groups (wānanga) with 11 Māori registered nurses from across Aotearoa New Zealand and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings reveal that thriving for Māori nurses is fundamentally anchored in the affirmation of cultural identity and whakapapa (genealogy), sustained through relational connection (whanaungatanga), and supported by culturally congruent mentorship. Conversely, participants described systemic barriers that impede thriving: institutional racism, governance and leadership deficits, cultural taxation as unrecognised cultural labour, and the persistent need to navigate cultural duality between te ao Māori and Western biomedical systems. The study concluded that Māori nurse thriving is contingent on systemic, not individual, conditions—those that normalise mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) within everyday practice and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. Evidence-based recommendations directly address these barriers: implementing Māori-led governance and decision rights; establishing culturally grounded poutama (stepped career pathways) with resourced cultural supervision; embedding cultural safety and relational practice across education and workplaces; and ensuring systemic accountability through robust data and monitoring. This research provides a strengths-based framework for transforming the health system into one where Māori nurses, whānau, and communities they serve, can flourish.
Access status: Open Access ,
Solar Photovoltaic Systems Adoption for Passive Houses in New Zealand: A Mixed-methods Analysis of Trends and Influencing Factors
(Elsevier BV, 2026-06-29) Nkado, Franklin Chukwuebuka; Aigwi, Itohan Esther; Doan, Dat Tien; GhaffarianHoseini, Ali
Solar photovoltaic systems (SPVS) can complement Passive Houses (PHs) by reducing grid dependence, emissions, and household energy costs. However, existing SPVS–PH research has emphasised technical performance and modelling, with limited attention to stakeholder, financial, policy, and market factors shaping adoption. This gap is evident in New Zealand, where SPVS uptake is increasing in conventional housing but remains limited in PHs. This study investigates the trends, drivers, barriers, and strategies influencing SPVS adoption in New Zealand PHs. A sequential mixed-methods approach was used, comprising document analysis, 34 interviews, and a survey of 96 building and energy professionals. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, while survey responses were examined using mean ranking (M), one-sample t-tests, and reliability testing in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings show that New Zealand's SPVS capacity reached 573 MW in 2024, while PH Plus and Premium certifications remain limited but are gradually increasing. Interviews identified 13 drivers, 18 barriers, and 18 strategies. Survey results ranked the strongest drivers as low-carbon transition support (M = 4.57), and declining SPVS costs (M = 4.55). The strongest barriers were budget constraints (M = 4.09) and low solar buy-back rates (M = 3.87); the strongest strategies were optimised design and installation (M = 4.54) and battery integration (M = 4.53). Although limited to stakeholder perceptions in New Zealand, the study shows adoption is shaped by financial viability, policy support, and early-stage design integration, thereby contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action).
Access status: Open Access ,
Feature Comparison and Throughput Accuracy of OMNeT++ and Riverbed Network Simulators Using a Testbed Environment
(MDPI AG, 2026-07-01) Sarkar, Nurul I; Knight, William
Accurate network simulation is essential for evaluating wireless communication systems; however, the fidelity of simulation results strongly depends on the underlying modeling assumptions, particularly at the physical (PHY) layer. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of OMNeT++ and Riverbed Modeler with respect to feature support and throughput prediction accuracy, validated against measurements obtained from a controlled wireless testbed. In this paper, we investigate simulator performance across representative scenarios, including line-of-sight (LOS), non-line-of-sight (NLOS), interference, and congestion conditions. To identify the sources of performance deviation, the analysis further examines the relationship among the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), packet error rate (PER), and throughput. The results obtained show that both simulators achieve high accuracy under ideal conditions, particularly for LOS and congestion scenarios, where higher layer effects dominate or channel impairments are minimal. However, significant discrepancies arise under NLOS and interference conditions, where accurate modeling of channel dynamics and error behavior is critical. The results show that Riverbed consistently demonstrates closer agreement with testbed, owing to its continuous SINR tracking and probabilistic PER modeling. This enables smooth adaptation of throughput to varying channel conditions. In contrast, OMNeT++ exhibits step-like SINR–throughput and SINR–PER relationships caused by threshold-based abstractions, leading to noticeable inaccuracies in transitional SINR regimes (5–15 dB). Overall, this study highlights that PHY-layer abstraction fidelity is the dominant factor influencing throughput accuracy in network simulation. While OMNeT++ offers flexibility and extensibility suitable for research and prototyping, Riverbed Modeler provides more reliable performance prediction in scenarios requiring high modeling precision. Finally, we provide guidelines for best practice checklists in network simulation and model validation.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Revenue Managers' Experience: Implementing Hotel Revenue Management in Australia and New Zealand Hotels
(Auckland University of Technology, 2026) Parab, Atulchandra; Goodsir, Warren
This dissertation examines the lived experience of hotel revenue managers implementing revenue management (RM) strategies across Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), a region under-represented in a literature dominated by European and North American case material. Three research questions guide the inquiry: the strategies and practices currently employed by ANZ revenue managers; the gaps between the academic RM literature and ANZ practice; and the challenges anticipated over the next 12 to 18 months. A qualitative, modified two-round Delphi methodology was used to explore answers to the research questions. Round 1 employed semi-structured interviews with eight experienced revenue managers (four Australian, four New Zealand) representing a cross-section of property types, and Round 2 returned to the same panel with structured validation and ranking exercises. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis framework, generating seven themes. The findings show a discipline in active strategic recalibration. ANZ revenue managers have shifted from occupancy-driven thinking to a focus on rate integrity and a total-revenue orientation, with RevPAR remaining the dominant operational KPI alongside ADR and forecast accuracy. Forecasting is consistently layered, combining historical data, market intelligence, and tacit professional judgement, which practitioners articulated as an approximately 80/20 division between algorithmic output and human interpretation. Off-peak strategy focused on rate-floor protection and value-added packaging rather than discounting, with a national divergence between revenue-led Australian practice and cost-led New Zealand practice driven by Auckland’s acute supply–demand imbalance. Individual-level personalised pricing was uniformly rejected as reputationally risky. Three challenges achieved full panel consensus for the next 12 to 18 months: 1. supply–demand imbalance, 2. geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, and 3. margin pressure from rising operating costs. The study contributes a practitioner-grounded evidence base from a structurally distinctive market, a multi-dimensional reframing of the research–practice gap encompassing data infrastructure, organisational architecture, and professional scope, and a layered conceptual model of contemporary ANZ revenue management practice.