Developing a Substantive Theory of Service Interactions Between University Students and Third Sector Organisations

• In Event: The Civic Responsibilities of the Academia

Abstract

The concept service has many meanings and is best understood if coupled with a prefix or suffix that contextualise it. In a grounded study the actions of four interacting stakeholders in service related processes were analysed by applying a grounded theory methodology. The students from a university, the academic faculty who taught them, the representatives of third sector organisations and community members they served were involved in the study. The focus was on the meanings that each of these groups connected to the processes of interaction with each other. Students and university staff offered service as a way to gain experience of real life situations and community organisations received them to have extra hands with the expectation of receiving scholarly inputs. The questions asked were:
• What do staff, students and community partners understand by the term "service"?
• What meanings and actions are developed through this understanding of service in terms of change and 'opportunities'?
• What meanings are developed jointly and separately when scholarly-based service activities take place?
• Which processes emanate from these joint meanings?
• What are the key outcomes of developed meanings?
The study aimed at developing a theoretical grounding for these interactions between the four groups of people.
The study findings revealed that each of the groups developed their own meaning about their context and their motivation for engaging. Through interaction they developed meanings together and finally those meanings led to collaborative reciprocal benefit for all involved. The theory that was developed, is that service interactions are grounded in a cyclical interchange of social commodities within a meaning making context. The social commodities may be tangible or intangible and might manifest in new ideas and projects, but it might also lead to innovation, greater sustainability and the enhancement of existing processes in the third sector. The meaning and effectiveness of philanthropy is questioned as it implies a unidirectional giving of wealth, time and skills. However, when all parties involved, grow and benefit by the interactions, the outcome is more sustainable with a longevity of impact for the parties involved.

Author

• Antoinette R Smith-Tolken, Stellenbosch University