Researchers
Professor Sally Davenport
With 15 years' experience in researching innovation and technology strategy, project leader Sally Davenport has particular expertise in the evolution of New Zealand's high tech small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In this project, Sally's focus will be to understand how firms employ intellectual capital, innovation and knowledge management strategies, and how collaborative efforts contribute to collective productivity.
Professor Judy Motion
Professor of Management and Marketing at Wollongong University, Judy Motion is an internationally recognised researcher in the areas of communication, marketing and public policy. In this project, Judy is particularly interested in using discourse analysis to investigate firm level communication about productivity issues.
Professor Shirley Leitch
Dean of Commerce at Wollongong University, Shirley is renowned for her research on corporate branding and public communication. Shirley's role in this project will be to explore the use and influence of symbolic capital within firm communication about collective productivity.
Associate Professor Urs Daellenbach
Associate Professor at the Victoria University of Wellington Management School, Urs is an internationally regarded strategy researcher. He has particular expertise in the 'Resource Based View' of the firm in assessing firm resources and how they underpin sustainable competitive advantage. His main focus in this project will be to assess the contribution of rare and inimitable capitals and strategies in contributing to firm productivity.
Jane Bryson
Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington Management School, Jane Bryson was an industrial psychologist and recently co-led the Developing Human Capability Project, In this project, Jane is exploring how individual and collective HRM practices interact, and how the human resource function of firms can adapt to support collective as well as individual productivity goals.
Geoff Mason
Geoff Mason is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, UK. Geoff is a London-based economist whose current projects include work for the New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development. He has carried out extensive research into firm and sector level productivity issues in Europe and the US, including a recent study of productivity, product strategies and skills for the UK Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Geoff will guide the team on adapting matched sample methodologies.
Michelle Renton
Project Manager Michelle Renton comes to this project after working as a research consultant. She has responsibility for managing the research programme, co-ordinating the team, reporting progress and disseminating findings. Michelle has a PhD in management from the University of Canterbury.