Current student research – Doctor of Business Administration

Our current Doctor of Business Administration students are engaged in a variety of exciting research projects.

Anabelle Alis

The impact of employer-provided technology on employee wellbeing

Examining the expectations employers impose on employees when they provide IT and communications technology for work use, with a view towards creating recommendations to increase employees' wellbeing.

Supervisors: Professor Fiona Edgar, Dr Paula O'Kane

Anupam Shailaj

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

LinkedIn – Anupan Shailaj

Asoka Weerasundara

Are Sri Lankan students' migration ambitions accomplished in New Zealand?

Immigration is a current topic in the public domain and highly politicized. This research will provide a sound platform for policy makers.

Supervisor: Dr Marissa Kaloga

Prox New Zealand

Email asoka@prox.co.nz

Daniel Norris

Healthy chronic unease: Risk uncertainty leadership for hazardous complex socio-technical-political systems

An examination of how "unhealthy" chronic unease can impact decision-making outcomes through poor application of chronic unease characteristics, and why decision-makers must therefore hold an appropriate level of reflexivity and flexibility in the face of risk uncertainty.

Supervisors: Dr Jeff Foote, Professor Richard Greatbanks

LinkedIn – Daniel Norris

Elia Chan

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

LinkedIn – Elia Chan

Gustavo Vanegas-Fernandez

Balancing hard and soft skills training in Business Schools using simulation-based methodologies

This work will explore both negative and positive behaviours affecting managers' performance at work and seek to understand how best to create safe spaces for tertiary teaching staff.

Supervisor: Dr Virginia Cathro

LinkedIn – Gustavo Vanegas-Fernandez

Hla Win May Oo

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

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, Dr Jeff Foote

Facebook – Ian Richard Herbert

Karen Goldsworthy

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)

LinkedIn – Karen Goldsworthy

Karren Mushure

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

Krishnamurthy Venkateswaran

An ideal model of healthcare funds distribution to help Tanzania deliver head-to-toe healthcare to all citizens

The proposed model of healthcare funding will potentially enable Tanzania (and other nations) to provide means-blind; immediate and comprehensive; diagnostic, curative, palliative, and preventive care for one-and-all in the nation.

Supervisors: Professor Robin Gould, Professor Paul Hansen

LinkedIn – Krishnamurthy Venkateswaran

Lamith Caldera

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

LinkedIn – Lamith Caldera

Luke Taylor

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

LinkedIn – Luke Taylor

Malcolm Fraser

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

LinkedIn – Malcolm Fraser

Morné Cross

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: Dr Jeff Foote, Associate Professor Lincoln Wood

Norris Siakisone Mitchell

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

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

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

LinkedIn – Rebekha Watts

Rowan Setter

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

LinkedIn – Rowan Setter

Shannil Varma

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

LinkedIn – Shannil Varma

Sharen Paine

Utilising insights from cybernetics and the Viable System Model to address health system disconnects

To improve health system functioning for greater efficiency, effectiveness, quality, safety, consistency, and equity – improving staff and patient experience, and patient outcomes.

Supervisor: Dr Jeff Foote

LinkedIn – Sharen Paine

Sue Kistanna

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

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

LinkedIn – Thansen Singh

Troy Mihaka

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

LinkedIn – Troy Mihaka

Vicky Rombouts

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: Dr Jeff Foote, Associate Professor Piet Beukman

LinkedIn – Vicky Rombouts