Written by: The word worriers/warriorsThis article uses four academics' gendered and cultural responses to life in a university in Aotearoa New Zealand under the new managerialist regime. Performance Based Research Funding (PBRF) requires academics to submit evidence-based portfolios every six years to categorise and rank them, with government funding assigned accordingly. When the authors met as members of a writing group, the talk often turned to negative aspects of PBRF. Using cooperative enquiry, the four co-researchers began writing observations of their individual experiences, differences and identities to help them reflect and understand the impact of the changed environment. The four phases of writing as enquiry were: deciding on a focus, writing observations, engaging with the written accounts and interpreting the outcome through metaphor. The article process facilitated a positive outcome by helping the authors regain a sense of collegiality and mutual support, along with a sense of preserving their academic identity by writing and publishing as a group.

Changes to government policy, deregulation and corporatization in New Zealand have influenced the number and status of women on boards of directors. Using company records, archival material and interviews, examines gender equity on boards of directors in New Zealand and compares the progress of women on the boards of corporate companies in the private sector with those on crown company boards in the public sector. While increasing numbers of New Zealand women are entering the business arena, they continue to be underrepresented in the boardrooms and there exists a clear disparity between gender representation on the boards of crown and corporate companies with women being disadvantaged in the private sector. Includes interview material from women who have successfully achieved directorships and examines the approaches they adopted. Outlines some positive steps to assist women in the bid for corporate directorship, but suggests that the challenge of changing corporate and societal attitudes remains.

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The impact of the deregulation of New Zealand's labour market on women is seriously under-researched and to date available scholarship tends to concentrate on collective bargaining with little written about the effects of de-regulation on women in management. The Employment Contracts Act 1991 was presented by supporters as offering women more flexibility in negotiating wages and conditions. Employers' spokeswoman Ann Knowles argues that the legislation empowers women because it allows them to take greater responsibility for their own needs and aspirations. Critics of the Act suggest that the labour flexibility strategies of government and management are contributing to the marginalization of women's work, and that minority women fare worst. Hammond and Harbridge argue that the assumption that gender neutrality underpins the labour market is a fallacy and Hyman criticizes labour market deregulation on the grounds that it perpetuates existing structures of inequality. Examines the experiences of top women managers in negotiating individual contracts under the Employment Contracts Act. In the case studies these women leaders describe their experiences of negotiating their own rewards and working arrangements. Explores whether female managers on individual contracts believe the Employment Contracts Act 1991 delivers the promise of labour market flexibility.

The Problem. Universities are patriarchal institutions. More males reach upper levels of the academic hierarchy than females. The authors were concerned that their university had a marginally lower percentage of female professors than others in their country and used a survey and interviews to explore the facts behind the figures. The Solution. Statistics showed that though fewer females applied for promotion, proportionately more female applicants were successful. The authors researched what helped female professors and associate professors gain promotion and explored views on the spillover between work and family/community roles. Promotion enhancement factors included encouragement from department heads and senior colleagues. Family/community roles were seen to spillover positively to work, though work could negatively affect time for family and community involvement. The Stakeholders. These findings could encourage proactive mentoring of female academic staff by managers, and increase HR and HRD support for family-friendly policies and training programs.