Ko te kookoomuka te raakau i tunua ai te moa. (There is a proper use for everything and only by means of correct useage can the optimum result be obtained) This thesis proposes a model for research into traditional Maori kaupapa. Maori Studies is interdisciplinary in that it combines aspects of a considerable number of other disciplines and adds a further perspective of its own. However, despite the cross-overs with, for example, Anthropology, History, Linguistics, Art History, etc., Maori Studies provides its own unique, emic prespective which adds both depth and breadth to the study. Accordingly, research into kaupapa Maori requires a Maori model which draws from associated disciplines, forms interpretations according to the Maori world view and integrates all the various forms of evidence so that gaps in one area may be filled from another. Some steps towards resolution are proposed where the different forms of evidence seem to contradict, rather than complement each other. In particular the etic versus emic approach is examined with a view. Accordingly, the thesis will include an approach to the analysis and incorporation of traditional information available from: interviews; art; waiata; whakataukii; placenames; whakapapa; manuscripts and early census figures as well as the publised sources which are available. All must be compared with the contemporary oral record of past events, especially since much Maori tradition is political in nature, and the political perspective can change over time ("The Maori Camel"-paper presented to Pouhere Korero/NZHA Conference February 1996). (One of the particular strengths of Maori language material such as placenames, waiata, whakapapa, and whakatauki is that they have usually been repeated verbatim, often by people who hadn�t the language ability to change them. Therefore, like manuscripts they are frozen in time; unlike contemporary oral evidence where stories are retold in each generation.) The case studies look at the traditional Maori perspective on each of the topics and compares it with any research which has been done in Non-Maori ways. (For example, in Case Study 1., Maori knowledge which has been gathered by following the model proposed in this thesis is compared with botanical knowledge about cabbage trees.) Maori language material is not translated but handled in the original and discussed in Maori when a more productive discussion is thus facilitated, therefore resulting in a bi-lingual thesis. For Maori Studies to be fully accepted as having the same mana as other academic disciplines requires full acceptance of the bilingual nature of Maori Studies. However, in the iterests [sic] of wider accessibility, the majority of the discussion will be in English.

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Ko te kookoomuka te raakau i tunua ai te moa. (There is a proper use for everything and only by means of correct useage can the optimum result be obtained) This thesis proposes a model for research into traditional Maori kaupapa. Maori Studies is interdisciplinary in that it combines aspects of a considerable number of other disciplines and adds a further perspective of its own. However, despite the cross-overs with, for example, Anthropology, History, Linguistics, Art History, etc., Maori Studies provides its own unique, emic prespective which adds both depth and breadth to the study. Accordingly, research into kaupapa Maori requires a Maori model which draws from associated disciplines, forms interpretations according to the Maori world view and integrates all the various forms of evidence so that gaps in one area may be filled from another. Some steps towards resolution are proposed where the different forms of evidence seem to contradict, rather than complement each other. In particular the etic versus emic approach is examined with a view. Accordingly, the thesis will include an approach to the analysis and incorporation of traditional information available from: interviews; art; waiata; whakataukii; placenames; whakapapa; manuscripts and early census figures as well as the publised sources which are available. All must be compared with the contemporary oral record of past events, especially since much Maori tradition is political in nature, and the political perspective can change over time ("The Maori Camel"-paper presented to Pouhere Korero/NZHA Conference February 1996). (One of the particular strengths of Maori language material such as placenames, waiata, whakapapa, and whakatauki is that they have usually been repeated verbatim, often by people who hadn�t the language ability to change them. Therefore, like manuscripts they are frozen in time; unlike contemporary oral evidence where stories are retold in each generation.) The case studies look at the traditional Maori perspective on each of the topics and compares it with any research which has been done in Non-Maori ways. (For example, in Case Study 1., Maori knowledge which has been gathered by following the model proposed in this thesis is compared with botanical knowledge about cabbage trees.) Maori language material is not translated but handled in the original and discussed in Maori when a more productive discussion is thus facilitated, therefore resulting in a bi-lingual thesis. For Maori Studies to be fully accepted as having the same mana as other academic disciplines requires full acceptance of the bilingual nature of Maori Studies. However, in the iterests [sic] of wider accessibility, the majority of the discussion will be in English.

Many large-scale national and international testing programs use the Rasch model to govern the construction of measurement scales that can be used to monitor standards of performance and monitor performance over time. A significant issue that arises in such programs is that once a decision has been made to use the model, it is not possible to reverse the decision if the data do not fit the model. There are two levels of question that result from such a situation. One of them involves the issue of misfit to the model. That is, how robust is the model to violations of fit of the data to the model? A second question emerges from the premise that the issue of fit to the model is a relative matter. That is, ultimately, it becomes the decision of users as to whether data fit the model well enough to suit the purpose of the users. Once this decision has been made, such as in the case of large-scale testing programs like the ones refocused to above, then the question reverts to one in which the focus is on the applications of the Rasch model. More specifically, in the case of this study, the intention is to examine the consequences of variability of fit to the Rasch model on the measures of student performance obtained from two different equating procedures. Two related simulation studies have been conducted to compare the results obtained from using two different equating procedures (namely separate and concurrent equating) with the Rasch Simple Logistic model, as data-model fit gets progressively worse. The results indicate that when data-model fit ranges from good fit to average fit (MNSQ ??? 1.60), there is little or no difference between the results obtained from the different equating procedures. However, when data-model fit ranges from relatively poor fit to poor fit (MNSQ &gt 1.60), the results from using different equating procedures prove less comparable. When the results of these two simulation studies are translated to a situation in Australia, for example, where different states use different equating procedures to generate a single comparable score and then these scores are used to compare performances amongst students and to predetermined standards or benchmarks, it raises significant equity issues. In essence, it means that in the latter situation, some students are deemed to be either above or below the standards purely as a consequence of the equating procedure selected. For example, students could be deemed to be above a benchmark if separate equating was used to produce the scale; yet these same students could be deemed to fall below the benchmark if concurrent equating is used. The actual consequences of this decision will vary from situation to situation. For example, if the same equating procedure was used each year to equate the data to form a single scale, then it could be argued that it does not matter if the results vary from occasion to occasion because it is consistent for the cohort of students from year to year. However, if other states or countries, for example, use a different equating procedure and the results are compared, then there is an equity problem. The extent of the problem is dependent upon the robustness of the model to varying degrees of misfit.

Consumer satisfaction is a central topic in marketing. In the literature, a variety of conceptual models have been developed to capture the satisfaction formation process, with the dominant framework being the disconfirmation paradigm. However, despite its widespread acceptance and support, there is still a lack of clarity, especially regarding the role and relative importance of perceived performance in determining satisfaction. It has been suggested that satisfaction research has advanced into a stage where potential moderator variables need to be examined in order to explain previous mixed findings. The current research proposes a contingency model of the satisfaction formation process, which posits that the nature of the relationships between satisfaction and its two key antecedents (i.e., perceived performance and disconfirmation) is contingent on one situational moderator (ambiguity) and two individual moderators (experience and involvement). Empirical testing of the model is in the form of a cross-sectional survey in China's mobile phone services industry using a convenience student sample obtained from one Chinese university. The results show that both disconfirmation and perceived performance have a direct impact on satisfaction under conditions of low experience or high involvement, whereas satisfaction is solely determined by perceived performance in situations of high experience or low involvement. In addition, the results also support a joint moderator influence of ambiguity and experience on the relationships between satisfaction and its antecedents, which is especially true in the case of high ambiguity and low experience.

The purpose of this research is to develop and empirically test a conceptual framework for examining the effects of advertising exposure on consumer memory so as to better understand the information processing of advertisements. Patterns and levels of performance on various tests of memory for different advertisement components are interpreted within the framework of a memory model adapted from the well-known SAM model in psychology. Predictions are made regarding the effects on recall, recognition, and indirect test performance of an ad's execution strength and relevance to the main message elements, and elaboration (semantic versus nondirected). The general diagnostic procedures are illustrated in a study of humor in advertising. Subjects viewed print ads with variations in the humorous execution's strength and relevance to the brand claims either without explicit instructions to elaborate or with a task requiring semantic elaboration of the links between the humor and the brand claims. Subsequently they completed a (direct) recognition or recall task, or an indirect test of memory for various ad components. The results, though not entirely systematic, show that memory for the brand name and brand claim components vary as a function of stimulus characteristics and the processing operations at encoding. Second, the findings show that the ad components may facilitate or interfere with each other. High levels of attention to one ad component may lead to lower memory performance on other components. Third, this research shows how a theory-based set of comparisons of memory test performance may be used to identify the locus of effects, viz., at encoding or at retrieval. Memory failures due to lack of encoding attention to the ad are distinguished from the inability to retrieve the encoded information later. Finally, the study demonstrates the use of indirect tasks in testing advertising effects that implicate implicit retrieval processes from memory. The patterns of parallel versus dissociated performance on traditional direct versus indirect tests offer insights into various types of advertising effects on memory. The academic and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

Regional land use planning in the Yukon has a long and unfortunate history of failed efforts. Under Chapter 11 of the Yukon First Nations Umbrella Final Agreement, a new process for planning has been in place since 1993. Through qualitative, interview-based research, I explore possible factors that either hinder or facilitate successful planning. I used the North Yukon regional land use planning effort as a case study example of the first plan to be successfully approved in Yukon history. A number of challenges resulting from poorly defined roles and responsibilities caused notable struggles and conflict throughout the process, but fortunately, strong political support and micro and meso – level organization, combined with a solid team of skilled and dedicated people, allowed the process to ultimately succeed. Lessons learned and recommendations for future regional planning initiatives are discussed.

This qualitative phenomenological study involving in-depth interviews with seven educators in K-12 and higher education examines the role that the microblogging service Twitter plays in the formation and development of Personal Learning Networks (PLN) among educators. A double hermeneutic data analysis shows that Twitter plays a role in the formation and development of PLNs by allowing educators to; engage in consistent and sustained dialogue with their PLN, access the collective knowledge of their PLN, amplify and promote more complex thoughts and ideas to a large audience, and expand their PLN using features unique to Twitter. This research also examines the nature of a PLN and shows that participants believe their PLN extends beyond their Twitter network to encompass both face-to-face and other ICT mediated relationships. Secondary research questions examine how Twitter differs from other social networking tools in mediating relationships within a PLN, what motivates an educator to develop a PLN, how trust is established in a PLN, what the expectations of reciprocity are within a PLN, and what is the nature of informal learning within a PLN. Keywords: Twitter, microblogging, Personal Learning Network, PLN, informal learning

This study explored the current opinions of Chinese citizens on environmental sustainability in China, while inquiring about the role of the Chinese government in shaping public consciousness on environmentalism. This case study was a qualitative analysis that was informed by both grounded theory and ethnographic content analysis (ECA) conducted through fifteen open-ended interviews with Chinese citizens and content analysis of government documents and media coverage that pertain to environmentalism. During the data collection and analysis process, the researcher considered the cultural landscape of China and reflected on how the media, Chinese spirituality, and communication patterns affect the conceptualization of environmentalism by citizens. This research found that public awareness of environmental sustainability is influenced by a social hierarchy of needs, philosophical legacies, allegiance to authority, and China‟s global position. Consequently, this research uncovered the importance of cultivating cultural awareness when non-Chinese citizens approach the topic of environmentalism in China. Keywords: Chinese Government, Environmentalism, Public Opinion, Grounded Theory