Yana Geary has been awarded the 2022-2023 Dame Suzanne Snively Scholarship.
Yana graduated from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington in 2021 with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Management and Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations. While undertaking her studies on a part-time basis, Yana worked at the Faculty of Law for nearly two decades as a member of the professional staff.
Following the completion of her degree, Yana commenced a Master of Commerce (Management) programme at the Wellington School of Business and Government to pursue her interest and passion for organisational ethics management.
Yana told the Transparency Times:
“I am immensely honoured, humbled and grateful to be awarded the prestigious Transparency International NZ Dame Suzanne Snively Scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. Receiving this scholarship has been deeply meaningful and inspiring to me on a personal and professional level, and I am sincerely thankful for the support and opportunities this scholarship will provide for my current research and future career aspirations.
I am excited to begin my Master’s thesis research at the law enforcement agency, New Zealand Police. NZ Police are at the leading edge of developing and implementing organisational integrity systems comprising both compliance-based and values-based strategies to sustain and enhance organisational integrity.
My thesis will adopt mixed-method research to examine the internal management of complaints from citizens about the police. The complaints system is embedded within the broader integrity system of the police and offers an opportunity to investigate the handling and follow-up of complaints, and to identify specific areas for improvement. This study aims to contribute towards NZ Police’s efforts to optimise their ethics management and further strengthen police integrity. I hope to provide meaningful implications for practice to enhance public trust and confidence in the police.”
This research aligns with some key themes on the NZ Police Strategic Research Agenda / Te Rautaki Kaupapa Rangahau o Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa 2020-2022, and is supported by both the Assurance Group and Integrity and Conduct Group at Police National Headquarters.
Yana’s thesis will be supervised by VUW Professor Karin Lasthuizen, Brian Picot Chair in Ethical Leadership - Aritahi.
This is the second year of the scholarship which generates and supports research focussing around transparency and integrity.
