Our current Doctor of Business Administration students are engaged in a variety of exciting research projects.
Current students
Anupam Shailaj
Dunedin, New Zealand
The usefulness of business plans – a small business perspective.
An investigation into whether and how small businesses use and benefit from business plans, with implications for funding agencies, small businesses and tertiary institutions that use business plans as a model for teaching entrepreneurship.
Supervisors: Dr Jonathan Scott (Waikato), Associate Professor Sergio Biggemann
Elia Chan
Auckland, New Zealand
How do we ensure equitable access for Pacific people through the health care service delivery model?
This research will create a framework and strategy to increase equity and access to public health services for Pacific people. A much healthier society is created if we all get the same treatment and services regardless of race, background, religion, etc.
Supervisor: Dr Sarah Carr
Hla Win May Oo
Yangon, Myanmar
Education-focused Franchises: Organizing Franchised Courses in Myanmar.
The purpose of this study is to examine the development of the education franchise industry in the region of Asia, with an emphasis on the country Myanmar, describing its current situation and studying the possibilities of education franchising as an entrepreneurial activity.
Supervisor: Dr Sarah Carr
Facebook – Hla Win May Oo
LinkedIn – Hla Win May Oo
Ian Herbert
Tauranga, New Zealand
International trade sector investment in biodiversity.
Designing and testing a new source of bulk international biodiversity finance (the BIC ) to enable a global reduction in biodiversity loss and extinctions embedded in international trade.
Supervisors: Dr Sarah Carr, Associate Professor Jeff Foote
Facebook – Ian Richard Herbert
Karen Goldsworthy
Wellington, New Zealand
Workplace inclusion: How to influence the shift from 'me' to 'we'.
Provide practical insights into how to improve inclusion in the workplace through social influence and Inclusion and Diversity training.
Supervisors: Dr Azka Ghafoor, Dr Maja Graso (Groningen)
Karren Mushure
Auckland, New Zealand
The fast fashion industry in New Zealand: A scrutiny of industry standards and practices for retailers, and importation and distribution regulations.
Enabling the creation of a regulatory framework for the fashion industry to play an active role in reducing the negative environmental impacts of clothing along the value chain.
Supervisor: Professor Lisa McNeill
Lamith Caldera
Dunedin, New Zealand
Developing an integrated scorecard model for accounting students' employability.
The research will help to improve the effectiveness of teaching, student self-efficacy to achieve academic goals, and effective employment for accounting students from New Zealand polytechnics.
Supervisor: Dr Nicola Beatson
Luke Taylor
Christchurch, New Zealand
Single case study analysis of the first traditional search fund in New Zealand.
Looking at the expansion of the international ETA (entrepreneurship through acquisition) landscape to New Zealand by following the journey of the first traditional search fund from formation through to acquisition, with impacts on the investor community as well as prospective searchers.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Annie Zhang
Malcolm Fraser
Auckland, New Zealand
A governance framework for data collaboratives.
The purpose of this project is to lift the capability of both public and private sector organisations to successfully participate in data collaboratives by developing a governance framework for data collaboratives.
Supervisors:Professor Stephen MacDonell, Dr Sarah Carr
Morné Cross
Auckland, New Zealand
The business case for SRM as a service ecosystem.
Procurement practitioners will be able to set up the SRM framework having the right goals and foundations.
Supervisors: Associate Professor Jeff Foote, Professor Lincoln Wood
Norris Siakisone Mitchell
Apia, Samoa
Institutional framework for fighting corruption in Samoa.
The ability to put in place a robust framework to manage corruption both in the public and private sector.
Supervisors: Dr Dinithi Ranasingh, Dr Sarah Carr
Ranjan Sharma
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Corporate Fraud: Does leverage influence financial misreporting?
The research will be useful to corporate finance professionals, bankers and investors to detect potentially fraudulent companies and save their investment.
Supervisor: Dr Tahir Suleiman
Rebekah Watts
Auckland, New Zealand
Leadership development for New Zealand primary school teachers moving into principal roles.
The aim of this research is to develop an understanding of what needs to go into an effective school leadership development programme, to ensure that teachers moving into leadership roles are equipped with the knowledge and skills to lead their schools effectively.
Supervisors:Dr Sarah Carr, Dr Sylvia Robertson
Rowan Setter
Wellington, New Zealand
Military efficiency: a non-parametric analysis of Five Eyes land forces.
Expected payoffs for the New Zealand Army and Ministry of Defence include insights around data analysis and funding value assessment, and the development of tools to aid performance measurement and budget setting.
Supervisor:Dr Murat Genc
Shannil Varma
Auckland, New Zealand
The role of a Sustainability Manager in New Zealand.
My research will help define the skillsets required for Sustainability Managers in New Zealand.
Supervisor:TBC
Sue Kistanna
Auckland, New Zealand
The cost / benefit analysis of Vision 2020.
Articulating the costs and multi-dimensional benefits of Vision 2020 to the participant, the University and society. Vision 2020 is the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences ( FMHS ) in the University of Auckland commitment to increasing Māori and Pacific health professionals.
Supervisors: Professor Nathan Berg, Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Paine (Auckland)
Thansen Singh
Dunedin, New Zealand
The relationship between the adequacy of ICT curricula at tertiary institutions and the supply of ICT Governance practitioners in New Zealand and South Africa.
It is anticipated that the research will improve awareness of the significance and impact of ITG and initiate a conversation within and between industry and tertiary institutions about the need for curriculum changes and address the demand for IT Governance skills.
Supervisors: Dr Sander Zwanenburg, Dr Claudia Ott
Troy Mihaka
Dunedin, New Zealand
Māori Cultural Influence on New Zealand Corporate Culture.
Create a new approach to corporate culture that is unique to New Zealand.
Supervisor: Dr Damian Mather
Vicky Rombouts
Hamilton, New Zealand
Capital prioritisation in complex portfolio environments.
Critically review the investment decision making process literature to highlight underlying themes, issues, tension and debates in the field of behavioural economics. This research will validate existing research within real-world organisational settings rather than laboratory settings.
Supervisors: Associate Professor Jeff Foote, Associate Professor Piet Beukman
