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A model to assess cloud enterprise resource planning adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems, School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 31 July 2027.
No full textEmbargoed until 31 July 2027In the current digital era, cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have evolved taking precedence over the on-premise ERP due to the convenience of software deployment and operation managed by third parties or cloud service providers (CSPs). This is specifically helpful to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who usually are limited in resources. The cloud ERP is an innovative technology, and its application can play a crucial role for SMEs to compete in the global market.
There is a lack of research that looks at the benefits, characteristics, critical success factors (CSFs), and challenges of cloud ERP adoption in SMEs, specifically in the New Zealand (NZ) context. Thus, the objectives of this study are (1) to identify the benefits of adopting cloud ERP systems in New Zealand SMEs, (2) to examine the influential characteristics for the adoption decision of these systems, and (3) to evaluate the CSFs and the challenges that impact their adoption in SMEs. This study develops and uses a conceptual model, which combines technology, organisation, and environment (TOE) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) frameworks, to examine the influential characteristics of the technological, organisational, environmental and individual dimensions for cloud ERP adoption in NZ SMEs.
A qualitative research design is deployed which is conducted in two phases in this study. In the initial preliminary study phase, semi-structured interviews are conducted with ERP vendors, who are experts and critical players in cloud ERP deployment, to gather in-depth knowledge on the current practices of cloud ERP adoption in NZ SMEs. In the second main study phase, two SMEs from NZ are interviewed to collect data from practitioners and company managers who are involved in the adoption of cloud ERP in their companies. The data collected from these case studies are evaluated through cross-case analyses and compared with the preliminary study findings and extant literature to arrive at the study results. A revised and extended empirical model is developed based on the study findings.
The findings of this study highlight the benefits of adopting cloud ERP systems in New Zealand SMEs. The key benefits include cost reduction, system and data accessibility, scalability, and effortless integration with other applications. This study further highlights the characteristics that influence cloud ERP adoption decisions in NZ SMEs, as well as identifies novel characteristics that affect this adoption decision, such as system quality (technological dimension), organisational culture (organisational dimension), government funding support (environmental dimension) and personal innovation (individual dimension). Furthermore, the CSFs and challenges associated with adopting cloud ERP systems in NZ SMEs are discussed. The key CSFs include education and training for users, having knowledge of cloud ERP, and clear understanding requirements of cloud ERP adoption. The key challenges include lack of awareness and knowledge, incorrect migration process, and ineffective project management. These insights enhance the understanding of academics and practitioners regarding the benefits, characteristics, CSFs, and challenges of adopting these systems in SMEs
Do female directors affect the cost of equity capital?
No full textPurpose – We investigate the effect of female directors on the firm cost of equity capital.
Design/methodology/approach – We employ several analytical techniques, including univariate analysis, Ordinary Least Square regressions, and propensity score matching methodology. Our sample consists of US public firms from 2004–2018.
Findings – We find that firms can reduce their cost of equity capital when they have female directors on the board. We reveal that board gender diversity reduces the cost of equity by curbing firm information asymmetry. Our findings are consistent across several alternative contexts for a female director and are robust to endogeneity concerns. Also, we find a negative association between female directorship and the cost of equity capital is notably accentuated during the growth and mature stages of the firm life cycle. Our findings add to the growing literature on the business case for female representation on corporate boards.
Research limitations/implications – Our study shows that gender-diverse boards can reduce a firm’s cost of equity capital. Shareholders perceive female directors as enhancing governance quality and lowering expected returns. Firms can leverage these insights by increasing female representation on the board, influencing their cost of equity and capital structure decisions. This has significant implications for firms and regulators promoting gender diversity.
Originality/value – Extant corporate governance research suggests that female directors improve firms’ governance and monitoring. Consistently, we have evidence that shareholders place value on gender diversity on boards and expect lower returns from firms with gender-diverse boards compared to those with all-male boards.fals
Service users’ experiences of tele-health abortion services in Aotearoa (New Zealand) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Manawatū, Aotearoa (New Zealand)
No full textThe Aotearoa (New Zealand) national abortion tele-health service, Decide, was launched in 2022, following legal abortion decriminalisation in 2020. The safety, effectiveness, and user satisfaction of tele-health abortion have been reported in a large body of global research. However, service user voices are often overlooked, and little is known about service delivery, especially the extent to which principles of person- and relational centred care are upheld. This study aims to address this oversight using a qualitative case study design focused on the Decide service. An online qualitative survey gathered data from 21 service users, which was analysed thematically alongside relevant textual data (seven national policy, guidance, and training documents on abortion care in Aotearoa, the Decide website content and researcher fieldnotes). A reflexive thematic analysis, guided by feminist standpoint, in conjunction with person- and relational-centred care frameworks, generated five themes: (1) the “Everything could be in done in my lunchbreak”; (2) Feeling seen, heard, and supported: Care is relational, supportive, and attentive to emotional wellbeing; (3) Care acknowledges interdependence and honours diverse support needs; (4) Care affirms autonomy and de-medicalises abortion decision-making; and (5) When person- and relational-centred care falls short: Structural strain and cultural stigma. The findings suggest that Decide services met the intended aims of being inclusive and emotionally responsive. However, pervasive stigma and structural inequalities undermine service delivery, resulting in fragmented care, erosion of trust in the service, emotional vulnerability, and suppressed autonomy. The findings highlight the importance of centring lived experience in service design and delivery, providing valuable insights for addressing service delivery issues and working toward reproductive justice
Tourism green growth through technological innovation
No full textThe work seeks to assess the effect of technological innovation on the green growth of tourism across five continental regions using the STochastic estimation of Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model. Employing panel Granger causality tests, panel vector autoregression, impulse response functions, and forecast error variance decomposition, the research reveals the bidirectional causal relationship between green growth and technological innovation, emphasizing the importance of technological innovation for tourism. The study utilizes panel data from 126 countries spanning from 2010 to 2021 and employs a range of econometric techniques. These methods allow for a thorough examination of the causal relationships, short and long term impacts, and the relative importance of different variables on tourism related green growth. The findings further highlight the contribution of green growth to developing a sustainable economy and emphasize the significance of sustainable tourism as a significant factor in green growth policies. The study expands the application of STIRPAT to the green growth and tourism relationship and provides practical implications for stakeholders.fals
Nutrient-adequate diets with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions or price are the least acceptable—insights from dietary optimisation modelling using the iOTA model®
No full textOver the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the environmental sustainability of diets because food systems are responsible for a third of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). However, less attention has been paid to the nutrient adequacy, consumer acceptability, and affordability of such diets. Such knowledge is particularly scarce in New Zealand, where approximately 40% of adults and 20% of children may live under severe to moderate food insecurity. The iOTA Model® is a country-specific dietary optimisation tool designed to fill this gap by bringing the various aspects of diet sustainability together and providing evidence-based knowledge on not just the environmental impact of food but also its economic and nutritional sustainability. The iOTA Model® was constructed using mixed integer linear programming by integrating New Zealand-specific dietary data. Features such as digestibility and bioavailability considerations have been incorporated as part of the iOTA Model®, allowing for a more accurate estimation of nutrient supply. The model is available as an open-access tool and allows users to explore various dimensions of a sustainable diet. Eight optimisation scenarios, along with baseline diets, were investigated for adult males and females in New Zealand. Results showed that reducing dietary GHGE or price by approximately 80% was possible while meeting nutrient adequacy requirements. However, such diets deviated substantially from the baseline eating patterns, indicating lower consumer acceptability, and only included a limited variety of foods. On the contrary, diets with minimum deviation from baseline remained realistic while adhering to nutrient targets and reducing GHGE by 10 and 30% in female and male consumers aged 19–30 years, respectively, and weekly price remained below the baseline. Expansion of the model to additional countries and its open-access nature will allow independent dietary sustainability research through optimisation.fals
In-plane deformation of kōwhaiwhai auxetic structure : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Food Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textFigure 3 (=Z. Wang et al., 2020 Figs 5 & 6) was removed for copyright reasons. Figure 4 is reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).This thesis explores the development and characterisation of a novel kōwhaiwhai auxetic structure, providing bespoke mechanical functionality. Inspired by traditional Māori art and building on prior work, the research aims to characterise the geometric and mechanical properties of the kōwhaiwhai auxetic structure, with a focus on its Poisson’s ratio, tensile behaviour, and performance under varying humidity conditions to be used as a foundation for future packaging solutions involving the auxetic. The research used a combination of experimental testing, finite element modelling, and statistical analysis to understand the auxetic structure. Tensile tests were conducted to determine the Poisson’s ratio and stiffness, and FEM was used to simulate the tensile tests as a foundational model for understanding the Poisson’s ratio, stiffness, and stress distribution. Uniaxial tensile tests of the structure showed the influence of measurement regions on the apparent Poisson’s ratio of the structure and discussed the discrepancy with literature due to this. The trends described experimentally were shown numerically as well, showing the strength of the underlying model. Testing samples conditioned at high humidities showed a significant impact of relative humidity on the fibre-based material but the magnitude of this effect was not influenced by auxetic geometry on the material. Hinge thickness was the most significant parameter affecting stiffness of the kōwhaiwhai auxetic design. In the context of the effect of humidity on the material, this impact could be offset by a parameter change, showing the high tuneability of the auxetic. This research advances the understanding of auxetic materials properties as a foundation for packaging applications, demonstrating the kōwhaiwhai structure’s potential for use in diverse environmental conditions. The findings provide a framework for optimising auxetic designs to enhance shock absorption and sustainability in the packaging industry
'I don't consider cancer when I'm grabbing the beer': Discursive strategies used by midlife New Zealanders to undermine alcohol-cancer risks
No full textCompared with other age groups, adults at midlife consume alcohol at relatively high levels. Alcohol has been linked to a number of long-term health risks, including cancer, although awareness of cancer risk is low. The current study aimed to examine how adults at midlife talk about, understand and consider alcohol-related cancer risks within their life contexts. Individual interviews were undertaken with 37 adults (41-64 years; 28 female, 9 male) about their alcohol consumption, views on the health risks of drinking, and understandings of the alcohol-cancer association. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and subjected to a discursive analysis. Participants constructed their drinking as low-risk because it was controlled, responsible, and moderate. They used discursive strategies to undermine the evidence on the cancer risks of alcohol by contrasting it with (stronger) evidence for tobacco risk, drawing on personal accounts of exceptional cases, and displaying 'risk fatigue' because alcohol was just one of many carcinogens they navigate in daily life. The pleasure they derived from alcohol outweighed cancer risks. Cancer risk evidence was itself constructed as risky because people with cancer could be blamed for their disease. These findings show that public health messages about alcohol and cancer risk need to incorporate people's own sense-making about alcohol and risk within their lives, including notions of pleasure. Unintended consequences of current messaging include short-term risks (to health and wellbeing) and moral risks (potential for people to be blamed for cancer) and therefore may be ignored or resisted by target populations.fals
β-Hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB) supplementation elevates testosterone levels without significant changes to cortisol, IGF-1, or growth hormone in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials
No full textBackground and aim: Increasing interest in improving physical performance and muscle mass in adults has highlighted the potential benefits of β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate (HMB) supplementation. While numerous studies have been conducted in this area, the hormonal response to HMB remains unclear. We hypothesized that HMB supplementation would significantly increase anabolic hormone levels, particularly testosterone, while not affecting the cortisol, IGF-1, or growth hormone levels in adults.
Methods: A comprehensive search of databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, was performed to identify relevant studies until January 2024. The protocol was registered with Prospero (CRD42024552074). The studies evaluated the impact of HMB supplementation on hormonal outcomes, including testosterone, cortisol, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone (GH). Utilizing a random-effects model, the standardized mean differences (SMDs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed, and the GRADE framework was applied.
Results: A total of 15 controlled trials (CTs) comprising 712 participants were included. HMB supplementation significantly increased testosterone levels (SMD: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.35, 1.29, p = 0.001). However, no significant changes were observed in the cortisol (SMD: −0.39, 95% CI: −0.92, 0.14, p = 0.14), IGF-1 (SMD: −0.18, 95% CI: −0.54, 0.18, p = 0.33), and GH (SMD: 0.04, 95% CI: −0.73, 0.82, p = 0.91) levels. According to the GRADE criteria, the quality of evidence was rated as ranging from low to high.
Conclusion: HMB supplementation significantly elevates testosterone levels in adults without distinct impacts on other hormonal pathways. However, it does not appear to significantly influence the cortisol, IGF-1, or GH levels.fals
Co-production and conservation physiology: outcomes, challenges and opportunities arising from reflections on diverse co-produced projects
No full textAs a relatively nascent discipline, conservation physiology has struggled to deliver science that is relevant to decision-makers or directly useful to practitioners. A growing body of literature has revealed that co-produced research is more likely to generate knowledge that is not only relevant, but that is also embraced and actionable. Co-production broadly involves conducting research collaboratively, inclusively, and in a respectful and engaged manner - spanning all stages from identifying research needs to study design, data collection, interpretation and application. This approach aims to create actionable science and deliver meaningful benefits to all partners involved. Knowledge can be co-produced with practitioners/managers working for regulators or stewardship bodies, Indigenous communities and governments, industry (e.g. fishers, foresters, farmers) and other relevant actors. Using diverse case studies spanning issues, taxa and regions from around the globe, we explore examples of co-produced research related to conservation physiology. In doing so, we highlight benefits and challenges while also identifying lessons for others considering such an approach. Although co-production cannot guarantee the ultimate success of a project, for applied research (such as what conservation physiology purports to deliver), embracing co-production is increasingly regarded as the single-most important approach for generating actionable science to inform conservation. In that sense, the conservation physiology community would be more impactful and relevant if it became commonplace to embrace co-production as demonstrated by the case studies presented here.fals