Management of Context-Specific Knowledge Creation and Application through Collective Social Responsibility in School?Community Partnerships

Abstract

In knowledge-based institutions such as schools, productivity is associated with effective creation and application of operational knowledge. Using collective fingers theory, this qualitative case study explored how a considerably effective partnership between a South African township secondary school and a network of community organizations/structures, facilitated the creation and application of context-specific and socially responsive knowledge that led to improved internal school conditions, problem solving strategies, poverty alleviation, and extension of social support to vulnerable learners and their families. Based on the thematic analysis drawn from utterances of eight purposefully sampled participants, the study showed that the school’s promotion of common purpose, mutual respect, collective decision making, care for others, collective social responsibility and democratic leadership practices contributed to the success of its mutually beneficial partnership with relevant community networks. It also emerged that by going an extra mile to lobby for multisectoral social support, the school richly benefited from the benevolence of a wide network of government departments; private-corporate sector and local businesses; faith-based formations; and non-governmental organizations some of which offered similar or overlapping services while others offered a diverse range of services to the school. The study proposed that the school must minimize the frequency of late arrival and unwarranted early recusals in knowledge production meetings. It further called for increased cultural capital and inclusion of parents from lower socioeconomic households in decision-making processes; and elimination of procurement policy red tape that occasionally delayed the provision of much-needed social support to schools, families and learners.