The Influence of Student-Community Partner Working Relationships on Satisfaction: A South African University Service Learning Programme

Abstract

This study investigated a service learning programme (SLP), which was established by the Marketing Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in South Africa. The purpose of the SLP was to provide community partners (small businesses) marketing services at minimal or no cost by granting undergraduate marketing students the opportunity to practically apply the theoretical marketing communication teaching in a real-life business environment. The students formed agencies and were required to establish a real-life agency-client working relationship with their chosen community partners (SL clients) (that had little to no marketing communication) to develop a campaign plan in a bid to improve marketing performance. The primary research aim of the study was to examine the influence of the student agency working relationships on the community partners’ satisfaction. The research also investigated the effect of the agency-client relationship on SL client, student agency and SLP measurement variables. A quantitative approach was used to survey community partners that participated in the CPUT Marketing Department SLP over a five year period via a questionnaire. The perceptions of 107 client community partners’ were analyzed via ANOVA to determine the benefits, challenges and experiences of the SLP. The research revealed that a vast majority of the participating SL client organizations were either satisfied or very satisfied with the agency-client working relationships with the student agencies. The SLP agency-client working relationships were also found to yield significantly positive associations with perceived usefulness, lasting impact, overall satisfaction and future participation by the community partners.This study investigated a service learning programme (SLP), which was established by the Marketing Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in South Africa. The purpose of the SLP was to provide community partners (small businesses) marketing services at minimal or no cost by granting undergraduate marketing students the opportunity to practically apply the theoretical marketing communication teaching in a real-life business environment. The students formed agencies and were required to establish a real-life agency-client working relationship with their chosen community partners (SL clients) (that had little to no marketing communication) to develop a campaign plan in a bid to improve marketing performance. The primary research aim of the study was to examine the influence of the student agency working relationships on the community partners’ satisfaction. The research also investigated the effect of the agency-client relationship on SL client, student agency and SLP measurement variables. A quantitative approach was used to survey community partners that participated in the CPUT Marketing Department SLP over a five year period via a questionnaire. The perceptions of 107 client community partners’ were analyzed via ANOVA to determine the benefits, challenges and experiences of the SLP. The research revealed that a vast majority of the participating SL client organizations were either satisfied or very satisfied with the agency-client working relationships with the student agencies. The SLP agency-client working relationships were also found to yield significantly positive associations with perceived usefulness, lasting impact, overall satisfaction and future participation by the community partners.