ICT in the New Zealand Family Court

The New Zealand Family Court (NZFC) is an ideal public sector application for social informatics. In a study investigating ICT-assisted communications which was conducted with multiple court stakeholders, paradoxical results emerged. This research is positioned within a five-fold layered theoretical framework encompassing: private/public space; sense of self; emotional energies; digital citizenship; and (Sawyer, 2005)’s five common observations about research in the field of social informatics. This richly textured theoretical framework provides grounding for results within and across disciplines revealing deeply engrained behaviours, emotional states, customs, workplace cultures, and the problems associated with solving private problems in public spaces

Organisational pathways: creativity to productivity

In this paper a new model (Bounded Innovation Management Model, BIMM) based on systems thinking principles is presented to contribute to the research being conducted in mapping creativity to productivity pathways. This research was conducted in five information technology companies in New Zealand all presenting different pathways from creativity to productivity. It has been discovered that: (i) evolutionary pathways oscillates about and are contained by the bounds that are in place through management practices; (ii) revolutionary pathways tend to operate outside such bounds and oscillate in the surrounding space; (iii) the creative pathway to successful production tends to be stifled if completely contained within management bounds; and (iv) managers’ perceived pathways may vary from the actual pathways within an organisation. This research contributes to the existing systems thinking body of knowledge

Success and Learning Style Alignment in Introductory Business Computing

In this paper, three-year study conducted with first year undergraduate business computing students enrolled at a New Zealand higher education institution is considered. Results suggest that there is an educational challenge in higher education at entry level. One hundred and eighty five students from seven different ethnic backgrounds using a seven-dimension learning style scale were tested. Using a comparison of student learning style results against instructor learning style result, and student final grade, the observed learning style score resulted in an identifiable group of first-year students. Further, there is a procedure to enhance success for this group

Marketing Innovative Software: A New Zealand Case Study

This paper addresses the problem of identifying success factors for new innovative software products to enter the market. A model for marketing innovative software products (MISP) that has evolved from Moore’s (2002) ‘crossing the chasm’ metaphor is discussed. Catalysts and barriers that are relevant in the context of MISP throughout the first stages of a technology adoption life cycle from innovators to the early majority have been identified. A case study method has been adopted to apply this model to a small innovative software organisation in New Zealand. Exploratory research was chosen to investigate the phenomenon under consideration. The research illustrates an exploratory single case study applying a deductive framework approach. In this study it is suggested that the exploitation and saturation of each stage of the adoption life cycle is critical for overall product success. Relevant catalysts and barriers vary in each phase of the adoption life cycle which requires an alignment of respective marketing strategies. The factor sets that emerged from a literature review were extended by factors identified from case analysis. It has been discovered that participants’ perceived stage may vary from the actual stage of adoption. The barriers and catalysts perceived by each employee vary perhaps because of a lack of marketing competencies and different world views. Potential areas for change have been identified and future directions are made for this particular SME

ICT Enabled Communication in the Family Court: Eliciting the Child\u27s Voice

This paper explores ICT-enabled communication for children in separated families in New Zealand and for the families themselves in their communication with the public sphere and with public authority. Within the multiple private spaces occupied by the post-separation family, financial, custodial and technological inequalities are likely to exist. Results to date suggest that a significant catalyst for children’s voices is their higher ICT skill level. The same can be argued for parents’ voices. ICT is valued by legal practitioners to facilitate running their own business but the importance of ICT for children and their parents is not recognized by them. Furthermore, members of the helping professions do not possess high ICT skill levels and do not perceive the use of ICT as a means of representing children’s views or those of their parents

Sustainable Economic ICT Strategy: A Proposed Framework

In this proposed research framework, sustainability is added to the list of OECD digital economic rankings (\u3e100), which reflect the ability for the world\u27s countries to absorb information and communications technology (ICT) for economic and social benefit. The framework proposed adds three levels of environmental factors and categorizes the existing criteria into clusters to form a holistic evaluation framework for sustaining economic ICT strategy

Increasing p-type dye sensitised solar cell photovoltages using polyoxometalates

Lindqvist polyoxometalate (POM) additives increase VOC in p-type DSSCs by up to 140%, yielding substantial efficiency gains for poorly matched dyes and redox mediators. For better dye/electrolyte combinations, these gains are typically outweighed by losses in JSC. Charge lifetime and transient IR measurements show that this is due to retardation of both recombination and electron transfer to the mediator, and a positive shift in the NiO valence band edge. The POMs also show their own, limited sensitizing effect

Extending human potential in a technical learning environment

This thesis is a report of a participatory inquiry process looking at enhancing the learning process in a technical academic field in high education by utilising tools and techniques which go beyond the rational/logical, intellectual domain in a functional, objective world. By empathising with, nurturing and sustaining the whole person, and taking account of past patterning as well as future visions including technological advances to augment human awareness, the scene is set for depth learning. Depth learning in a tertiary environment can only happen as a result of the dynamic that exists between the dominant, logical/rational, intellectual paradigm and the experiential extension of the boundaries surrounding this domain. Any experiences which suppress the full, holistic expression of our being alienate us from the fullness of the expression and hence from depth learning. Depth learning is indicated by intrinsic motivation, which is more likely to occur in a trusting and supporting environment. The research took place within a systemic intellectual framework, where emergence is the prime characteristic used to evaluate results

Mindful Knowing

In this paper the concept of mindfulness is explored as a construct that enables complexity, democracy and sustainability to be embraced in a ‘natural’ rather than a ‘learned’ manner In adapting Prensky's (2001) metaphor of ‘digital native’ and digital immigrant’, we have the opportunity to become ‘mindful natives’ rather than ‘mindful immigrants’. First, mindfulness (Fielden, 2005) is defined to encapsulate knowing intellectually, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Mindfulness in its interconnectedness is then defined and explored. Next, mindfulness as a necessary precondition for understanding and working within the complex systems that exist in organizations is discussed. A plan for incorporating mindful practices within organizational change that are both systemic and sustainable is described. Finally, mindfulness in its interconnectedness for a global and sustainable future is explored