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Bank liquidity hoarding during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThis paper examines the association between bank liquidity hoarding (BLH) and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a sample of U.S. banks and applying fixed effect estimators, we reveal that banks rack up liquidity assets and liabilities when the pandemic escalates. Our finding holds with alternative BLH and COVID-19 proxies and is further validated by falsification tests. Additional analysis reveals that BLH improves bank stability by reducing earnings volatility, non-performing loans and the propensity to go bankrupt. This study supports the existing literature on BLH and economic adversities and expands our understanding of BLH during the COVID-19 pandemi
Gaining loyalty towards mobile food purchasing service: a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textWhile many consumers shifted to mobile food purchasing (MFP) during the COVID-19 pandemic, their loyalty toward MFP still has not been well-explicated. This study examined factors influencing consumer loyalty toward MFP during the pandemic data via an online survey from 440 consumers in Bandung, Indonesia. Partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to investigate the hypothesised associations which highlight two key points. Firstly, that food quality and mobile service quality were influential in shaping consumers' satisfaction and trust in MFP services during a pandemic and secondly, that MFP service providers should focus on the quality of both food and mobile service to gain loyalty. A significant and surprising finding in this research is that customers have an extremely high level of trust in businesses to produce safe food during a pandemic. This study contributes to adding the application of the quality-satisfaction-loyalty model in the context of MFP services
Soil depth as a driver of microbial and carbon dynamics in a planted forest (Pinus radiata) pumice soil
Get PDFForest soils are fundamental in regulating the global carbon (C) cycle; their capacity to accumulate large stores of C means they form a vital role in mitigating the effects of climate change. Understanding the processes that regulate forest soil C dynamics and stabilisation is important to maximise the capacity and longevity of C sequestration. Compared with surface soil layers, little is known about soil C dynamics in subsoil layers, sensu those below 30 cm depth. This knowledge gap creates large uncertainties when estimating the distribution of global soil C stocks and assessing the vulnerability of soil C reserves to climate change. This study aimed to dive deep into the subsoils of Puruki Experimental Forest (New Zealand) and characterise the changes in soil C dynamics and the soil microbiome down to 1 m soil depth. ITS and 16S rRNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were used to measure changes in soil microbial diversity, composition, and abundance. Stable (δ13C) and radioactive (14C) C analyses were performed to assess depth-driven changes in the stability and age of soil C. Our research identified large declines in microbial diversity and abundance with soil depth, alongside significant structural shifts in community membership. Importantly, we conservatively estimate that more than 35 % of soil C stocks are present in subsoil layers below 30 cm. Although the age of soil C steadily increased with depth, reaching a mean radiocarbon age of 1571 yr BP (years before present) in the deepest soil layers, the stability of soil C varied between different subsoil depth increments. These research findings highlight the importance of quantifying subsoil C stocks for accurate C accounting. By performing a broad range of analytical measures, this research has comprehensively characterised the abiotic and biotic properties of a subsoil environment - a frequently understudied but significant component of forest ecosystem
The morality map: Does living in a smaller community cause greater concern for moral reputation?
No full textSmall rural communities differ in social visibility compared to large urban cities due to their interconnected social networks. We hypothesized the higher social visibility of rural communities would cause members to see their reputations as more vulnerable and make them more concerned about protecting their reputations than people in cities. An online experiment (N=198) found imagining being in a small rural community with high social visibility caused people to report more concern for reputation and resist risking their reputation by price gouging, compared to those who imagined living in a large anonymous urban community. A cross-sectional analysis of the World Values Survey (N=119,745) revealed a small but significant correlation between living in smaller communities and having more concern for one's reputation. This work has implications for understanding how cultural and moral differences across regions might arise from geographic features of those region
Marketing and sustainability: Practitioners' perspectives and practice
No full textFor the marketing discipline to transform to facilitate the UN’s sustainable development goals, marketing scholarship needs to assess stakeholders’ perspectives. This study explores commercial marketing practitioners’ perspectives and practices regarding sustainability and sustainable consumption through in-depth interviews with nine New Zealand commercial marketing professionals. Results indicate sustainability was seen as important but lacks integration into practitioners’ practice. This research also identifies a knowledge gap regarding sustainability, sustainable consumption and marketing’s role to facilitate sustainability and achievement of the sustainable development goals. Our findings indicate that education for marketing practitioners and integration of sustainability in organisations’ core values are needed to enable the marketing function to support the sustainable development goals
Nurturing an effective and enjoyable inter-institutional research group: An autoethnography
No full textContext/Aim: In an academic landscape, where research culture often encourages individualism, this study aims to uncover how individual researchers' connections and relationships can contribute to the creation of a robust, effective, and enjoyable research culture. This study describes the benefits and workings of a collaborative group of researchers at three tertiary institutions.
Relevance: While various studies have explored factors that facilitate positive research environments, research specifically investigating the impact of interpersonal connections within multidisciplinary research teams is lacking.
Methods: Using an autoethnographic approach, this study draws on reflections and discussions among members of the research group. Specifically, we held two formal recorded focus groups to discuss the group's development. Subsequently, two co-authors identified themes independently before comparing overall themes. All members were provided with a draft copy of the manuscript to contribute, provide feedback, and verify the authenticity of the findings.
Results: Three key themes emerged: (1) Benefits of interdisciplinary research, highlighting the strengths and collaborative nature of the multidisciplinary group; (2) Kaupapa Māori approach, reflecting the positive influence of a relationship-driven, community-oriented research paradigm; and (3) Importance of the space to connect, underlining the value of management support and the balance between formal and informal connections.
Significance and implications: The findings reveal the transformative power of interpersonal connections within research teams, contributing to the creation of a vibrant and collaborative research culture. The study not only offers insights into effective research culture formation but also highlights the significance of diverse perspectives and genuine connections for enhancing research outputs and creating a positive academic community
The New Zealand Thesis Project: A nation's dissertations
Get PDFThe New Zealand Thesis Project showcases the power of collaboration between academic librarians and Wikimedians. Beginning in 2022, the project brought together metadata for more than 66,000 theses from 13 tertiary institutions, cleaned it in OpenRefine, and added records to Wikidata. This allows them to be easily accessed in multiple languages and cited on Wikipedia. In addition, we have disambiguated 12,000 individuals and more than 1800 ANZSRC and Ngā Upoko Tukutuku subject headings connected to the thesis collection, allowing us to visualise our data in new ways and find unexpected connections. Through leveraging the vast amount of data already available on Wikidata, the New Zealand Thesis Project is making it easier than ever before to find and connect relevant research from all over the world. We will describe what we’ve done, the next steps for our project, and how our process could be relevant to other institutional repositories
Managing extraction of colour, phenolics and aromas in Pinot noir wine production: Alternative use of grape marc
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the alternative way of making Pinot noir wine using grape marc. Results showed significantly higher alcohol content, total phenolics and tannins in Pinot noir wines made using grape marc powder. Total anthocyanins showed significant lower level in Pinot noir wines made using grape marc powder due to the limitation of available anthocyanins in grape marc, but SO₂ resistant pigments showed significant higher level. This result indicates the importance of ratio between tannins and anthocyanins on the formation of SO₂ resistant pigments in red wine. Significantly higher level of caftaric acid observed in Pinot noir wines made using grape marc powder suggested less oxidation in the resultant wines, which is likely attributed to higher content of tannins. Most of aroma compounds showed significant differences between treatments, with Pinot noir wines made using grape marc powder showing significantly lower concentration of aroma compounds associated with vegetative/green, woody, and spicy, but higher concentration of those associated with fruity. This study investigated the alternative way of using grape marc in Pinot noir winemaking, which may provide a useful tool for winemaker to manage the extraction of colour, tannins, and aromas from grape skins into wine. This could be also an alternative way of utilisation of grape marc as winery waste, especially those sourced from premium quality grapes
Enhancing multifunctionality in agricultural landscapes with native woody vegetation
Get PDFThe re-integration of native woody vegetation within agricultural areas has the potential to support multifunctional productive landscapes that enhance livestock welfare and restore habitat for native wildlife. As there is minimal research on this issue in Aotearoa New Zealand, this study aimed to identify species of native woody vegetation and propose spatial configurations and site designs to increase multifunctionality on a case study site. The three components of a multifunctional agricultural landscape focused on in this study were (1) enhancing foraging opportunities for livestock, (2) optimizing shade and shelter, and (3) establishing native bush bird habitat. During the first phase, sixty-three suitable species were identified and assigned scores based on the primary objectives and site constraints. This produced four optimized plant lists, one each for the three multifunctional components identified above and one combined multifunctional list incorporating those scores with additional environment and soil scores. The second phase used design thinking methodology to strategically locate these plants within an established case study site. Nine different planting configurations (three for each multifunctional component) were proposed and then, informed by site-specific opportunities and constraints, located on the case study site to produce three individual site designs. Finally, these three site designs were combined to propose an exemplar of a multifunctional agricultural landscape. The results indicate that reintegrating native woody vegetation has the potential to contribute toward multifunctional agricultural landscapes, proposing species and spatial layouts from which further investigation into livestock foraging, increased shade and shelter, and restoration of bush bird habitat can follow. This research advances sustainable land management practices by offering valuable insights into future agricultural landscape design
New Zealand attitudes towards the emerging sport of Esports: Content analysis of New Zealand public discourse on Esports : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science at Lincoln University
Get PDFGlobally, esports is no longer a new activity due to the expansion of esports tournaments, university scholarships, large sponsorships, and well-documented growth in popularity. Despite the global growth, esports and esports research in New Zealand is in a preliminary phase, with a national sporting body for esports only being approved in 2016. This research sought to develop an understanding of the prominent conversations, attitudes, and discourse in New Zealand through analysing publicly available articles and documents written in New Zealand and by New Zealand authors. A qualitative content analysis method (Bengtsson, 2016) was chosen, focusing on a sentence-by-sentence coding methodology. It was found that esports is yet to be accepted in public discourse, with articles repeatedly using justification language to defend esports against stereotypes and criticisms. Sport was conversely not criticised for these same objections, despite many of the criticisms being challenges sport also faces. Sport continues to be upheld in public discourse in New Zealand as an inherent ‘good’ regardless of potential negative outcomes for participants, while esports is not provided the same benefit of social acceptance, confirming again the Great Sport Myth (Coakley, 2015). Beyond comparisons to sport, it was found that esports faces similar criticisms to videogames, adding to the difficulty of esports finding full acceptance socially and politically. While the data gathering method was set to rule out irrelevant articles, it was not possible to fully separate videogame content from esports content. Future research could compare the videogame and esports discourses to determine whether the themes are the same, similar, or different. Other future research opportunities found include determining a clear picture of the demographics of New Zealand esports players and fans, as well as investigating the current and potential future locations of esports facilities in New Zealand