UC Research Repository
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The UC Research Repository collects, stores and makes available original research from postgraduate students, researchers and academics based at the University of Canterbury.
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Evaluating the effectiveness of the Stand Tu Maia’s Theraplay parenting workshop for fathers and male caregivers.
(2024) Kalauta, Takofe
Men's engagement in parenting programmes can positively impact them and improve their children's life outcomes. However, men are underrepresented in parenting interventions, including the Theraplay parenting workshop (TPW) delivered at Stand in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This study examined the effectiveness of the Therapy parent workshops for fathers and male caregivers in Christchurch to evaluate if it met their needs. In this qualitative research, fathers and male caregivers were interviewed to understand their experiences and address the potential barriers to engagement. The analysis indicates that several factors influenced their engagement, such as the influence of professional support people, agencies understanding and targeting their needs, support with accessibility, and the men’s motivations to want to improve their relationships with their children. The identified barriers were the influences of others, such as professionals and other caregivers, societal expectations regarding their role as fathers, a lack of information, and accessibility. The findings suggest that a targeted approach is needed by service and education providers that meet the needs of fathers and male caregivers to increase their engagement in parenting interventions, and at present, this is lacking.
Evaluating the feasibility of virtual reality technology to train New Zealand firefighters in rural firefighting.
(2024) Wheeler, Steven G.
Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers numerous potential benefits for firefighter training, including
enhanced learning outcomes achieved through a realistic, safe and assessable environment. However,
at present, VR’s effect on knowledge transfer is largely unknown, with previous research primarily
focusing on procedural knowledge acquisition in urban environments. Moreover, technology acceptance
factors, particularly relevant in the context of firefighting organisations, have not been thoroughly
examined when considering the implementation of VR in firefighter training. This thesis investigates
how VR can support learning, whether it could supplement or replace current routines and factors
among firefighters that lead to the acceptance of VR technology. For this purpose, a VR learning
environment (VRLE) and design framework, including an in-depth profile of the potential end-user,
were developed and evaluated in two user studies. The first study compared the learning outcomes of
the current official textbook material and the VRLE, finding that the VRLE is more motivating and
interesting to users without confirming VRLE’s superior knowledge transfer over the textbook. The
second study evaluated the VRLE with firefighters and identified important factors to consider in
technology acceptance through validating constructs of the technology acceptance model. Qualitative
data gathered feedback and perspectives on using VR in this context, identifying areas where VR
could be the most suitable and effective. The thesis concludes with a SWOT analysis that synthesises
the user studies’ results, providing a detailed account of the state of the technology and identifying
strong avenues for further research and important factors to consider when introducing VR in this
domain. This thesis contributes to the field by furthering the understanding of VR’s potential for
learning and its applicability to firefighter concepts. The user profile, design framework, and interview
data from firefighters provide a solid knowledge resource to aid future designs in better meeting the
demands of the firefighting profession and considering important technology acceptance factors.
The sexual victimisation disclosure processes model.
(2024) Catton, Ashley Keith Hoani
This thesis explored the dynamics of sexual victimisation disclosure through the development and empirical validation of the Sexual Victimisation Disclosure Processes Model (svDPM). The model posits that disclosure is an ongoing, relational, and complex process, where risks and benefits are constantly weighed, with each disclosure experience shaping further re-disclosure. It unifies the extant literature and identifies key areas for further research. Across three studies, this research examined the barriers and facilitators of disclosure, identifying then elaborating upon the roles of shame and invalidation in either inhibiting or facilitating re-disclosure. Study 1 introduced a gender-inclusive paradigm for identifying victims of sexual violations, investigating both reasons for and against disclosure. Study 2 experimentally examined the effects of invalidating feedback on shame and its subsequent impact on re-disclosure decisions. Study 3B further investigated how perceptions of invalidation, individual traits, and shame management strategies influence re-disclosure intentions. These findings offer insights into how shame, invalidation, and shame-management strategies contribute to the disclosure process. This work provides practical implications for professionals by guiding the establishment of safe environments conducive to voluntary disclosure, through highlighting the importance of minimising perceptions of invalidation and addressing shame in therapeutic settings.
Leader humility in driving successful digital transformation.
(2025) Li, Daisy
The purpose of this study is to explore how leader humility contributes to the success of digital transformation (DT). With the rapid advancements in digital technologies, organisations are under increasing pressure to engage in DT to remain competitive. Leader humility has been recognised for its positive impact on DT outcomes; however, empirical studies are yet to be conducted to understand how leader humility contributes to DT success. This qualitative single-case study used semi-structured interviews with 17 participants from a large Aotearoa New Zealand-based higher education institution to answer the following research questions: (a) What contributes to successful DT; (b) What role does leader humility play in achieving success. The interviews captured the perspectives of end users, DT experts, and humble leaders involved in DT, offering a nuanced understanding of the role of leader humility in achieving successful DT from diverse perspectives. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that successful DT is a people-centred change process that integrates technology with user capabilities. Leader humility humanises this process by emphasising the role of employees, who are integral to what successful DT entails. This study contributes to the growing body of research on successful DT, leader humility, and organisational change management, providing practical implications for leaders and HR practitioners in developing and supporting humble leaders to navigate the disruptions of DT.
Intersections of three longest paths in polyhedral graphs.
(2024) McLachlan, John
In this thesis, we investigate the conjecture that every set of three longest paths of
a connected graph intersect. In particular, we examine this conjecture for the class
of polyhedral graphs.
First, we review when sets of longest paths of a connected graph intersect. We
explore the literature regarding the classes of graphs in which sets of longest paths
have been proved to intersect.
Then, we outline the core properties of polyhedral graphs, and discuss their
construction and minimality. We examine the history of finding non-Hamiltonian
polyhedral graphs, and briefly explore the enumeration of small non-Hamiltonian
polyhedral graphs.
Next, we present a series of properties of a counterexample to the conjecture
that every set of three longest paths of a polyhedral graph intersect. We examine
the viability of a minimality argument in the approach to this conjecture, and state
three known configurations which are forbidden in a counterexample.
We then present a novel forbidden configuration in a 3-connected counterexample,
with at most 20 vertices, to the conjecture that every set of three longest paths
of a connected graph intersect. Finally, we use this result to prove that there are no
3-connected graphs with at most 20 vertices in the space of minimal counterexamples
to this conjecture.