Associate Professor Jennifer Susan Lees-Marshment

Biography

Dr Jennifer Lees-Marshment is a research-led but practice-oriented academic.

Author/editor of 14 books, a world expert in political marketing, and A-rated in the NZ research assessment (PBRF) she was also Academic Advisor to TVNZ’s Vote Compass (2014, 2017) and Kiwimeter (2015) initiatives, engaging over a million members of the public in discussing politics and policy and facilitating the University and TVNZ partnering to host the first ever 1 News Young Voters Debate in 2017. Jennifer has presented her research to government staff and won the International Associaton for Public Participation Research Award for Australasia and was appointed to Chair the NZ Magna Carta 800th anniversary committee and promote commemorations by government, professional and educational organisations. See this video on how her research had impact through Vote Compass. 

In her teaching Jennifer seeks to embed transferrable skills and develop employability, and her innovative course The Practice of Politics explores the nature, suitability, skills and ethics needed to get and succeed when working in politics, government and IR. She created an online resource Teaching the Practice of Politics for other colleagues who wish to teach their own employability course.

Research | Current

Dr Lees-Marshment is a research-led but practice-oriented academic who researches the relationship between politicians, government and public opinion, mainly through the field of political marketing which she has established international expertise in, but more recently, political leadership. She is author/editor of 13 books. Her forthcoming book The Ministry of Public Input considers how public input through different forms (market research, consultation and deliberation) can be integrated into political leadership, and draws on 51 interviews with ministers in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the US about public input in government.

Jennifer also aims to support the work of other scholars through research organisation and nurturing leadership, and engage in transfer knowledge through involving practitioners in academic life and applying research to practice.

In her teaching she seeks to embed transferrable skills and applied work alongside a philosophy of collaborative teaching using peer tutors and online resources and in particular a new course The Practice of Politics. She also teaches courses on Political Marketing and Political Management in Government. See www.lees-marshment.org for further details.

Teaching | Current

POLITICS 315 The Practice of Politics - see resource centre at  https://www.coursebuilder.cad.auckland.ac.nz/flexiblelearning/practice-of-politics/ (Auckland login only)

POLITICS 345 Political Marketing - see www.political-marketing.org

POLITICS 704 Political Management in Government 

Previously taught course:

POLITICS 213 Media, Opinion and Propaganda - see resource centre https://flexiblelearning.auckland.ac.nz/pols231/

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Lees-Marshment can supervise graduate research in political marketing, political management, political parties and elections, political communication, political leadership, government and public consultation and government management/marketing. Previous students have worked on topics such as market-oriented parties, market-oriented communication of leaders, political public relations, branding government departments, e-marketing, party participation, e-consultation, nation branding and tourism marketing. Jennifer runs a Political marketing and management network for current and former students, encouraging her graduates to be an active group and attend events such as campaign launches and TVNZ debates in elections. Her Masters students often obtain jobs immediately after completing their thesis. Check out this video with MA student Tom James who developed a passion for working in market research whilst studying under Jennifer, and got a job with Colmar Brunton with his role including research for government.

Distinctions/Honours

• Academic Advisor to TVNZ's Vote Compass, 2017
• Academic Advisor to TVNZ's Kiwimeter, 2016
• 2016 Keynote (English language) for the Canadian Communication Association conference in Calgary  ‘Everybody's talking at me: managing the incessant communication of public input to our political leaders.’
• Chair of the Magna Carta 800th Committee for New Zealand in 2015
• CLeaR Fellow in Teaching and Learning for 2015 on the theme Student engagement and achievement, completing an online resource to help academics teach the practice of politics
• Academic Advisor to TVNZ's Vote Compass for the 2014 New Zealand Election
• Fellow of the Political Management Programme at Carleton University in Canada
• President of the NZPSA (New Zealand Political Studies Association) 2011-2012

Responsibilities

Employability Advocate for the School of Social Sciences. See online resources:

For staff: Teaching Employability in the Arts: resources and guidance https://coursebuilder.cad.auckland.ac.nz/flexicourses/teaching-employability-in-arts/

For students: Careers and Employability in the Arts for students https://www.coursebuilder.cad.auckland.ac.nz/flexiblelearning/arts-students-employability/  with links to workshops in 2018

Areas of expertise

• Political marketing
• Political management
• Political leadership
• Political communication
• Parties and elections
• Media, consultation, deliberation and public input

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Recent activities include:

• Associate Editor for the European Journal of Marketing
• Communications officer for the PSA Political Marketing Group
• Member of the Reference Group on the University Graduate Profile
• Political Science Keynote at the Contested Democracy Conference, University Paris Sobonne Nouvelle, Paris, 2012
• Member of the internal social sciences committee for the PBRF research exercise
• Member of IAP2 Auckland branch organising committee
• Training on the Practice of Political Marketing delivered to Carleton University political management graduate students
• Training day on Political Marketing delivered to Auckland University Labour students
• Invited trainer for the Government of Macedonia’s Training for Young Leaders, to teach Political Marketing and Leadership