Master of Professional Practice research submissions

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Research for our Master of Professional Practice students is centred on an in-depth industry-relevant project, in virtually any discipline or sector. This can be carried out in an organisation a student works for or with, has a key functional relationship with, or in their self-employment. Students investigate the issue they have identified, develop an approach for resolving it, and implement processes to achieve the desired outcome.

Author	Title	Award date
Harvey, Geoffrey	‘Thank You for Telling our Story’: An Exploration of the Needs of Migrant Nurses Undergoing Competence Assessment	2022-12-13
Tautz, Juliane	"She’ll be right" - Culture change through the lens of redeveloping culinary management and leadership	2024-11-28
Cotter, Regan	A mixed case study on workplace wellbeing	2023-11-20
Darroll, Venessa	A sustainability strategy implementation for a software development company: A comprehensive framework	2022-06-30
Kerby, Sarah	A woman’s place is in the House…of Representatives: How Labour women can use Direct Voter Contact to support their election campaigns	2022-08-09
Jennings, Stephen	Adapting investment services in Aotearoa: Navigating digital disruption through a changing landscape	2024-02-02
Oehley, Claire	Adolescent career clarity: Exploring career interventions from an adolescent perspective	2020-03-19
Papps, Sally-Ann	An ecosystem for the sentient object - Two new taxonomic models for New Zealand museums	2025-03-17
Naumai, Averil	An Entrepreneurial Journey	2023-12-12
Ellis, Kylie	An exploration into the personal and professional impact of the Bachelor of Applied Management on a small business owner	2021-12-06
Mansouri Garakani, Masoud	An investigation into the drivers of employee self-engagement through the application of Police High Performance Framework	2021-06-17
Hibbs, John	Anchors into mindfulness	2015-10-16
Murray, Kiritapu	Animal assisted therapy with young people in Aotearoa	2018-06-29
Jensen, Andy	Articulation of a (new, elevated) fourth level Insurance Broker professional status, with a case study in cyber insurance sales	2019-08-19
Wright, Kathryn	Barriers to help-seeking for mental health issues in young rural males	2022-10-10
Whyte, Stewart	Blending tikanga with management for effective practice	2016-12-02
Brooks, Tom	Blueprint transferability of police best practice in iwi family conferencing	2017-04-21
Ellis, Rowan	Can long-term musculoskeletal, spinal pain improve with movement education using SEMG biofeedback?	2021-06-23
McAleese, Shea	Central Hockey high performance review	2015-05-15
McLoughlin, Nicholas Bryce	Change management in higher education: Lessons learnt from the implementation of problem based learning at Bahrain Polytechnic	2016-01-30
Bradfield, Teresa	Clinical governance, organisational culture, leadership	2019-10-23
Brosnahan, Thomas	Communication and trust in a rapidly changing environment: Product Owners in the gaming industry	2021-05-18
Muir, Abbie-Louise	Creating a workflow that aims to respond to the unique needs of young people in Emergency Supports in Aotearoa New Zealand	2023-08-03
Parr, Agnieszka	Creative development. Employing design in helping creative practitioners transition into a money-generating sustainable practice	2018-06-29
Woodhouse, Adrian	Culinary arts pedagogy: A critical enquiry into its knowledge, power and identity formation	2015-11-13
Cleland, Jordan	Cultivating a culture of innovation in higher education	2014-10-03
Thomas, Jeff	Curriculum development and delivery of secondary culinary arts programmes: Is there a recipe for success?	2018-02-21
Wilson, Richard	Developing a professional framework of practice within a project management environment	2019-07-01
Nistor, Vera	Developing an experiential learning practice model for students at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus (OPAIC) to make use of in their further studies (based on ESOL learning strategies)	2020-06-30
Keegan, Pam	Developing best practice guidelines in designing physical learning environments for students with complex needs	2022-03-10
Ellwood, Steve	Developing pragmatic learning principles through embedding Human-Centred Design	2018-10-15
Boyle, Finn	Echoes of wisdom - Regenerative practice as professional practice	2023-09-08
Cummins, Samuel	Empowering community and philanthropic funders: The case for investment in non-market housing	2025-04-15
Norriss, Lyle	Establishing a strategy to create a safe community space in and around Selwyn Reserve, Mission Bay, Auckland	2022-11-23
Pfyl, Daniel	Evaluate the effectiveness of project-based learning in a hospitality management programme for developing work-ready students	2019-12-10
Brook, Lesley	Evaluating the Emotional Impact of Environmental Artworks Using Q Methodology	2021-08-05
Tamayo Mortera, Orquidea	Expanding Diversional and Recreational Therapy to other healthcare and support settings	2023-12-08
Olin, Veronique	Exploring a self-evaluation approach to assess diversity, equity, and inclusion at Otago Polytechnic	2023-01-26
Vaughan, Jamie	Exploring role transition and professional identity in ICT	2018-10-26
Searle, Rosalind	Exploring the application of Design Thinking to develop a work-based learning programme for hospitality and tourism	2023-11-22
Mackinnon, Fiona	Exploring the value of adverse life experiences of social service and support workers	2021-12-08
Verma, Narinder	Fieldwork policies and processes - Bachelor of Occupational Therapy - A handbook for fieldwork lecturers	2018-09-19
Meyer, Bridget	How and why information should be stored and shared for people with high and complex support needs	2019-08-01
Geytenbeek, Helen	How can the NZ Diploma in Tourism and Travel pave the way for a regenerative future in tourism?	2023-06-06
Harlow, Hugh	How did I get here? A reflection on creativity and identity	2018-11-28
Forbes, Alexa	How organisations disrupt 'business as usual' in response to exponential environmental and technological change and the relevance of this to mainstreaming sustainable practice	2017-08-24
Meek, Phillip	How relevant is the metal trades brand for work-ready students to consider as a serious career?	2023-06-06
Apulu, Peter	How to grow a culturally responsive career practice	2022-01-26
Hodge, Vicie	Human Resource support for middle managers going through change management processes	2022-02-08
Ede, Stephen	Identifying best practice in sport coaching and its application in coach education	2018-12-17
Madden, Evan	Identifying motivational factors to increase the selection of a career in the engineering profession	2022-03-08
Staples, James	Improving Teaching Practice using Peer Observation of Teaching while participating in a Community of Practice	2023-05-25
Munro, Laura	Influence of social media in nutrition and physical activity education	2019-06-24
Mann, Steph	Insights into the impacts Facebook can have on management decisions for (recreational) sport horses in New Zealand	2021-12-09
Wang, Wenling	Integrating positive psychology coaching approach with embodiment: An integrative coaching model	2019-08-15
Amrullah, Amir	International students' home culture's influence on learning and their learning model: The reflection	2020-07-23
Tahau, Shaun	Ko te reo Māori te tatau ki te ao: Rautaki reo Māori ki Te Kura Matatini ki Otago	2022-10-29
Kerr, James	Leaders' contribution to safety culture and empowering them to succeed	2023-12-12
Brown, Francesca	Leadership for change in the veterinary industry	2021-02-03
Taylor, Gary	Leadership in reflective practice - Strategies to encourage others to build a reflective community	2017-02-28
Clark, Leeann	Managing challenging workplace behaviours constructively	2019-06-07
Thomas-Pye, Liza	Mental health and wellbeing supports for construction workers: Current initiatives and potential for the future	2024-06-08
Body, Simon	Movement dysfunction: Diagnosis and correction processes for practitioners	2019-06-24
van Gorp, Rachel	Neurodiversity in vocational education: Facilitating success	2022-11-25
Dibble, Rachel	Not without consequence: Tangata Whenua Tiriti educators in tertiary learning spaces	2024-05-22
Budd, Hannah	Our people - A leadership development programme for Cardrona Alpine Resort	2018-12-17
Kumeroa-Tichbon, Judith	Performance management: Coaching for performance	2019-07-19
Mitchell, Carleen	Playcentre leadership: A learning story	2020-05-12
Brading, Fiona	Players’ perspectives: How do New Zealand professional rugby players view personal development?​	2023-07-10
Hessian, Andrea	Professional identity and anticipating change	2021-02-10
Rice, Cat	Raising awareness in the New Zealand veterinary profession of the links between animal abuse and family violence	2020-11-30
Allott, Paul	Raising the bar	2015-10-31
Small, Lavinia	Redefining power through Incidental Activism: Recreating the Living Room as a space of Radical Kindness	2024-11-30
Morton, Clare	Reflective Practices for Veterinary Nurses	2022-09-20
Rangi, Ana	Renegotiating the narrative: EQ students’ attitudes and engagement in relation to the language of the Socioeconomic Equity ‘EQ’ Project and inequity	2023-03-02
Forsyth, Glenys	Research ethics as practice	2022-10-02
Koduri, Naresh	Rural entrepreneurship for sustainable rural development with Conscious Capitalism	2021-03-21
Alexander, Rex	Safe steps	2017-06-29
Halstead, Aaron	Social entrepreneurship: A not-for-profile perspective	2015-07-27
Forde, Kyle	Standards and interoperability in health IT	2019-04-15
Smidt, Amanda	Strategies for career education in New Zealand schools to foster 21st century career development	2018-07-23
Fogarty-Perry, Barbara	Strategies that enhance resilience in parents of children with physical disability	2019-10-22
Mitchell, Peter	Sustainable Continuous Change Practices	2022-06-14
Wallace, Andrew	Sustaining a culture of innovation delivery in society. A practice-led study of the role of design thinking frameworks	2023-10-06
Dyachenko, Elena	The advancement towards implementation of electric vehicles in New Zealand	2020-03-19
Kane, Jared	The art of keeping tigers - Organisational vulnerability profiling: Developing a model of hazard protection measures to reflect the efforts of an organisation in managing its vulnerabilities	2020-04-06
Karetai, Mawera Gina-Marie	The introduction, classification and management of marsupial species (Trichosurus vulpecula and Marcropus eugenii) in the Bay of Plenty to December 2015	2016-10-19
McCarthy, Shirley	The merging of identities: From trade professional to tertiary education professional	2024-07-20
Simmons, Michael	The optimisation of leadership development	2017-12-11
Syme, Danny	The Rise of Circotica: Rebuilding an urban circus company in post-earthquake Christchurch	2018-08-08
Smith, Lindsay	The role of the assessor in the assessment process	2019-02-05
Misken, Les	Three paths to grassroots software team engagement	2018-10-10
Hocking, Karen	Transforming as a public sector leader amid changing times	2023-06-06
Turnbull, Jonathan	Unplanned downtime: Factors affecting spray dryer performance within the dairy industry	2024-03-20
Cortez, Sahlee	Using reflective practice as a tool for becoming a facilitator in reflective education practice	2019-06-28
Waitai, Kiri	Values-based practice for transformative purposes in a tertiary institute in New Zealand	2023-06-16
Foketi, Chantelle	What are the elements of alternative education which encourage and allow support of at-risk youth to gain NCEA level one and pursue higher education	2019-07-18
Connolly, Susannah	What is the gift of spiritual direction for women going through a season of dissidence, of deconstruction and reconstruction of faith?	2021-04-19