News

On this page:

• Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration achieves 'Triple Crown'
• FCA student represents New Zealand at APEC
• Celebrating a decade of MIM
• MBA Business Lab brainstorm helps Memphis Belle
• Breakfast seminar focuses on fraud prevention
• Tribute to Sir Frank Holmes
• Victoria's first Chair in Public Finance appointed
• Students launch economics and finance journal
• Inaugural Case Competition has Cloud Computing Theme
• Upcoming conference focuses on earthquake preparedness for organisations
• Envisioning the future on World Tourism Day
• Local values and religious beliefs important when advertising in Asia
• Open office space leads to territorial behaviour
• Victoria professor shortlisted for top alumni honour
• Best and brightest awarded Government prizes
• Robots may dominate rugby by 2050
• MBA Dragon's Den Consultancy Challenge
• Appointment to Lottery Community Sector Research Committee
• New Zealand has healthy entrepreneurial culture
• Information Systems Doctoral Conference at Rutherford House
• Winning against the odds
• New Visiting Professorial Fellow to enhance city links
• Victoria professor advocates simplified accounting standards
• Victoria appoints new Chair to School of Government Advisory Board
• 'Best Paper' success for Faculty staff
• Swedish research grant awarded
• Beyond interest - deepening our engagement with Asia
• New Head of School for Victoria Management School (VMS)
• Could New Zealand become like Ireland, Portugal or Greece?
• Post-Treaty landscape charted in valuable new resource
• Women public sector workers work overtime for free
• Electronic banking frustrating for customers
• Peter Hughes appointed Victoria's Head of School of Government
• New Visiting Scholar Programme in Economics and Finance
• How do you balance economic growth with the needs of the planet?
• Trust and fairness increases productivity
• Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants awarded to four Alumni
• Record number of PhDs for School of Information Management
• Social media a powerful selling tool
• Proposal to make honey from mangroves wins student business competition
• The Faculty celebrates the success of its graduating PhD students
• Contributing to finance policy
• University adds Kiwi flavour to American textbook
• Study examines workplace risk of losing baby boomers' expertise
• Head of School becomes Productivity Commissioner
• Helping New Zealand business succeed in Asia
• 'Success in Asia' presentation
• LIANZA recognition
• Victoria first to gain AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting
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  Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration achieves 'Triple Crown'

  19 December 2011

  Victoria University's Faculty of Commerce and Administration is now among just 58 business schools worldwide that hold the 'Triple Crown' of international accreditations of EQUIS (www.efmd.org), AACSB (Business) (www.aacsb.edu), and AMBA (www.mbaworld.com), with its confirmation of EQUIS accreditation this week from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).

  "As well as being part of this elite group of 58 out of more than 13,000 business schools worldwide, we are the only Triple Crown holder to also hold AACSB accreditation in Accounting," says Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Professor Bob Buckle.

  "We are delighted to be the first holder of both the Triple Crown and AACSB accreditation in Accounting. It gives our students a distinct advantage and recognises the quality and relevance of our programmes, as well as our commitment to continuous improvement. In today's competitive tertiary environment it is essential that our students feel assured of receiving a top quality education that is recognised internationally."

  Professor Buckle says that EQUIS is a huge credit to all Faculty staff and our Accreditation Committee and to the many groups both inside and outside the University that have supported us. He offered special thanks to the members of the Advisory Boards to the Faculty for their strong support throughout the process.

  Mr John Shewan, Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Chair of the Advisory Board to the Faculty, congratulated the Faculty on this latest achievement and noted the importance of this recognition to graduates competing in an increasingly tougher job market. "With EQUIS the Faculty demonstrates not only high general quality in all dimensions of its activities but also strong connectedness to the business and public sectors and a high degree of internationalisation in its programmes," says Mr Shewan.

  He observed that gaining EQUIS adds European recognition for the Faculty's programmes to the recognition that the Faculty already holds from the United States with AACSB and the United Kingdom with AMBA accreditations.

  "EQUIS will give the Faculty special appeal for international students and in particular those from Europe."

  About EQUIS accreditation

  EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) is a leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in business. Run by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), EQUIS' fundamental objective, linked to the mission of the EFMD, is to raise the standard of business education worldwide.

  EQUIS is not primarily focused on the MBA or any other specific programme. Its scope covers all programmes offered by an institution, from the first degree up to the PhD.

  As of December 2011, 133 business schools have been awarded EQUIS, with 38 countries represented among the accredited schools.

  To learn more about EQUIS accreditation visit www.efmd.org

  
  

  FCA student represents New Zealand at APEC

  12 December 2011

  A first-year student from the Faculty of Commerce and Administration was able to rub shoulders with world leaders and prominent businesspeople recently, with the help of sponsorship from Victoria University.

  Accounting and Finance major Nick Barry was one of four young leaders from New Zealand selected to observe the 2011 APEC CEO Summit in Hawai�i as an APEC Voices of the Future youth delegate.

  In the lead-up to the summit, youth delegates from around the world attended a series of lectures and workshops, with speakers including Admiral Patrick Walsh, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet and Deb Henretta, APEC Business Advisory Council Chair.

  "Whilst everyone had no doubt done their research on the key focus areas of discussions, the proverb "It is better to see something once than to hear about it 100 times" comes to mind," says Mr Barry.

  "Actually being able to witness first hand the difficult process undertaken to achieve economic cooperation and cohesion was crucial to furthering our understanding of the challenges facing APEC and the way in which they are being addressed."

  At the first session of the 2011 APEC CEO Summit, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong and two CEOs discussed the impact of regional and global developments on technology, politics and the natural world. US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Francisco Sanchez, spent half an hour with delegates, encouraging to be the "voices of today" as well as the voices of the future.

  Delegates then attended the "21st Century Workforce" seminar with Australia Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, Deb Henretta and the World Bank managing director, which centred on jobless growth and the need for investment in higher education.

  "The absolute highlight of the trip was hearing from Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao during the morning session of day two at the CEO Summit," says Mr Barry.

  "Due to lack of space, only a quarter of the Voices delegates were allowed to enter the session, and I was extremely lucky to be a part of that quarter. It was an absolutely amazing experience to see the world's two most powerful men speak. It was interesting to see the stark contrast between the way the two leaders addressed the audience - Hu reading from a script at a podium, whilst Obama was seated and answered questions from an executive from Microsoft."

  That afternoon, the New Zealand delegates were invited to meet with Bill English.

  "After 30 minutes we all left buzzing," says Mr Barry.

  "He was very down to earth and seemed genuinely interested in us, our opinions and our thoughts on APEC and its importance to New Zealand."

  Mr Barry says he learned a great deal during his trip. "An important thing I learned was to not be intimidated by titles. All these business and political leaders I met with are just people like you and me, and were extremely inviting and showed genuine interest in the youth and our thoughts.

  "Equally important to the things I learnt whilst attending the summit was the friendships I forged with young people from all around the world. We had just witnessed the efforts of leaders around the world to increase communication and cooperation, and it's now up to us to continue to form strong ties and build upon the work done by those before us."

  
  

  Celebrating a decade of MIM

  16 November 2011

  This year the Faculty of Commerce and Administration's Master of Information Management (MIM) degree turns ten.

  To mark the occasion, past and current students, employers and academics have been invited to a celebration on Thursday evening, 17 November.

  "We are proud of our degree, which is like an MBA for IT professionals that can be completed while in full-time employment, and has helped many of our graduates to significantly advance their careers," says MIM Director Dr Brian Harmer.

  "I'm looking forward to the event, which will be a great opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet current students, and network with industry leaders and other alumni."

  Two graduates have agreed to be the 'faces of MIM' - James Thomson, who was part of the inaugural programme, and Lanoi Maloiy, who graduated last year.

  James Thomson

  James Thomson never intended to get a Master's degree in Information Management. In fact, when he started doing papers through the School of Information Management the MIM did not yet exist.

  His initial plan was to get up to speed with the language of the computing industry, which had changed considerably in the 10 years he had been away from it. However, "a couple of papers" turned into a certificate, then became a diploma, and finally the University introduced the MIM degree and he decided to keep going and complete the Masters.

  Mr Thomson, then Colonel, completed his degree over several years while working as Head of Information Systems for the New Zealand Defence Force.

  "When my kids were younger they were my number one priority, so it suited me to be able to attend two night classes in a row just one night a week, on my way to the railway station," he says.

  "Also, what was really valuable for me was that all the papers I did related to my job - when I had an issue at work I would take it to the University and use it as a case study.

  "For instance, when I was peacekeeping in Timor some violence erupted unexpectedly and an interesting information problem came to light that I was able to use as my thesis topic. The solution I discovered with the help of my lecturer eventually became a part of UN policy."

  He says that he appreciated the broad understanding of technology the programme offered, which equipped him with the appropriate "tools of the trade" to be able to communicate effectively with technical people as well as upper management.

  "It also helped me to make better, faster decisions at work."

  Mr Thomson also made some lifelong friends on the programme. "At Master's level you discuss problems and get new views on different issues, and your classmates challenge your ideas. We'd often visit each other out of class time to go through problems together.

  "I still catch up with some of them today and am looking forward to seeing other familiar faces at the MIM anniversary celebration."

  Mr Thomson is now working in a senior role in the public sector.

  Lanoi Maloiy

  Lanoi Maloiy was initially attracted to the MIM because it was a degree she could do in the evenings while working full-time.

  "I was working for Career Services at the time, but wanted the opportunity to have face-to-face contact with students and lecturers."

  Her ultimate goal is to return to her native Kenya with enough knowledge and work experience to benefit her country. "Information management is where the future of communication is - and I can see Kenya starting to adopt new technologies such as Facebook and Twitter and other web-based communications."

  Ms Maloiy says the MIM taught her how to become a critical thinker. "That was my biggest challenge - shifting from the Kenyan style of book-based learning, being told and fed ideas, to challenging ideas, thinking critically and presenting ideas in a credible way.

  "In particular, a paper called 'Critical Communication and Critical Thinking for IT Managers' gave me an excellent foundation for learning to think in this new way, and my marks improved because of it.

  "During the course I took a really inspiring MBA paper called 'Creative Leadership' with Dr Paul McDonald, and that's how I got really interested in leadership. From there I was able to co-write a paper with him and present it in South Africa at the University of Pretoria last year in May."

  Since graduating Ms Maloiy has been doing fixed-term contracts, including web-based marketing and public relations.

  "The knowledge I gained from my MIM studies helped me when I was working for a software design company as I could understand a bit about what the software designers were doing, and was therefore able to promote their products more effectively," she says.

  She is now working for the Ministry of Education as a Publications Coordinator and is planning to undertake a PhD to extend her Master's thesis focusing on exploring female leadership in Africa.

  Ms Maloiy says she learnt a lot from her interactions with fellow classmates and sees the anniversary celebrations as an excellent chance to meet up with her peers again.

  "I am looking forward to attending the MIM function to catch up with lecturers and with past and present MIM students."

  
  

  MBA Business Lab brainstorm helps Memphis Belle

  16 November 2011

  An iconic coffee house's brand crisis was the ideal challenge for Victoria MBA students to tackle recently.

  Organic roastery Flight Coffee, which built and runs coffee house Memphis Belle, had been finding that their two brands weren't linked in people's minds. They decided to take part in Victoria's MBA Business Lab workshop to see if the students could come up with a workable solution.

  "As with many highly entrepreneurial small to medium enterprises, Memphis Belle coffee house was at a crossroads," says Natalie Stevens, Director MBA.

  "They had two brands, one with 2000 Facebook friends, the other with 200; four diverse and geographically separated Directors; phenomenal growth over the last two years; and the classic dilemma of how to expand without losing the character and funky chic that has characterised their success to date."

  With facilitation from Head of Victoria Management School Professor Steve Cummings and Natalie Stevens, Victoria MBA students came up with a three-pronged approach. They advised formalising the governance structure and roles; retaining the uniqueness and character of Memphis Belle while strategically creating a link to the Flight coffee brand; telling the story of the "flight" of the green bean to cup; and tactically promoting their philosophy of organic sustainability through unique marketing and promotional activities such as donating money from every coffee purchased back to the bean farmer.

  The students' ideas made a positive impression on Memphis Belle Director Nick Clark. "Participating in the MBA Business Lab has certainly changed my mind about University and what it can do for a business like ours," he says. "It's made me totally change my thinking about the value of a degree!"

  The MBA Business Labs are run throughout the academic year and are designed to create a "win-win" outcome. MBA students get to consult on real business cases and businesses benefit from an intense strategic focus and an "out of the box" approach to their business issues.

  For more information on the MBA Business labs contact Natalie Stevens, Director MBA, on 04 463 6021.

  
  

  Breakfast seminar focuses on fraud prevention

  16 November 2011

  The Centre for Accounting, Governance and Taxation Research (CAGTR) in collaboration with the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) hosted a Breakfast Business Links Seminar last Tuesday entitled 'Cleanest public sector in the world: Keeping fraud at bay'.

  New Zealand consistently ranks well in fraud and corruption surveys. In order to gain a better insight into fraud awareness, prevention and detection in our public sector, the Office of the Auditor-General carried out a unique survey of almost 1500 people working in the public sector about their perceptions and practices in detecting and preventing fraud. The survey results were launched on Tuesday morning.

  The seminar featured the following panellists:

  Lyn Provost, Controller and Auditor-General of New Zealand; Suzanne Snively, Director, Transparency International NZ; Malcolm Burgess, Assistant Commissioner, New Zealand Police; Adam Feeley, Chief Executive, Serious Fraud Office; and Alex Tan, Director Forensic Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Professor Tony van Zijl, Director, CAGTR chaired the session.

  Around 200 people attended the seminar, the majority from public sector institutions, with a number of staff attending from the School of Accounting and Commercial Law and other guests of the CAGTR.

  
  

  Tribute to Sir Frank Holmes

  26 October 2011

  The Faculty of Commerce and Administration notes with sadness the passing of its former Dean, Sir Frank Holmes.

  Sir Frank was a distinguished member of the Faculty and the University and an outstanding leader in New Zealand economics, education and public policy. He was an inspiring lecturer and mentor to generations of economists and public policy analysts, and was highly influential in many important areas of public policy.

  Sir Frank was first appointed to Victoria University as a lecturer in 1952 and moved rapidly through the academic ranks before his appointment as Macarthy Professor of Economics in 1959. He was also appointed Dean of the Faculty and led the recruitment of many academics who would go on the provide leadership in their disciplines and professions.

  Sir Frank's contributions to education, economics and public policy were exemplary, as was his leadership in forging strong links between academia, public policy and business. He was an advisor to the Royal Commission on Money, Banking and Credit from 1954 to 1956 and joint secretary to the Committee on New Zealand Universities in 1959. He served as Chairman of the Monetary and Economic Council from 1961 to 1964 and appointed for a second term from 1970 to 1972. In this role, and subsequently, he contributed important research and raised awareness of the implications of regulation in the financial sector and the implications for New Zealand of an enlarged EEC. His work on the EEC played a major role in New Zealand's campaign for recognition as a special case by the EEC. He also recognised the importance to New Zealand of closer economic relations with Australia and the emergence of Asia. He was the founding Chairman of the Asia 2000 Foundation and President of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.

  In 1967 Sir Frank left Victoria University of Wellington and spent three years as Economics Manager with Tasman Pulp and Paper Company. In 1970 he returned to the University and the Faculty of Commerce as the Foundation Professor of Money and Finance, a position he held until 1977. He served as Chairman of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (1970-74) and the Education Development Conference (1972-74). In 1976 he was Chair of the Task Force on Economic and Social Planning (which published "New Zealand at the Turning Point"). He was Chairman of the New Zealand Planning Council from 1977 to 1982 and a founder of the Institute of Policy Studies, which was established in 1983. He was made Emeritus Professor in 1985.

  Sir Frank also played a key role in the development of the economics profession in New Zealand. From 1965 to 1967 he was the foundation Editor of New Zealand Economic Papers, the academic journal of the New Zealand Association of Economists. In 2004 he was elected Distinguished Fellow of the Association and in 2009 he was made a Life Member.

  Sir Frank was knighted in 1975 for services to economics and education and awarded Honorary Doctorates by the University of Otago in 1997 and Victoria University of Wellington in 2004. He received an NZIER-QANTAS Award for excellence in economics in 1995, was elected a Distinguished Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors in 1999 and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management.

  Sir Frank's inspiring wisdom and integrity will be missed and the Faculty's sympathies are extended to his family.

  
  

  Victoria's first Chair in Public Finance appointed

  11 October 2011

  Eminent economist Professor Norman Gemmell was appointed to Victoria's newly created position of Chair in Public Finance last week.

  The former Chief Economist at the Treasury will conduct research in order to generate a greater understanding of public finance and inform government policy. As a full-time staff member, he will be based at Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration.

  "Professor Gemmell's considerable experience in both government and academia are the ideal combination for the position of Chair and we are delighted to have him on board," says Professor Bob Buckle, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Commerce.

  "The Chair's role is to reinforce the links between research and public policy by focusing on critical fiscal policy issues facing New Zealand, and to make a significant contribution to public debate and policy development and formation."

  The Ministry for Social Development, the Treasury, the Inland Revenue Department and PricewaterhouseCoopers are sponsoring partners of the Chair, which was established through the Victoria University Foundation.

  Professor Gemmell will commence his role as Chair on Tuesday, 15 November.

  About Professor Norman Gemmell

  Professor Gemmell was most recently Chief Economist at The New Zealand Treasury, advising the Chief Executive and Deputy Secretaries on key economic policy issues. He was initially appointed as Principal Adviser (Tax), in August 2007 to advise on medium-term reform options for New Zealand's tax structure. He helped set up, and advised, the recent Tax Working Group which strongly influenced the major tax reforms initiated in the Minister of Finance's 2010 Budget.

  Most of Professor Gemmell's career has been spent as an academic economist, most recently as Professor of Economics at the University of Nottingham in the UK, and previously at the Australian National University, Canberra. From 2003-2006 Norman was an Assistant Director in the UK Inland Revenue's Research Department, advising IR and HM Treasury on tax issues. His published economic research covers a range of topics but mainly in the areas of public finance and economic growth. He has authored several books and numerous journal articles in these areas including the recent Modelling Tax Revenue Growth (with John Creedy; Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006) and articles in the American Economic Review, Economic Journal, Journal of Development Economics, and Journal of Public Economics.

  
  

  Students launch economics and finance journal

  11 October 2011

  Students from the School of Economics and Finance launched their own journal last Friday.

  The New Zealand Review of Economics and Finance is run by undergraduate and postgraduate students and features student work, with the goal of encouraging scholarship and interest in economics and finance.

  "This peer reviewed student journal is one of the very few in either New Zealand or Australia," says Professor Morris Altman, Head of the School of Economics and Finance.

  "It provides students with an opportunity to engage with and experience the exciting and challenging world of academic publishing and research. It also encourages students to write research papers, which provides them with important skills for the job market and for postgraduate education.

  "Further, the journal celebrates the high calibre of research achieved by our economics and finance students."

  The Reserve Bank of New Zealand provided sponsorship for the best essay in the journal, and the inaugural prize was awarded to Elizabeth Watson for her essay on modelling monetary policy reaction functions.

  
  

  Inaugural Case Competition has Cloud Computing Theme

  4 October 2011

  The inaugural SIM Case Competition, for third year INFO and ELCM students, will focus on cloud computing using the case Game Time Decision for AppDirect. Students will have to apply not only their knowledge of information systems and electronic commerce, but also their knowledge of finance, economics, accounting, marketing, and strategy acquired from their coursework in the BCA programme at Victoria University.

  All student teams in the INFO 395-ELCM 395 capstone courses have to analyse the case, write a report, and do a presentation of their action recommendation for the firm. Following a preliminary round, four teams are chosen as finalists to answer questions from a judging panel of industry experts from Deloitte.

  This is an important event for both our students and the School. Friends, family, Victoria University staff, and guests from the local Wellington business community are welcome to attend. The session will run from from 5.00-7.30 pm on Wednesday 12 October, at the Government Building Lecture Theatre GBLT1. More information here.

  
  

  Upcoming conference focuses on earthquake preparedness for organisations

  3 October 2011

  Are Wellington organisations prepared for the big one? A one-day conference "Organisational effectiveness in times of seismic risk", about how Wellington organisations can learn from the recent earthquakes in Canterbury and Japan, is being held on 18 October.

  Hosted by the Rotary Club of Wellington in partnership with Victoria University, the conference will explore the issues of building resilience before the event, restoring confidence and effectiveness, leading people after the event, and the process of rebuilding.

  Speakers at the conference include: Dr Alan Bollard, Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand; Alan Freeth, CEO TelstraClear; Roger Sutton, CEO Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA); Peter Townsend, CEO Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturing; Geoff Bascand, CEO Statistics New Zealand; Ian Athfield, Architect; and Fran Wilde, Chair of Wellington Regional Council.

  Dr Richard Norman (pictured, previous page), from the Faculty of Commerce and Administration's Victoria Management School and a member of Wellington's 150-member Rotary Club, has worked with Geoff Bascand, the chief executive of Statistics New Zealand and other club members to create what they hope will be the first of a series of annual forums which can link student work with important public issues.

  The topic developed from a discussion about the impact that the Canterbury earthquake had had on Statistics New Zealand.

  "More than 20 percent of Statistics staff have lost their office base in central Christchurch. Ironically Christchurch had been set up as Statistics backup location in case of an earthquake in Wellington," says Dr Norman.

  For Geoff Bascand, this experience made it clear that Wellington businesses need to think carefully about what they would do if disaster struck.

  Ten Victoria University students from Dr Richard Norman's third year "Strategic Human Resources Management" paper have been offered free places to attend. These students will have completed assignments about the human resource management impact of the earthquake on particular organisations.

  The cost to other students who wish to attend is $60 plus GST, less than a third the business rate.

  Where: Victoria University, Lecture Theatre 1, Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus, Bunny St

  When: Tuesday, 18 October, 9am-5pm

  A full programme and registration details are available here.  

  
  

  Envisioning the future on World Tourism Day

  3 October 2011

  Second-year Bachelor of Tourism Management student Acusha-Tara Sutton recently won a writing competition which required her to envision the future.

  The competition, sponsored by the Victoria University 2050 project  (http://www.tourism2050.com/)  and supported by Futures Thinking Aotearoa to coincide with World Tourism Day on 27 September, required Victoria University students to write an inspirational speech as the leader of New Zealand tourism in 2050 reflecting back over the last 40 years.

  "World Tourism Day is about linking culture, diversity and tourism. Acusha-Tara's winning entry is reflective and inspirational, therefore representing the challenges and opportunities that New Zealand's tourism industry faces on the path to 2050," says Dr Ian Yeoman, Associate Professor of Tourism Futures.

  Below is the winning entry:

  The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall [to free from a controlling force or influence] ourselves, and then we shall save our country. These famous words written by Abraham Lincoln in 1862, still hold true today. The problems and challenges that we face today cannot be addressed with the logic of yesterday, nor can tomorrows be met with the solutions of today.

  Over the past 39 years the tourism industry within New Zealand has been met with many new issues that challenged the natural, social and cultural integrity of our beautiful country; but being the innovative and proactive people that we are, we faced them head on, with passion and determination. With a steady increase in GHG emissions we made it a priority to ensure constant reductions, not only within our own country, but globally, by bringing this issue to the forefront of political planning on a global scale. Fast growth in tourism saw cultures disintegrate as a more Westernised society was being created. We challenged this by ensuring that our Maori traditions were not only practiced by our people for the enjoyment, education and entertainment of tourists, but also employed in our everyday lives as they once were.

  With every new challenge sent our way, Tourism New Zealand has answered; and over the last 39 years we have succeeded in maintaining and enriching the diverse natural, social and cultural that makes us unique; and although we must continue to adapt to our ever-changing environment, we can celebrate our achievements this far. Our environment, our culture and our diversity.

  Runners up were:

  Bob Capistrono - PhD student

  Trisha Dwyer - Master of Tourism Management student

  Laura Brown - Bachelor of Tourism Management student

  Aiko Sato - Bachelor of Tourism Management student

  For further details of World Tourism Day here.

  
  

  Local values and religious beliefs important when advertising in Asia

  26 September 2011

  Effective marketing to Asia requires advertising that is tailored to each individual country rather than a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, according to the research findings of Victoria University's Professor of Marketing Kim Fam.

  "Asia is a continent of paradoxes," says Professor Fam.

  "It has some of the fastest growing economies of the world, as well as some of the largest populations, and is made up of a rich web of cultural complexities.

  "Advertisers need to have a deep understanding of the culture of each Asian country they market to, keeping in mind local values and religious beliefs."

  In his upcoming inaugural Professorial lecture on 4 October, titled 'Chopsticks advertising, the art of marketing to Asia', Professor Fam will explain the concept of chopsticks advertising.

  "To get all the rice in your mouth without dropping any you need to be able to use both chopsticks skilfully. Just using one chopstick is essentially useless. This is the same as the relationship between advertisers and consumers, if the advertiser doesn't understand the consumers they are marketing to, their money will be wasted.

  "On the surface, chopsticks seem to be a simple tool, but they have their own complexities. The Chinese, for instance, use long wooden sets with a rounder thicker end, the Japanese use short wooden chopsticks that come to a shorter pointy end, and the Koreans most commonly use metallic chopsticks."

  Taking the analogy further, Professor Fam says that different rules of etiquette apply in each country as well, for instance in Chinese culture, chopsticks should not be left vertically stuck into a bowl of rice because it resembles the ritual of incense-burning that symbolises 'feeding' the dead, and in Vietnamese culture chopsticks placed in a 'v' shape after eating are interpreted as a bad omen.

  An example that applies to the theory of chopsticks advertising is the marketing of 'controversial products' such as underwear, condoms and female hygiene products.

  "Muslims find the advertising of many of these types of products offensive, so in Muslim countries advertising late at night, on the internet, texting or direct marketing are more appropriate channels. Also, female models need to be well covered up.

  "However, in Thailand, for example, sex sells, and advertising featuring a scantily clad model is culturally acceptable."

  "Sometimes it's not enough simply to understand religious values as contextual factors can also play a big part. For instance, Malaysia and Turkey are both Islamic countries, but Malaysia is more lenient when it comes to advertising alcohol. This is because Malaysia is a multicultural country which needs to maintain social and cultural harmony with its various ethnic groups, including Malay, Chinese and Indian."

  Professor Fam says it is important to realise that cultural sensitivity is not merely about understanding what causes offense. It entails identifying and understanding local customs, traditions, values and consumer behaviour.

  "Marketers need to work with local government officials, religious bodies, and suppliers and distributors to ensure their advertising is appropriate for their target market."

  Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Professor Walsh says Victoria's Inaugural Lecture series is an opportunity for professors to provide family, friends, colleagues and the wider community with an insight into their specialist area of study.

  "It is also an opportunity for the University to celebrate and acknowledge our valued professors," says Professor Walsh.

  Professor Kim Fam's inaugural lecture will be held on Tuesday 4 October at 6pm at Victoria University's Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2, Hunter Building, Gate 1 or 2, Kelburn Parade, Wellington.

  RSVP by Friday 30 September 2011 by with 'Fam' in the subject line.

  For more information about the lecture topic please contact Professor Kim Fam on (04) 463 6459.

  
  

  Open office design leads to territorial behaviour

  22 September 2011

  Research has found that some open office layouts designed to enhance creativity may lead to subversive practices as employees seek to stake their territory in various ways.

  Stephen Cummings, Professor of Strategic Management and Head of Victoria Management School at Victoria University, along with Associate Professor Torkild Thanem and Sara Varlander (both from Stockholm University) investigated the effect on open office designs on employee behaviour.

  "The intent of taking away dividing walls and doors is usually to improve creativity and performance by fostering spontaneous fun, interaction and sharing," says Professor Cummings.

  "However, we found evidence that it can lead to attempts by employees to re-create spatial and social structures and boundaries, actually undermining the behaviours an organisation is trying to encourage."

  Professor Cummings says that because open office designs make their inhabitants visible to colleagues and managers, many people feel 'watched', less relaxed and on edge.

  One of the companies the researchers observed had recently changed its office design from small individual offices to an open office layout. While interviews with staff suggested the feeling of belonging to a team was strengthened by seeing each other every day, many began openly monitoring the arrival and departure times and breaks of their colleagues.
  "An interesting flow-on effect was that the number of sick days among employees decreased significantly after the re-design.

  "This could indicate either that employees were more satisfied with the new arrangement or that employees were more aware of being 'under surveillance' by their peers."

  Although spontaneous interaction was made easier by the open design, loud discussions were disturbing to others. Some employees mentioned the lack of privacy led them to adopt a more rigid identity at work, feeling the design left less room for their private selves and innovation.

  Another company that the researchers analysed promoted itself as a 'fun place to work, with a fantastic team atmosphere'. Rooms were large and open, and 'hot-desking' (moving between different workspaces) was encouraged. There were also a number of themed activity rooms for employees to socialise in.

  "Although hot-desking was promoted in principle, most teams marked out their territory with posters, slogans and personal items, even moving furniture to create their own personalised space, which seemed to put other teams off moving into that space," says Professor Cummings.

  "Employees also tended to use the activity rooms in their established team groups at separate times rather than mingling with other teams."

  Professor Cummings says the effect was to foster a competitive and performance-oriented team culture, but some employees claimed this approach made the organisation more fragmented than other organisations they'd worked for.

  "It's clear that employers need to think carefully before changing the layout of an office - simply taking down walls and telling employees to 'relax and have fun' is not the same as fostering creativity. A mixed layout of open and private spaces that enables people to determine the environment that suits them and their particular purposes will likely be more effective."

  For more information please contact Professor Stephen Cummings on phone (04) 463 6931.

  
  

  Victoria professor shortlisted for top alumni honour

  21 September 2011

  Professor Kim Fam was flown to Australia compliments of the University of Newcastle last week in order to attend the University's alumni award ceremony.

  Although not the overall winner, he was one of four finalists for the Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence.

  "It was a wonderful surprise to have been nominated and shortlisted," says Professor Fam.

  The Convocation Media is awarded to a graduate with an outstanding record of professional excellence in leadership, knowledge and/or professional practice.

  The citation in the ceremony programme mentioned Professor Fam's research in advertising and marketing in Asia which has positioned him as an expert on marketing behaviours and consumer responses in Asia - issues that are of critical importance to growing business and industry activity in the region.

  It also highlighted the large number of grants he had received from industry sources over his academic career, as well as the impressive number of high-grade publications his research had been featured in and his editorship of numerous journals including the 'Journal of Business Ethics' and the 'Industrial Marketing Management Journal'.

  Also mentioned was the Marketing in Asia Group (MAG), a group Professor Fam established in 2007, which has connected more than 400 academics and practitioners from over 35 countries, and his election to the UK Chartered Institute of Marketing in 2008.

  Professor Fam graduated with a PhD in Marketing from the University of Newcastle in 1997.

  
  

  Best and brightest awarded Government prizes

  6 September 2011

  Three "straight A" students from Victoria University's School of Government will be awarded special Prime Minister's Prizes by Deputy Prime Minister Hon Bill English tonight.

  The Prime Minister's Prizes are awarded to the students with the highest grade point average in their overall Master's Programme. Six additional prizes are also being awarded.

  One of the Prime Minister's Prize winners Diego Gonnet Ibarra, who came to Victoria University from Uruguay on an NZAID Scholarship, is donating his prize money to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal to show his gratitude to New Zealand for funding his scholarship.

  Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says, "As New Zealand's only School of Government, Victoria's School of Government plays an essential role in helping to prepare and equip the next generation of public sector leaders in our country.

  "We attract a high calibre of students to our Master's programmes; and I look forward to following the successes of this year's award winners."

  The annual prize giving event for the School of Government programmes is now in its ninth year.

  The Prime Minister's Prize winners are:

  The Prime Minister's Prize in Public Policy - Diego Gonnet Ibarra

  Diego Gonnet Ibarra graduated in 2005 with a BA in Political Science (Hons) from Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay. He worked as a researcher for his 'alma mater' university between 2004 and 2008, investigating democracy and civil-military relations, defence policy, United Nations peacekeeping operations and military law. He completed the Master of Public Policy programme between 2009 and 2010 at Victoria University with support from NZAID.

  The Prime Minister's Prize in Public Management - Alison Lewes

  Alison Lewes finished her Master's degree in Public Management (MPM) after four and a half years of part-time study at Victoria University. She also studied as an undergraduate at Victoria from 1992 to 1997, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Laws degree. She began her career as a public servant in November 1997 and is currently employed by the Department of Internal Affairs which has supported her study.

  The Prime Minister's Prize in Strategic Studies - Charmian Taylor

  After moving from Rotorua in 2002, Charmian Taylor attended Victoria University, obtaining a BA in Psychology and Criminology, followed by a BA (Hons) in Criminology. After graduating, she worked for the Ministry of Justice followed by a move to Police National Headquarters where she began working in the field of intelligence. With encouragement from her managers she applied to undertake Victoria's Master's in Strategic Studies programme, and she now works for the Department of Corrections as a Senior Intelligence Analyst.

  Her research examined how terrorist, extremist and organised crime groups are utilising the internet and web-based technology, and identified points of convergence where intelligence operations can share resources in order to achieve the most effective results.

  Other prize winners are:

  • Laurie Cameron Scholarship - Nicholas Bowden
  • Institute of Public Administration New Zealand Prize - David Bullock
  • NZ Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM)/Local Government Careers Academic Prize in Public Policy - Richard Law
  • Marsh Postgraduate Prize - Gabrielle Roberts
  • Holmes Prize - Keith Miller and Catriona Robinson
  • Bernard Galvin Prize - James Smart

  For more information please contact Tania Guenter on (04) 463 5269.

  
  

  Robots may dominate rugby by 2050

  6 September 2011

  Elite athletes with bionic implants, built-in chips to monitor their performance and shirts embedded with nanotechnology medicines to heal minor injuries could be taking the field for the 2051 Rugby World Cup. They'll be refereed by robots and watched by spectators lounging in the comfort of a luxury hotel bedroom overlooking the pitch.

  That's the prediction of Victoria University Associate Professor Dr Ian Yeoman, who has been examining how New Zealand will dominate the world of rugby in another four decades.

  It may sound like science fiction, but Dr Yeoman says many of the technologies needed to turn his vision into reality already exist or are being developed.

  Take the prospect of elite, cyborg-style professional athletes - beings that are half human and half robot. Dr Yeoman says genetic engineering has given us the means to create designer babies and the technology is already widely used in sports such as horse racing.

  He says implants are becoming more common for organs, bones and limbs and are increasingly accepted in the field of professional sport. He cites, for example, South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius qualifying to compete in the 2012 London Olympics using carbon fibre prosthetic running blades.

  "We're also developing the means to create highly advanced nanobots (microscopic robots) capable of entering the bloodstream to feed cells and extract waste. Humans who have been injected with these nanobots will evolve into cyborgs and would make outstanding athletes," says Dr Yeoman.

  The significant advances taking place in nanotechnology are likely to lead to development of fabric that can destroy airborne germs and pollutants according to Dr Yeoman.

  "We are already using antimicrobial technology in shoes to keep them clean and prevent athlete's foot."

  He says some sports consultants are predicting that injuries could eventually become almost non-existent due to advances in gene therapy and the ability to use sensor technology to predict an injury before it occurs.

  Advances in nutrition and other areas of science will also impact on player health and performance. "New therapies will cut recovery times from injury by up to 300 percent and we can look forward to individualised pre-match drinks and non-invasive injections to optimise energy levels."

  One change predicted by Dr Yeoman that is likely to receive widespread welcome is the introduction of rugby balls with radio frequency identification chips and robot linesmen and light-emitting systems to identify where fouls have occurred. "There'll be no more blaming the ref," he says.

  The way we watch rugby is also likely to be radically different in the future. "TV viewers will enjoy lifelike 3D images in their indoor or outdoor home theatre while for really dedicated fans, the ultimate experience will be staying at a hotel that's part of the stadium complex."

  Dr Yeoman says the Marriott Hotel at England's Twickenham rugby ground already includes six suites that overlook the pitch.

  In answer to rugby fans who think a game dominated by technology would lose its edge, Dr Yeoman points to the exponential growth in gaming. "We're already playing games ranging from chess to rugby and football on computers."

  Dr Yeoman's thoughts on the future of professional rugby form part of a book to be published in the United Kingdom early next year called 2050 Tomorrow's Tourism.

  While his research focuses on what is possible, rather than what is desirable, Dr Yeoman points out that ethics are constantly changing.

  "Things that seem abhorrent now might be widely accepted in 20 years time."

  And delving into how rugby might look 40 years on hasn't dampened Dr Yeoman's enthusiasm for the way the game is played in 2011. He is a Scotland fan and has tickets to watch Scotland play Argentina in a Rugby World Cup fixture in Wellington on 26 September.

  "I'm also hoping Scotland will beat the All Blacks in the final in Auckland, but that's a wish rather than a prediction!"

  For further information please contact Dr Ian Yeoman on 021 131 9384.

  
  

  MBA Dragon's Den Consultancy Challenge

  2 September 2011

  The competition was hot and the Dragon's lairs were even hotter as 20 intrepid MBA students tested their consultancy skills on four of Wellington's business leaders recently.

  New for the programme, the Dragon's Den Consultancy Challenge is part of a stream of initiatives designed to create opportunities for MBA students to apply new frameworks to real situations. The 'dragons' for this year were CEOs Colin McDonald (NZ Land Information) and Rosemary Hannah-Parr (The Leadership Centre); CIOs Glen Willoughby (Hutt Valley DHB) and Andrew Gibbs (Partner, Deloittes). The challenge for the MBA students was to interview one of the 'dragons' in their 'lair', develop an understanding of a problem faced in the dragon's organisation, and create a pitch outlining how the problem could be solved. In true Dragon's Den style, dragons were only allowed to give a 'Buy', 'No Buy' or a 'Maybe - with a bit more work'.

  The winning team was Kieran Nolan, Kieran Sims, Josh Borgia and Karsten Klusemann. Faced with the issue of how to consolidate and gain economies of scale across a range of non-clinical functions (including information services) for six very diverse District Health Boards in the Central Region, the team suggested a two-phase approach. This included benchmarking against best practice both within and outside the sector and creating a new organisational design and governance leadership.

  Next to launch will be the Victoria MBA 'Business Lab' where local businesses present interesting growth challenges to MBA students who then work with them to define problems and develop solutions.

  "This is a great way for small and medium enterprises to get good business advice and for our students to develop their skills," says MBA Director Natalie Stevens.

  The first of these labs, featuring an iconic Wellington cafe/coffee producer, is scheduled for October.

  
  

  Appointment to the Lottery Community Sector Research Committee

  1 September 2011

  Dr Carolyn Cordery has been appointed to the Lottery Community Sector Research Committee for three years.

  The research committe funds community research and evaluation. A diverse range of community organisations apply each year for funding to help them evaluate interventions, extend local and overseas research to their own community, build their capacity to undertake evaluation and research and to share their findings with others.

  Carolyn is passionate about the community sector and looks forward to serving on the Committee.

  
  

  New Zealand has healthy entrepreneurial culture

  25 August 2011

  New Zealand businesses have a positive attitude both towards expanding internationally and the support they get from government agencies to do it, says a Victoria University professor.

  David Crick, who was recently appointed Professor of International Entrepreneurship in Victoria's School of Marketing and International Business, says limited domestic demand and New Zealand's distance from bigger markets have led to a strong underlying entrepreneurial culture in business.

  Professor Crick held senior academic positions in universities in the United Kingdom before coming to New Zealand and has had extensive experience around the world researching and assisting businesses to become more internationalised.

  While most of his work to date has focused on businesses in the United Kingdom, he has started interviewing New Zealand companies as part of ongoing research. Professor Crick is examining the international competitiveness of firms in overseas markets and evaluating overseas trade promotion by government agencies, such as New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

  "Management teams in New Zealand are typically more positive about the support they receive from government than their counterparts in the United Kingdom and many other countries," says Professor Crick.

  "Domestic managers in particular feel that government agencies are working alongside them to help them go global."

  Professor Crick will expand on his research findings when he delivers his inaugural lecture, titled 'Seizing Opportunities: Lessons From International Entrepreneurs', at Victoria on Tuesday 6 September at 6pm.

  He will also discuss what works and what doesn't when businesses are looking to establish themselves in overseas markets and how students studying business and entrepreneurship in universities are assessed.

  "Typical forms of assessment are not the best way to prepare students to start on an international entrepreneurial journey. For example, how often in the workplace would a person be asked to write an essay?"

  In his programmes, he uses interactive teaching methods and real world case studies to ensure students gain skills that are transferable to the workplace.

  Professor Crick began his career in the defence industry. He studied at night school before going on to complete an MBA at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and a PhD at the University of Wales in Cardiff. He held professorships at universities in Leicester and Birmingham before taking up a role at Victoria last year.

  Professor Crick has undertaken visiting professorships in Russia, Poland, Norway, Canada, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. He also spent a month at Victoria University in 2006.

  For more information contact Professor David Crick on (04) 463 6953.

  
  

  Information Systems Doctoral Conference at Rutherford House

  16 August 2011

  Victoria's School of Information Management (SIM) recently hosted the second New Zealand Information Doctoral Conference at Rutherford House.

  "The conference provided PhD students in New Zealand with an opportunity to present and obtain feedback and comments on their research from fellow students and leading academics in the field," says Head of the School of Information Management Dr Val Hooper.

  "It also gave them a chance to hear about the work of their peers at other New Zealand universities, and to gain an understanding of the various research directions and approaches in information systems in our region."

  About 50 people attended the conference, which was sponsored by the various New Zealand universities. There were 20 presentations, seven poster presentations and a panel session. In addition, the keynote address was delivered by Professor Benoit Aubert from HEC, Montreal (the independent affiliated business school of the Universite de Montreal, and the oldest management School in Canada), and Adjunct Professor in the School of Information Management.

  The Conference is held under the auspices of the Professors and Heads of Information Systems in New Zealand (PHIS-NZ), a peer network of information systems professoriate and heads of schools/departments responsible for information systems research and teaching at New Zealand universities. As such, the conference organising committee (Dr Val Hooper, Professor Pak Yoong, Dr Beverley Hope, Jean Grant and Wendy Chen) provided guidance, but as this was a student-led event, the organisation of the programme and the day's proceedings was handled by Nicole Braun and Kevin Carillo, both PhD students in the School of Information Management.

  Photos of the conference are available on the website.

  
  

  Winning against the odds

  16 August 2011

  A Victoria team pulled together at the last minute took everyone by surprise, winning the final leg of the Student Development Society (SDS) Business Case Competition in Hamilton recently.

  "We didn't find out about the competition until it had already started, so were encouraged to take part for the experience, but told not to expect too much," says one of the team members, Tim Russell.

  "Everybody was amazed that we won."

  It was the first time in six years that a Victoria team has entered this competition, although their late entry meant they weren't eligible to compete in the final.

  Ordinarily, competitors receive several weeks of coaching leading up to the contest, but the team believes their fresh, untutored approach may have been an advantage.

  "Our lack of training meant we were flexible and not stuck on one idea or way of doing things. We worked out intuitively what was right, rather than going with a formula," says Mr Russell.

  We also got on well as a team and agreed on a way forward pretty quickly."

  Starting at 7.30am at Waikato Management School, the team was given information on a real life business and asked to come up with a strategy to improve it.

  Their client was Waikato fashion designer Annah Stretton, who was seeking ideas for expanding overseas and growing her company from a $10 million business to one worth $60 million. The team had five hours to come up with a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation, without using any external resources, to pitch to a panel of judges. This was followed by 10 minutes of questions from the judges - Annah Stretton, a KPMG consultant and a local Hamilton company director.

  The team comprised of four friends from various disciplines: Tim Russell, BCA (Finance and International Business) and LLB; Yogesh Patel, BCA (Economics and International Business) BCA (Hons) (International Business)- completed in 2010 and finishing an LLB in 2011; Tom Mathews, BCA (Economics) BA (Maths and Philosophy); Ben Land Maycock, BA (Political Science and International Relations) completed in 2011 Trimester One and LLB (Hons).

  They received sponsorship from the Faculty of Commerce and Administration to participate.

  "It was a worthwhile endeavour and a positive experience which we hope the Faculty will continue to support," says Mr Russell.

  
  

  New Visiting Professorial Fellow to enhance city links

  16 August 2011

  A unique new role at the School of Accounting and Commercial Law will facilitate links between the School and Treasury.

  Professor John Creedy arrived last month in Wellington from the University of Melbourne to take up a three-year fixed term position as Visiting Professorial Fellow.

  This newly created position requires Professor Creedy to split his time evenly between Victoria University and the Tax Strategy section of the New Zealand Treasury.

  He says that in his initial 'settling in' phase he is keen to meet a wide range of people.

  "One of my main objectives is to encourage links between Treasury and Victoria, for instance to encourage young, bright Treasury staff to undertake part-time postgraduate study, as well as to encourage our postgraduates at Victoria to do research that is of interest to Treasury," says Professor Creedy.

  Professor Creedy says that research on New Zealand policy issues would be enhanced by the greater availability of the kind of Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs) available in other countries.

  "Access to data is currently very difficult for New Zealand academics, who often have to resort to using overseas datasets. I believe also that it is possible to produce work that is of direct relevance to New Zealand and can attract international attention."

  With 37 authored books and 17 edited books under his belt, and more than 250 refereed journal articles, Professor Creedy is a well-seasoned academic. His main research interests have been in public finance, public economics and labour economics. He has held full professorships in the UK, the US and Australia. He also has previous experience working in New Zealand Treasury, from 2002-2003.

  "I'm excited about the opportunity of doing policy-related work and linking it with academia," he says.

  
  

  Victoria professor advocates simplified accounting standards

  3 August 2011

  A Victoria University academic is calling for accounting standards to be written in more concise English, as the international accounting community prepares to converge its regulation with US standards.

  Professor Rachel Baskerville, who has extensively researched issues arising from the translation of accounting standards in the European Union, will discuss her findings in her upcoming inaugural professorial lecture on Tuesday 9 August.

  "There are a number of problems translators face when translating accounting standards into other languages, especially when the original version is deemed largely incomprehensible by many native English speakers," says Professor Baskerville.

  "My research has found that the technical complexity of the standards is one of the biggest challenges translators struggled with.

  "Some of the standards can be quite unwieldy, the International Accounting standard on Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement being a case in point the previous Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board Sir David Tweedie himself said of this standard: "If you think you understand the standard, you have not read it properly". So quite understandably, translators run into problems."

  Because most accounting theory originated in English, precise translations can be difficult and translators must find creative ways to define difficult terms or concepts. Professor Baskerville says the translators she surveyed most commonly resolved such problems by circumlocution (describing a concept in a number of words) or paraphrasing. Some added explanatory notes or even coined new phrases.

  Some of the issues lay in the lack of distinctions in accounting concepts. For instance in Finland there is just one word for "depreciation" and "amortisation".

  "Translations can be problematic if these types of issues are not fully addressed and understood," says Professor Baskerville.

  "I would recommend that as the international accounting community prepares to converge its regulation with US standards, we must consider "less is better than more". Standards are quite long enough, and both educators and students world-wide would appreciate clearer and more understandable English, even before translators have to cope with them."

  For more information please contact Professor Rachel Baskerville on phone (04) 463 6951.

  
  

  Victoria appoints new Chair to School of Government Advisory Board

  2 August 2011

  Professor Pat Walsh, Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Paul Reynolds as Chair of Victoria's School of Government Advisory Board.

  Dr Reynolds is currently Chief Executive of the Ministry for the Environment.

  "Dr Reynold's experience and leadership in the public sector will be a tremendous asset to the Board," says Professor Walsh.

  Dr Reynolds joined the Ministry for the Environment as its Chief Executive in July, 2008. Prior to that he worked at the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (1998-2002) as Chief Policy Adviser and then, from 2002-2008, led the Policy Group at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

  Before arriving in Wellington, Dr Reynolds had a scientific research career, first with the then Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and then with the Crown Research Institute, HortResearch. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Otago.

  Dr Reynolds will chair his first advisory board meeting on 4 August.

  The role of the advisory board is to guide the strategic direction of the School to help it meet its stated commitments to both the public sector and the University. Advisory Board members are drawn from the University, other academic institutions and government agencies.

  The previous Chair was Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development, who will be taking up the role of Head of the School of Government on 10 October.

  About the School of Government

  The School of Government is part of Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration. Its purpose is to build public sector capability through its teaching programmes, improve public sector governance through research into public management and administration, and provide advice on, and contribute to scholarship in important areas of public policy.

  For more information, please contact Tania Guenter, phone (04) 463 5269.

  
  

  'Best Paper' success for Faculty staff

  28 July 2011

  Mondher Sahli from Victoria Management School, along with Jean-Jacques Nowak and Sylvain Petit, has won the award for 'Best Paper' at the Conference of the International Association for Tourism Economics at Bournemouth University. Mondher's paper, Intra-Industry Trade and Vertical Differentiation in Tourism Services, competed against many of the world's leading tourism economists.

  Jocelyn Cranefield, Pak Yoong and Sid Huff from the School of Information Management have won the award for 'Best Paper' at the Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS) for their paper Beyond Lurking: The Invisible Follower-Feeder in an Online Community of Practice Ecosystem. PACIS is the main annual international Information Systems conference in the Pacific Asia Region, attracting 529 paper submissions and 300 delegates from 40 countries.

  
  

  Swedish research grant awarded

  18 July 2011

  Congratulations to Wares Karim and Tony van Zijl from the School of Accounting and Commercial Law who, together with Sabur Mollah (Associate Professor at Stockholm University), have been awarded a research grant of 2 million Swedish Krona (about NZD$400, 000) from the Handelsbanken Foundation.

  The project, entitled IFRS and Market Efficiency: Studying the Impact of IFRS Adoption on Market Efficiency around the World, is expected to be carried out over three years and will be based at Stockholm University.

  
  

  Beyond interest - deepening our engagement with Asia

  11 July 2011

  A leading foreign policy expert says it's time for New Zealanders to think more broadly about this country's engagement with trading and security partners in Asia.

  Professor Robert Ayson of Victoria University's Centre for Strategic Studies, says that while New Zealand's economic and security interests have been encouraging a closer connection with Asia, we also need to be emphasising common values with our Asian partners for stable, long-term engagement in the region.

  "At the moment we are heavily focused on how New Zealand can boost its prosperity. That seems to be the driving factor in our regional engagement," says Professor Ayson, who will deliver his inaugural professorial lecture on Tuesday 19 July.

  "We've had the global financial crisis, the Christchurch earthquakes, a couple of years of slow growth - the Government is understandably very focused on what our international connections can mean for advancing our economy. This encourages us to think about our material interests as we engage Asia, but where do we end up when we add values into the mix?"

  Professor Ayson says that while our engagement with Asia can be justified on interests alone "our prosperity and security depend on it" emphasising shared values can help deepen cooperation.

  "If we want a sustainable long-term approach that is going to cope with the swings, shocks and crises of international relations, then we need to look seriously at the values that motivate us, as well as the interests."

  He says that we often find it easier to talk of values with traditional partners such as Australia, Britain and the US.

  "When engaging with these like-minded countries we speak naturally about shared values, but we also need to think about the values we share with Asia's rising powers who are changing the region we are part of."

  He says finding common ground with our newer partners in Asia is challenging, but not at all impossible.

  "I think we do have common values. We share democratic values with the likes of India, Japan, Korea and Indonesia for example. And in its deeper engagement with the global economy China is increasingly part of a rules-based international system. There are also the values that are implicit in free trade and open access and the avoidance of armed conflict that we share with many of those countries."

  Professor Ayson says New Zealand's engagement with a changing Asia will be our most important foreign policy issue over the next 50 years.

  He says New Zealand and Australia have an interest in seeing the US and China accommodate each other so as to avoid conflict, and should therefore emphasise the values in our foreign policy that help facilitate this.

  Professor Ayson agrees that putting values in foreign policy can sometimes cause division, rather than cooperation.

  "There are the arguments that we should only engage with democracies, or that we shouldn't engage with China because of its human rights record. These arguments don't dominate the current debate. But public sentiment could make these real issues again, and so I think we need an approach which is ready for that challenge."

  He says he wants to go beyond the argument that an emphasis on values may harm some of our economic and security interests and prevent us from engaging with some of the countries that matter.

  Robert Ayson is Professor of Strategic Studies and directs the Centre for Strategic Studies in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington. From 2002 to 2009 he directed the Master's program in the Australian National University's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.

  Victoria Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says that on top of his academic experience, Professor Ayson also brings experience in New Zealand government roles to Victoria.

  "Professor Ayson has held official positions with Parliament's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade select committee and the (recently renamed) National Assessments Bureau. As Director of the Centre of Strategic Studies he promotes Victoria's connections with New Zealand's policy makers and his frequent media appearances help inform public debate."

  Professor Walsh says Victoria's Inaugural Lecture series is an opportunity for professors to provide the wider community with an insight into their specialist area of study.

  "It is also an opportunity for the University to celebrate and acknowledge our valued professors," says Professor Walsh.

  Professor Robert Ayson's inaugural lecture will be held on Tuesday 19 July at 6pm at Victoria University's Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2, Hunter Building, Gate 1 or 2, Kelburn Parade, Wellington.

  RSVP by Friday 15 July 2011 to Leah Johanson with 'Ayson' in the subject line or phone: (04) 463 6700.

  For more information about the lecture topic, please contact Professor Robert Ayson: (04) 463 6445, 021 418 246.

  
  

  New Head of School for Victoria Management School

  July 2011

  Professor Stephen Cummings has been appointed new Head of Victoria Management School (VMS), replacing Sally Davenport who was appointed a Commissioner for the new Productivity Commission. Stephen, who is a Victoria graduate in Management and Classics, joined VMS from the University of Warwick in 2003. His internationally regarded research on innovative approaches to developing and communicating strategy has been published in a number of articles and books, most recently Creative Strategy: Reconnecting Business and Innovation and The Strategy Pathfinder.

  
  

  Could New Zealand become like Ireland, Portugal or Greece?

  24 June 2011

  The global financial crisis has indisputably had an impact on the New Zealand economy, and a conference was organised last week to discuss aspects of New Zealand's economic performance and policy regime that the crisis has brought to the fore.

  Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration and its School of Economics and Finance partnered with New Zealand's Treasury and Reserve Bank to co-sponsor and organise the policy forum 'New Zealand's Macroeconomic Imbalances 'Causes and Remedies'.

  Attended by around 150 participants from wide-ranging backgrounds, the forum focused on understanding the reasons for New Zealand's macroeconomic and financial imbalances, and the associated economic vulnerabilities; and exploring whether different fiscal, monetary, structural or exchange rate frameworks might help unwind or manage the imbalances and/or improve cyclical performance.

  Leading contributions were provided by Professor Sebastian Edwards from the University of California, Los Angeles; Professor Philip Lane from Trinity College, Dublin; and Professor Craig Burnside from Duke University.

  Supporting papers discussed the role of New Zealand's housing sector (Dr Peter Jarrett, OECD), the extent to which financial system macroprudential tools should provide key underpinnings to New Zealand's macroeconomic 'self insurance' framework (Professor Prasanna Gai,University of Auckland), and the challenges and policy options for fiscal policy (Anne-Marie Brook, New Zealand Treasury). These issues were taken further by a discussion panel of Hoe Ee Khor (International Monetary Fund), Dr Brian Easton (Independent Scholar and Consultant), and Dr Arthur Grimes (Motu Economic and Public Policy).

  Professor Viv Hall from Victoria's School of Economics and Finance was a member of the forum's organising committee.

  Following the forum, Professor Hall concluded, "There is no dispute that New Zealand has net external liabilities similar in magnitude to Ireland, Portugal and Greece. However, unlike these countries, New Zealand does not yet face the same probability of imminent economic crises. This is in no small measure due to our having until very recently built up prudent government debt levels, and having been at the forefront of building macroeconomic 'self-insurance' capabilities.

  "Nevertheless, the current and longer term risks to New Zealand are non-trivial, and ongoing policy settings need to reflect this. Not surprisingly, the issues of further fiscal consolidation, improving New Zealand's non-tradables sector productivity and exports outcomes, and the further enhancement of other macroeconomic 'self-insurance' mechanisms received considerable attention."

  The conference papers and discussant comments will be placed on the conference website within the next two weeks.

  
  

  Post-Treaty landscape charted in valuable new resource

  14 June 2011

  A new interactive website and Facebook page will provide a resource for informed debate on a topic that may define New Zealand in the years to come - the post-Treaty of Waitangi Crown-Maori relationship.

  The new website (www.PostTreatySettlements.org.nz) launched today at Victoria University's Te Herenga Waka Marae will provide an invaluable resource as New Zealand charts its way through the uncertainty of the post-Treaty settlement landscape.

  The website is a collaboration of Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies and Te Kawa a Maui (the School of Maori Studies), and includes a collection of essays on post-Treaty settlement issues written by a range of New Zealanders whose specialty areas include law, history, government, political science and Maori studies.

  Associate Professor Dr Paul Callister says the website brings together a diverse set of high quality analysis which focuses on topics crucial in the emerging Crown-Maori relationship. Views presented by contributors include:

  • Co-management of Urewera National Park would not be a good arrangement for Tuhoe, because it represents such a compromise over autonomy.

  • At the end of the Treaty settlement process, the belief that we have finished dealing with New Zealand's colonial history is misguided.

  • Settlements can't be 'final' when they are so manifestly not 'full'.

  • Chinese New Zealanders might hold the keys to New Zealand's prosperity so should not be marginalised by a focus on the Treaty relationship.

  • New Zealand places too much emphasis on the ideology of biculturalism.

  • There is a real risk that the growth of Maori and iwi wealth will exacerbate, rather than reduce, Maori social class differences.

  • "The issues that will continue to arise in the Crown-Maori relationship are large, complex, and often very difficult conceptually and politically. In many of them there are strongly entrenched viewpoints, and in some cases there will be major difficulties in finding any consensus," says Dr Callister.

    "Ideally, many issues will be solved by informed debate rather than through political wrangling. It is against this background that the need for a resource like this is clear."

    The website also includes work from researchers from other New Zealand and overseas universities, as well as researchers and leaders from significant Treaty-related institutes and entities around New Zealand, such as Te Rnanga o Ngati Awa, an iwi authority representing around 15,000 descendants of Ngati Awa. But the interactive site is designed to encourage engagement and debate in the wider community.

    Dr Callister says the belief that the signalled 2014 end of the historical Treaty settlements process will usher in a new era in Crown-Maori relations and bring an end to grievances is misfounded.

    "The reality is there is no convenient or clear cut off point from the past. The Crown-Maori relationship will continue to evolve organically, sometimes looking back, sometimes forward.

    "That this process of evolution will often be fraught can be seen in the intense debate over such matters as the foreshore and seabed, the provision of Maori seats in the new Auckland supercity, and the Government's support of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

    Victoria University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Maori) Professor Piri Sciascia says that the website, a collaboration between two Victoria institutions, continues a tradition of Victoria taking leadership in the important debate about post-Treaty settlement in New Zealand.

    "Into the future, New Zealand faces a new set of questions, and this website will seek to inform the answers to some of these questions. This is a very rich resource that provides a platform for discussion, the generation of ideas, and it is hoped, the formulation of policy direction."

    The new website is Post Treaty Settlements. You can also join the conversation on Facebook.

    For more information contact Dr Paul Callister on 027 563 6929.

    
    

    Women public sector workers work overtime for free

    June 2011

    A survey carried out last year by researchers from Victoria's Industrial Research Centre at the Faculty of Commerce and Administration on behalf of the PSA shows women PSA members are undertaking millions of extra work hours.

    The survey indicated that as workloads and time pressures increase and employee numbers fall, public sector workers put in more hours they don't get paid for.

    Despite a growing need for flexible working arrangements the survey found that fears about job security and not wanting to burden co-workers were key reasons why flexible working arrangements were not taken up more.

    "There's a clear role for unions to help ensure organisations assume responsibility for the management, and not just the provision, of flexible work arrangements at workplaces," says survey researcher Dr Sarah Proctor-Thomson from Victoria University, who analysed the survey along with Dr Noelle Donnelly and Dr Geoff Plimmer.

    Unfair management processes and high rates of bullying and discrimination were reported by the women in the survey.

    "We found organisational risk factors that increased the likelihood of employees feeling victimised at work, including the pressure to put in extra hours, systemic work pressure and the denial of flexible work requests.

    "There were some positive outcomes from the survey. The majority of women were keen to develop and progress in their careers and over half were able to discuss their career development plans with their managers. Nevertheless, women felt that career pathways were unclear and prospects for achieving their career goals were limited.

    "Taken together; increasing work pressures, uncertain career pathways, the low uptake of flexible work policies and perceptions of unfair or inconsistent performance management practices pose significant risks to the health and wellbeing of New Zealand workers and to the productivity of our public sector."

    Dr Sarah Proctor-Thomson, Dr Noelle Donnelly and Dr Geoff Plimmer gave a briefing on the initial findings from the survey at a seminar held in collaboration with the Industrial Relations Centre and the PSA last Wednesday.

    A copy of the survey and briefing notes has been sent to the Ministers of State Services, Labour and Women's Affairs.

    The final report is on the PSA website.

    To listen to an interview on Radio New Zealand website.

    
    

    Electronic banking frustrating for customers

    June 2011

    Banks could save money and reduce customer frustration by better matching services to technology customers use says a Victoria University researcher.

    Dr Hartmut Hoehle has researched banking services via mobile phones, the internet, telephone banking and ATMs, and why customers choose one method over another.

    The impetus for his research was scepticism about the viability of mobile banking.

    "Banks have been offering services via mobile phones for a decade but there's been very little uptake. My view was that the device is not suited to most banking activities", says Dr Hoehle.

    He interviewed banking executives and surveyed hundreds of consumers and found that while banks offer a full range of services on all platforms, people choose the banking channel that best suits a particular task.

    One factor that affects this choice is time criticality. "For example, if you hear that BP has had a major oil spill while driving in your car you might want to use mobile banking to act quickly and sell your shares."

    "But people applying for a loan or a mortgage don't usually act on the spur of the moment and are more likely to go on the internet or see a bank teller than use the mobile channel."

    Another important consideration is the complexity of the task. He says mobile banking and ATMs work well for simple jobs, like checking balances, but are less suited to complex activities.

    "Banks, however, try to offer as many services as possible on all the channels. For them, digital banking is cheaper and more effective. They are also trying to keep up with competitors, if another bank is offering a service they tend to do the same."

    Dr Hoehle says most banks mirrored the services available via the internet when setting up mobile banking platforms, tending "to do everything that was technically feasible rather than what was suitable".

    As well as costing banks money, the results are frustrating for customers.

    "Having lots of options takes up room on your phone and makes it harder to navigate. It would be less confusing if it was simpler."

    Dr Hoehle's analysis showed that around 70 percent of the variations in consumer choice of a banking channel can be explained by his theory that people match tasks with appropriate channels.

    At the end of his research, Dr Hoehle still doesn't believe that mobile banking will take off and predicts that mobile banking and Internet banking platforms will become one and the same.

    "With the advent of iPads and similar devices with bigger screens and simpler menus, there is an incentive to just have one platform."

    Dr Hoehle grew up in Germany and worked for Deutsche Bank for before embarking on an academic career. He graduated with a PhD in Information Systems at Victoria in May, and currently works at the Australian National University in Canberra.

    For more information contact Hartmut Hoehle, phone +61 2 612 59505.

    
    

    Peter Hughes appointed Victoria's Head of School of Government

    The Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, Professor Pat Walsh, today announced the appointment of Peter Hughes, current Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development, to Head of Victoria's School of Government.

    "Peter's public sector experience has been greatly valued as a member of the School of Government's advisory board, which he has chaired since 2008 and I'm delighted that he has accepted the position as Head of School," says Professor Walsh.

    "Peter has a wealth of knowledge and networks that will be invaluable for strengthening our ties across the public service, parliament, judiciary and private sectors. His extensive leadership experience will also be an asset for ensuring the ongoing success of the School."

    Mr Hughes has been in his current role at the Ministry of Social Development since its establishment in 2001. He has more than 30 years experience in the public service, with roles during that time including Chief Executive of Internal Affairs, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Funding Authority, and a Deputy Director-General of Health. Last year he was named "Government Department Chief Executive of the Year" by Trans Tasman magazine.

    He studied at Victoria and Massey universities and gained a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University.

    Mr Hughes says he is delighted to accept the role.

    "I am at the stage of my career where I want to use my skills and experience to give something back and as a Victoria University graduate I am also personally committed to the success of the University," he says.

    "The School of Government is unique amongst New Zealand universities and I see it as having an absolutely key role in helping to prepare and equip the next generation of public sector leaders in our country and in driving policy change through timely, relevant, quality research."

    Mr Hughes will take up the position on 10 October, 2011 and during his three year term will be a professor at the University.

    About the School of Government

    The School of Government is part of Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration. Its purpose is to build public sector capability through its teaching programmes, improve public sector governance through research into public management and administration, and provide advice on, and contribute to scholarship in important areas of public policy. The School includes four research centres: the Climate Change Research Institute, the Centre for Strategic Studies, Health Services Research Centre, and the Institute of Policy Studies.

    
    

    New Visiting Scholar Programme in Economics and Finance

    A Victoria University alumnus has made a substantial donation to establish a Visiting Scholar Programme at Victoria's School of Economics and Finance.

    Professor Stephen Turnovsky, a distinguished international scholar and researcher in economics, completed a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Victoria in 1962 and a Masters of Arts with First Class Honours in Mathematics in 1963 before completing a PhD in Economics at Harvard.

    "I have been fortunate to have a successful career and for that I owe a great debt to Victoria for the start that it gave me," Professor Turnovsky says.

    "Much of my career has involved joint work, which is how the economics profession has been evolving over the past 20 years or so and which I personally have found very rewarding. So part of my motivation is to facilitate that kind of development at Victoria".

    "My hope is that Victoria will bring out interesting scholars from abroad resulting in productive interaction with people here, including collaborative research".

    Professor Morris Altman, Head of the School of Economics and Finance is excited about the research that will come out of the new programme. "The programme will contribute to the enrichment and intensity of research activity in our school," he says.

    The programme has been established through the Victoria University Foundation. The first Stephen Turnovsky Visiting Scholar will take up the position in mid-2012 for a period of one to two months. Funding will cover return airfares, accommodation and other expenses.

    About Stephen Turnovsky

    Professor Turnovsky has held academic appointments in the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as working extensively in a number of other countries. He currently holds the Castor Chair of Economics at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he has been for the past 24 years.

    His research focuses on the application of mathematical models and methods to the analysis of economic problems. He has written several books and published extensively in leading international journals.

    He has received honorary doctorates, from the University of Aix-Marseille in 2005 and from Victoria in 2009.

    For more information please contact Tania Guenter, phone (04) 463 5269.

    
    

    How do you balance economic growth with the needs of the planet?

    Economic growth has long been a key objective of most governments�but is continuing growth possible in a finite world? That critical question will be debated by experts from science, business, economics and the Government at a symposium hosted by Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) this week.

    Professor Jonathan Boston of the IPS says the symposium will explore the growing evidence of the planet's biophysical limits and consider the policy implications arising from this.

    "For the last four decades, there has been a lively debate about the extent to which there are planetary limits to economic growth, or at least growth of certain kinds," he says.

    "This debate has been invigorated in recent years, not least as a result of concerns over human-induced climate change, the poor management of the globe's freshwater and marine resources, the loss of agricultural land and population growth."

    Professor Boston says our growing awareness of the earth's biophysical limits have significant implications that need to be addressed by governments.

    The symposium will draw on experts from a range of disciplines and jurisdictions to tackle questions such as: Which kinds of critical natural capital are substitutable? How do you set safe biophysical boundaries, and what are the risks of overshooting such boundaries?

    Symposium speakers include the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman; Minister of the Environment Hon Dr Nick Smith; Principal Scientist in Sustainability and Society at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Dr Bob Frame; economist Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Research Fellow Dr Brian Walker.

    Funding for the symposium has been provided by the Morgan Foundation, Landcare Research, the State Services Commission (on behalf of the public service) and Victoria University of Wellington.

    What: Biophysical Limits and their Policy Implications � Symposium hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.

    When: Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 June 2011.

    Where: Government Buildings, Lecture Theatres One and Two.

    Download the full programme here. For more information, please contact  Professor Jonathan Boston on (04) 463 5456

    
    

    Trust and fairness increases productivity

    Organisations that offer their employees higher levels of trust, cooperation, fairness and economic benefits are rewarded with increased productivity, according to research by a Victoria University Economics Professor.

    "We have all heard of the Golden Rule 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'- this works in economics as it does in life. If people are treated well they will work harder," says Professor Morris Altman, who specialises in behavioural economics.

    "So a Golden Rule for sustainable wealth creation is building more trusting and cooperative economic organisations."

    He cites Toyota as an example of a successful, competitive company with an employee-centred philosophy, including offering high wages, giving employees more say in the day-to-day operations of the company, offering more transparency about the company's finances and avoiding heavy-handed monitoring of employees.

    He also says in North America, department store Costco does just as well as Walmart, despite paying its workers approximately double the wages and offering better health benefits.

    "The rate of return is just as good because Costco's workers respond to being treated well by being more productive - it's that simple."

    However, Professor Altman's research shows that along with the success of the Golden Rule approach, it is possible for both highly self-serving as well as 'trusting' firms to survive in highly competitive environments. Although research indicates it is largely the trusting firms that are more productive in the long run, he believes it is not enough just to depend on the goodwill of employers to deliver a Golden Rule economy.

    "As libertarian economist Friedrich Hayek argued, 'we need institutions or circumstances that induce evil people to do good things'. This is happening increasingly in the world economy as tighter labour markets, often coupled with democratic rights, motivate employers to adopt and develop the most productive technologies and systems of management to meet the challenge of higher costs."

    "It is also the case that higher environmental standards have incentivised firms to innovate as they become greener in order to remain cost competitive. The market works wonders when positioned towards the Golden Rule of wealth creation."

    Professor Altman will be delivering his inaugural professorial lecture 'What's love got to do with it? Behavioural economics and a Golden Rule for wealth creation and wellbeing' on Tuesday 31 May at 6pm in the Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2, Gate 1 or 2, Kelburn Parade. RSVPs essential-phone (04) 463 6700 or email rsvp@vuw.ac.nz with 'Altman' in the subject line.

    For more information please contact Professor Morris Altman, phone (04) 463 6961 or 021 245 6961 or email morris.altman@vuw.ac.nz

    
    

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    Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants awarded to four Alumni

    May 2011

    Last year four alumni of Victoria University of Wellington's School of Accounting and Commercial Law were awarded Fellowships of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. Two of these awards were presented at the Wellington Presidential and Fellowship Dinner in late April 2011.

    John Nash (second from left, back row) is Chief Advisor (International Audit) for Inland Revenue Department. He serves as Competent Authority for New Zealand and is responsible for resolving double taxation disputes, the negotiation of bilateral advance pricing agreements and exchanges of information with Treaty partners.

    Dr Carolyn Cordery (front) is a Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law in the School of Accounting and Commercial Law at Victoria. Her prime research interests are in not-for-profit accounting and accountability. She is part of the Victoria University Volunteer Management Research Programme considering (amongst other things) the valuation of volunteers and is a former Chair of the Institute's Not-for-profit Sector Advisory Committee.

    
    
    

    Record number of PhDs for School of Information Management

    Professor Sid Huff from the School of Information Management says he felt like a 'proud father' when four of his PhD students graduated last week.

    The School of Information Management saw a record number of six PhD students graduate in the May celebrations-and Professor Huff is also busy supervising a further four PhD students.

    Of the latest graduates Professor Huff says, "They are all terrific people and top notch scholars and researchers each in their own way, but all quite different individuals also. A lot like the kids in a large and active family."

    "Actually as far as supervision goes, I am technically a 'great grandfather' at this point-I have supervised students who have in turn supervised their own students, who in turn have supervised their own students!"

    "So I am proud and also very happy to see them having finished their doctorates and moving on with their lives."

    Other supervisors of the latest round of PhD graduates in Information Systems were Associate Professor Hans Lehmann, Dr David Pauleen, Professor Pak Yoong, Dr Brian Harmer, Dr Beverley Hope, Associate Professor Hans Lehmann and Dr Joerg Evermann.

    

    Photo left to right: Eusebio Scornavacca; David Johnstone, Hartmut Hoehle, Sally Jansen van Vuuren. Sid Huff (seated)

    
    

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    Social media a powerful selling tool

    Lots of businesses know they should be active in social media like Facebook and Twitter and research by a Victoria University PhD graduate has explained why.

    An investigation by Dr Nick Thompson has shown the power of online communities in getting people talking to each other about brands and products that matter to them.

    Dr Thompson says the most successful brands attract a passionate and loyal consumer community and getting those people to act as unofficial ambassadors is an effective marketing strategy.

    "We all know that word-of-mouth recommendations are really valuable and social media can make that happen. Having people talk about your product or recommend it to others builds consumer communities much faster than beating down someone's door with direct approaches."

    Dr Thompson says it is still important for businesses to use traditional methods of advertising and promotion to build awareness but they should also be investing in strategies to build communities around their brand.

    His research focused on attitudes to the national airline Air New Zealand which he says is seen as doing a good job on both counts.

    "Their advertising positions them as likeable and patriotic and their supporters relate to that."

    "Air New Zealand is also talked about a lot online with, for example, people getting in touch with friends and family to tell them about the daily Grabaseat deals or their experience flying with them to overseas destinations. That helps strengthen customer relationships."

    He says, arguably, the most important thing a company can do to promote its brand is provide a positive customer experience.

    "If you give people a good experience they will tell others about it."

    Dr Thompson says social media has enjoyed a phenomenal rise in importance as a sales and marketing tool. "When I started researching the role of the Internet in forming relationships with brands, social media was new on the scene and not well understood. In just five years it is become a major force in the industry."

    Dr Thompson graduated from Victoria University with a PhD in Marketing on Thursday.

    For more information, contact Nick Thompson, phone 021 877 501 or email nick.thompson@nzpost.co.nz

    
    

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    Proposal to make honey from mangroves wins student business competition

    A project proposing to make honey from mangroves for the Wayuu indigenous tribe in Colombia was judged the winner at the 2011 Global Enterprise Experience ANZ Champion Team Awards.

    This annual student business competition brought together 512 students from 39 countries, with Victoria University students acting as leaders of international teams. The Victoria students are trained in leadership skills and global perspective as part of a third-year international business course through Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration, focussing on experiencing management across cultures.

    Victoria University students led all of the 64 global teams in a three-week effort, which involved meeting online, choosing a project, then researching, designing and writing a business proposal.

    This year students were asked to develop a proposal for a profitable product or service to foster indigenous development.

    The winning business concept-Wayuu Mangrove Beekeeping-proposed to reforest the mangrove swamps, which provide a habitat for bees; and would in turn enhance the natural environment. The honey would be aimed at the European organic food market. Colombia has over 100 indigenous communities, many like the Wayuu being affected by diminishing access to land and resources in the area.

    Members of the winning team were: Claudia Ducrot (New Zealand), Lee Chong De (Malaysia), Omisakin Yinka Waliyat (Nigeria), Zeeshan Arshad (Pakistan), and three Colombians-Maria Paulina Lopez Morales, Rosario Tatis-Marin, and Maria Fernanda Gallego Maya.

    Labour MP and the chief judge, Dr Rajen Prasad, congratulated the winning team of students at a prizegiving ceremony supported by Oracle New Zealand, held in the Grand Hall at Parliament last night.

    Gavin Shing, contest judge and ANZ Regional Manager, Commercial and Agri said he was "impressed to see New Zealand leading a global business challenge with such a wide array of countries participating".

    Another of the judges Suzanne Hall, Managing Director of online self motivation company BE Intent and a former New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year, expressed admiration for the Victoria team leaders.

    "They had to do the 2am slot to build a team spirit of members in widely dispersed time zones, and inspire creativity and hard work via the internet to meet a tight deadline-that takes real leadership and motivation."

    Other award winners were:

    • BE Intent Global Leader Award-Jessica Ch'ng from Wellington
    • UNESCO Commitment Award-this award acknowledges the extraordinary lengths some of the participants went to in contributing to their global team; the winner was unable to be named to protect his identity (he was one of the 27 Iranian Baha'i who are banned from attending public universities in their country because of their faith, risking imprisonment if found studying or communicating with foreigners)
    • Victoria University Champion Journal Award-Olaoye Oyinkansola Kofoworola from Nigeria (who saw the potential to process plantain to reduce poverty of the Igun indigenous people of Nigeria).

    For more information on the competition please contact Associate Professor Val Lindsay on (04) 463 6915 or email val.lindsay@vuw.ac.nz or Deb Gilbertson on (04) 589 5011 or 022 589 5011 or email deb@windeaters.co.nz

    Claudia Ducrot, New Zealand team leader for the winning project, can be contacted on claudia.ducrot@gmail.com

    Jessica Ch'ng, the BE Intent Global Leader Award winner, can be contacted on jessicachng@hotmail.com or 022 681 3280.

    Photos from the prizegiving ceremony are available.

    
    

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    The Faculty celebrates the success of its graduating PhD students

    Congratulations to Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration PhD students who are graduating this week. The list below includes students and staff members who have successfully guided these students toward their PhD.

    Particular mention goes to Sid Huff, Professor of Information Systems in the School of Information Management, who has four of his students graduating.

    Congratulations to you all!

    Steven Finlay: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Management) Supervisors: Dr John Brocklesby and Dr Deborah Jones

    Margaret Gordon: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Public Policy) Supervisors: Dr Amanda Woolf and Professor Bob Gregory

    Rebecca Graham: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Public Policy) Supervisors: Dr Jan Pryor and Jeremy Robertson

    Hartmut Hoehle: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Information Systems) Supervisors: Professor Sid Huff and Associate Professor Hans Lehmann

    Sally Jansen van Vuuren: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Information Systems) Supervisors: Professor Sid Huff and Dr David Pauleen

    Carmel Joe: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Information Systems) Supervisors: Professor Pak Yoong and Dr Brian Harmer

    David Johnstone: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Information Systems) Supervisors: Dr Sid Huff and Dr Beverley Hope

    Mike Reid: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Public Policy) Supervisors: Professor Claudia Scott and Dr Russell Harding

    Eusebio Scornavacca: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Information Systems) Supervisors: Professor Sid Huff and Associate Professor Hans Lehmann

    Mary Tate: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Information Systems) Supervisors: Dr Beverley Hope and Dr Joerg Evermann

    Nick Thompson: Admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Marketing) Supervisors: Professor Peter Thirkell and Professor Ashish Sinha

    
    

    Contributing to finance policy

    What are the financial implications of an ageing population? Is government expenditure on welfare sustainable? And what does global public debt mean for New Zealand?

    A new Chair in Public Finance, launched at Victoria last week, will consider these issues and more. The Chair, established through the Victoria University Foundation, is based in the Faculty of Commerce and Administration.

    "The new Chair will reinforce the links between research and public policy by focusing on critical fiscal policy issues facing New Zealand," says Professor Bob Buckle, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration.

    The Ministry for Social Development (MSD), the Treasury, the Inland Revenue Department and PricewaterhouseCoopers are sponsoring partners of the Chair, which will provide thought leadership and undertake research and teaching to generate a greater understanding of public finance.

    The Chair aims to make a significant contribution to public debate and discussion, and to undertake research that can inform and influence government policy.

    "Joining up academia with the private and public sectors gives us the best chance of addressing the really hard problems," says Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of MSD.

    "Improving our understanding of the growth, distributional and budgetary impacts of different types of taxes, public spending and welfare policies is vital if we are to develop and implement policies that make a real difference in the lives of New Zealanders," says Mr Hughes.

    

    Photo:

    Seated: Peter Hughes, Chief Executive, Ministry of Social Development; John Shewan, Chairman, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Professor Pat Walsh, Vice-Chancellor; Andrew Kibblewhite, Deputy Chief Executive, the Treasury; Bob Russell, Commissioner, Inland Revenue Department.

    Standing: Matt Benge, Inland Revenue Department; Professor Morris Altman, Head of School of Economics and Finance; Professor Bob Buckle, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration; Don Gray, Ministry of Social Development; Chris Money, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

    
    

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    University adds Kiwi flavour to American textbook

    Most New Zealand students relate more easily to Kiwi business examples such as Trade Me and Kiwi Experience than to a Boeing factory in Seattle.

    That's why Victoria University has officially launched a New Zealand edition of popular American textbook Using MIS this week, for use in first-year Information Systems classes.

    Tony Hooper, Senior Lecturer in Victoria's School of Information Management, was approached by publishing company Pearson to develop a localised version of the Management Information Systems (MIS) textbook. He says that much of the material available to academics teaching in New Zealand universities is sourced from other countries, but students don't always relate to overseas content.

    "Many of my first-year students struggled to connect with the business references and cultural idioms of the American version of the textbook."

    Pearson approached Mr Hooper about compiling the New Zealand version of the textbook in 2008, having in 2007 published a booklet of New Zealand case studies.

    The New Zealand version of Using MIS is interspersed with New Zealand case studies featuring Kiwi businesses and Kiwi business personalities such as Sam Morgan, who sold Trade Me to Fairfax in 2006 for NZ$750 million.

    Hundreds of hours of research and writing have gone into the work, which Mr Hooper co-authored with David Kroenke, the original US author.

    The New Zealand version is now being used at both Victoria and Canterbury universities.

    

    Photo: Helen Cox (Pearson Educational), Ashley Mudford (CIO of the NZ Food Safety Authority, who features in the book) and Simon Park (School of Information Management Undergraduate Programme Manager) examine the new book.

    
    

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    Study examines workplace risk of losing baby boomers' expertise

    Many organisations are under prepared for the loss of valuable knowledge as the oldest members of the baby boomer generation near retirement.

    PhD research by Victoria University graduate Dr Carmel Joe suggests that few organisations have systems for identifying older experts or retaining their expertise after they retire.

    Within 10 years, the Department of Labour predicts that 25 per cent of New Zealand's workforce will be over 55 years of age and, says Dr Joe, fewer young people are coming through to replace them.

    "Generation X (those born between 1964 and 1981), is only 75 per cent of the size of the baby boomer cohort. The workforce is also expected to grow more slowly after 2016."

    Dr Joe describes herself as a "young baby boomer" and says her PhD research topic grew out of observations she made while working in the public service and as an IT and management consultant.

    "I was meeting a lot of senior executives with specialised knowledge and a great deal of wisdom and experience who were nearing retirement age. In bigger organisations, such as some banks and government agencies, it's not uncommon for the majority of the senior management team to be near the end of their careers."

    Another prompt was coming across instances where people had been made redundant but were later re-hired because the organisation needed their knowledge and hadn't been able to replace it.

    Dr Joe says organisations can invest heavily in systems to capture, manage and share knowledge but these are not generally being used to gather and store the knowledge of older experts.

    "Some aspects of a job can be documented but not everything. When I asked people what they would do if an expert in their team disappeared tomorrow, most replied that they'd have all the materials that person had generated but not the added element of the tacit knowledge they hold in their head."

    "Experts become very attuned and intuitive about what to do and what not to do but it's knowledge that is hard to define or write down. They also have a lot of referential knowledge-they know where to go to find things out."

    As part of her research, Dr Joe 'shadowed' an expert in a sole charge position providing technical advice through a help desk.

    She says while he was a highly valued staff member, few people understood exactly what he did, and analysing his job and how he went about it made his skills and knowledge more evident.

    "This process is useful if you want to train someone else to do the job or to understand why a person is successful at their job, and what expertise and skills they have that you want to retain or encourage others to develop."

    Dr Joe has created a model that organisations can use to identify the knowledge held by older experts and integrate it in to their knowledge retention processes. She now aims to work with organisations that want to identify and retain expertise in a sustainable way. Carmel Joe graduates with a PhD in Information Systems on Thursday.

    For more information, contact Carmel Joe, phone 021 424 132 or email carmel.joe@vuw.ac.nz

    
    

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    Head of School becomes Productivity Commissioner

    April 2011

    Head of Victoria Management School Professor Sally Davenport has been appointed as commissioner to the Productivity Commission, a new government agency.

    She has been appointed along with Dr Graham Scott, executive chair of Southern Cross Advisers Ltd. Both will work alongside New Zealand Productivity Commission chairman Murray Sherwin. The Commission's first two inquiries will be into housing affordability and international freight services'two areas that affect New Zealand's international competitiveness.

    "The two new commissioners bring a good mixture of research and commercial skills to the commission," says Regulatory Reform Minister Rodney Hide. "I am very pleased that people of such high calibre will join Mr Sherwin and his team looking into major issues for our economy."

    As well as her role as Head of Victoria Management School, Professor Davenport is an affiliate researcher for the MacDiarmid Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials. She has an extensive research and evaluation background, focusing on commercialisation, innovation and productivity. Since 2007, she has been leading a research project; "Building Our Productivity: Understanding Sustainable Collective Productivity in New Zealand Firms", which is centred on the food and beverage sector and biotechnology sector.

    Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Commerce Professor Bob Buckle says it is not surprising an academic of Professor Davenport's expertise has been snapped up by the Commission.

    "The Faculty of Commerce and Administration and the University are delighted and proud of Sally's appointment: she will be a great asset for the Commission. Sally's impressive record of research, teaching and leadership in the fields of commercialisation of scientific research, innovation and productivity position her well for this role. Her appointment will also further strengthen the deep links that exist between the University and the public policy community."

    Professor Davenport will be standing down as Head of School, but will remain in the role until a new appointment is made and will continue as a member of the School.

    Helping New Zealand business succeed in Asia

    March 2011

    Published 30 March 2011

    A new Chair established at Victoria University will help New Zealand business succeed in Asia.

    The Bank of New Zealand Chair in Business in Asia will conduct research and offer insight to help understand the issues and challenges of business in the Asian region.

    "The emergence of Asia is bringing the centre of global economic activity significantly closer to New Zealand," says Professor Bob Buckle, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration.

    "The Chair will conduct research and offer insight to help businesses understand the issues and engage more successfully in the Asian markets."

    Stephen Mockett, Chief Operating Officer at the Bank of New Zealand, says the Bank is proud to support this initiative to facilitate business success.

    "By bringing together the academic expertise of Victoria University, policy and regulatory knowledge of government organisations and our business experience, the Chair will help open new doors for New Zealand business."

    The Chair, established through the Victoria University Foundation, is also supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Economic Development and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

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    'Success in Asia' presentations

    TVNZ Monday 28 March, The Breakfast Show - TV1

    China and India are the two fastest growing major economies in the world and offer huge growth potential for New Zealand firms.

    A project team led by Associate Professor Val Lindsay from Victoria's School of Marketing and International Business and funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation is delivering its findings on 'Building a sustainable competitive advantage for New Zealand service firms in Asia: Spotlight on China and India' at a range of venues around the country this week.

    The presentation will focus on what has worked or not worked for New Zealand companies in China and India; key lessons that will help New Zealand companies compete more successfully in these markets; and what is required to enable a sustainable advantage for New Zealand firms in China and India.

    The project involved interviews with managers from 70 New Zealand firms doing business in China and/or India and 40 managers in each of these markets. Many of these are direct customers or partners of the New Zealand firms involved. This unique research project provides insights into what will work in these markets, from the perspective of New Zealand firms and Chinese/Indian customers.

    The findings reveal implications for managers already involved, or interested, in China or India, as well as for government policy.

    To read the final report visit www.international-services-research.vuw.ac.nz

    
    

    LIANZA recognition

    January 2011

    We are pleased to announce that, after a lengthy review process, the Master of Information Studies has been recognised by the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearao (LIANZA) as meeting the educational requirements for its professional registration scheme. LIANZA uses a Body of Knowledge (BoK) based upon one produced by the International Federation of Library Associations, and the review panel checked carefully to see that the MIS with the LIBR endorsement matched up to every part of the BoK. Their conclusion, endorsed by the LIANZA Profession Board of Registration, was "That the MIS with LIBR endorsement be recognised, provided that all VUW School of Information Management students are advised of the electives that would provide complete coverage of the BOK."

    The LIANZA review panel was led by Dr Ian Lovecy, who had conducted a review of the MLIS two years previously and who frequently assesses similar programmes in the United Kingdom on behalf of CILIP, the British association for information managers, plus two senior New Zealand librarians. The teachers on the Information Studies programme found the process to be a very useful one that has helped the redevelopment of parts of the MIS curriculum, and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with LIANZA.

    The Information Studies programmes at Masters, postgraduate Diploma and postgraduate Certificate levels are all accredited by Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (formerly the Records Managers Association of Australasia). This accreditation lasts for five years from its initial approval by the RMAA Board in 2010.

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    Victoria first to gain AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting

    Victoria is the first university in New Zealand to achieve an internationally recognised accreditation in both business and accounting, joining the ranks of less than one percent of business schools worldwide.

    "Victoria is the only university in New Zealand and one of just three in Australasia to achieve accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in both business and accounting, this gives us the edge over other business schools," says Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Administration, Professor Bob Buckle.

    "It reflects the quality and relevance of our programme, which had to measure up to high international standards. It also means that we have made a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure that Victoria's Faculty of Commerce and Administration will continue to deliver high quality education to students."

    Mr John Shewan, Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Chair of the Advisory Board to the Faculty, said that the effects of these accreditations could be far-reaching for the Faculty.

    "Gaining accreditation is a rigorous process. When business, government or the professional accounting firms recruit new staff they can be sure that students from an AACSB accredited institutions have come through a high quality programme, and thus students with that on their CV have a distinct advantage."

    "It will also mean more international students looking to Victoria with assurance that they will receive a top quality education," says Mr Shewan.

    One of the Faculty's strengths which the AACSB Board particularly praised was its focus on quality and its connections with the capital city. The AACSB report noted the Faculty's "strong Advisory Boards, student activities and associated opportunities to engage with the capital city, and faculty endeavours to link their teaching and research interests those of business and government".

    It also noted that the Faculty had clearly articulated goals and objectives and assessment processes which were generally ahead of its AACSB peers.

    Professor Buckle said the high praise acknowledged the efforts and commitment of staff in the Faculty.

    "Staff have worked incredibly hard to achieve this accreditation. They consistently produce relevant high quality research and deliver outstanding programmes to our students and I thank them for their dedication."

    About AACSB International

    Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving and largest accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, masters' and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. To realise accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB International business accreditation, which requires an institution to undergo a meticulous internal review and evaluation process. In addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the 21 business quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of 15 standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. To learn more about AACSB accreditation visit http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/

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