Janet Sawyer

CSR and stakeholders of small businesses in regional South Australia

Purpose - This paper aims to report on the key CSR strategies, activities and attitudes of small business owners in a South Australian regional area with regard to the key stakeholders, towards developing socially and environmentally responsible small businesses. Design/methodology/approach - The investigation was conducted collaboratively between the University of South Australias Centre for Regional Engagement (CRE) and the Whyalla Economic Development Board (WEDB), using an interview-driven, qualitative design. Findings - It was found that the small business owners in Whyalla were supportive of their stakeholders, especially the local community, because it was the right thing to do and was generally beneficial to their business. Research limitations/implications - It is acknowledged that this type of research design limits the degree to which the results can be generalised, as the sample was limited and questions on environmental issues can be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Practical implications - The results enable the University to assist the University and the WEDB to play an active role in developing the social and environmental awareness of businesses towards sustainable, socially and environmentally responsible regional small businesses. Social implications - CSR is viewed through the lens of stakeholder theory, where stakeholders are all the people and entities that contribute to the businesses’ wealth-creating activities. Originality/value - The paper is based on an original study within small firms and their social and environmental responsibility relating to their stakeholders. Previous research on the CSR activities of small businesses within regional or rural environments is limited, especially in regional areas of a developed economy.

Influences of the learning environment of a Regional University Campus on its international graduates

Staff and students at small regional campuses often consider them to be a learning environment with many advantages. Students can benefit from the opportunities for enhanced access to staff provided by factors such as small classes and a compact campus. International students from non-English-speaking backgrounds are one group for whom these factors can be particularly helpful in their adjustment to a new society as well as in their continuing study program. This belief is tested in the study described in this paper. Factors identified by international students as influencing their learning at a small campus situated a considerable distance from the state capital indicate strengths to be built on and celebrated and areas that call for the development of strategies to improve the quality of that learning environment. Former international student graduates were surveyed concerning their perceptions of their regional Australian university experience and the professional preparation it provided. Other Australian higher education institutions, particularly those with regional campuses, can make use of the insights gained through the study: as well as having implications for the provision of a quality learning experience and environment for all students, not only international students, they also have a bearing on international marketing strategies.

Working Together to Make Things Happen: New On-Campus Higher Education Opportunities in a Regional Centre

In 2005 a South Australian university inaugurated a new provision of higher education programs in a regional city. Previously, would-be university students in the area had only the options of off-campus study, moving away from home to become internal students, or not pursuing university studies at all. The initiative provided the opportunity to study the effects of the new university presence on its students, university staff and the wider community, and at the same time to learn much that would enable continuous improvement of the methods used in offering these programs. This article reports on the results from focus groups of students and staff, and a survey of the first cohort of students, part of the first stage of a longitudinal study. A combination of effort and collaboration has contributed to meeting community educational needs and aspirations.