Student Research Project Presented at Global Business Conference

Kushla Porter used to be intimidated by the idea of research. She was pushed out of her comfort zone when she was the only participant from Aotearoa to present at a Global Business Conference and now had a new-found confidence.   

Kushla is in the final year of her Bachelor of Applied Management (Business Management) at Toi Ohomai and one of the papers is Applied Business Research. 

She admits she was nervous about undertaking a research paper but says it has provided her with new opportunities and new ways of thinking. 

Tutor Darlyn Chutuape was contacted by a good friend who was the chair of the 17th Global Business Conference about participating. The conference was organised by the Association of Training Institutions for Foreign Trade in Asia and the Pacific (ATIFTAP).

“We were invited by the conference organisers to share what research we are doing from our side of the globe. I was keen to share Kushla’s work on exploring barriers in provider-to-provider communication in our primary health care system (GPs and outpatient clinics).” 

Darlyn says it was a great way to share their research and whilst it sounds like a healthcare issue, the topic was more about leadership and communication.

“We thought the topic fit with the conference theme which centred on global issues - as efficiency and effectiveness of primary healthcare organisations is a global concern.

“Kushla did an excellent job of developing her research proposal throughout the semester of doing our Applied Business Research paper.” 

For Kushla, the project was personal as she has been in the health system with her child for the past 11 years. 

“When we started this paper, I was quite nervous as the idea of research is quite daunting, but Darlyn encouraged us to pick a topic that we were interested in or passionate about. This has actually become my favourite paper so far.” 

The conference was held in Manila, but Darlyn and Kushla joined online. In total, there were 40 presenters with Darlyn and Kushla being the only presenters from Aotearoa. 

Research presenters were a combination of undergraduate students, master's graduates, and university professors sharing their research outputs. Industry experts were also present, who were able to examine the presentations and offer helpful feedback.  

“I was nervous before presenting," Kushla says. 

“I had no idea what to expect, but I got to watch other presenters and I realised there was no pressure, and it was more about feedback. The environment was very friendly and encouraging.”

She says the experience has given her valuable insights into a different aspect of business and opened her mind to new opportunities in the future. 

“It has also given me the confidence to feel comfortable in that environment and also just presenting in general.”

Darlyn also hopes that she’s able to facilitate future students to present at the global conference. 

“I’ve had some really good projects from students in the past and it would be great to expose them to that environment.”