Contributions of corporate social responsibility within the private higher education sector in South Africa : a case study of the Wisdom Group (Pty) Ltd

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the contributions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the private higher education sector using a case study-based research. The research sought to investigate the Wisdom Group’s impact of CSR through an analysis of the perceptions of the research participants who benefited from the company’s CSR programmes. The research followed a qualitative method which was suitable for the objectives that were pursued by the study. The current study was based on the Bourdieuan theory of forms of capital that argues that different capitals (social and cultural) are built through environments such as schools. The capitals also determine an individual’s success through connections; however, these are masked through meritocratic illusion that claims that people succeed purely based on merit. Meritocratic illusion paints an incorrect picture that everyone has an equal chance to success regardless of their personal circumstances. The theory refers to these connections as social networks. The study found that the Wisdom Group engaged in different forms of corporate social responsibility through, among other programmes, skills development programmes by awarding bursaries and learnerships. The study also found that the participants held positive perceptions of the CSR programmes they benefited from. The perceptions held by the participants included that CSR programmes improved their income, inspired them to pursue academic development and led to their employability. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, participant interviews could not be conducted face to face but through the use of audio-conferencing technology. The study benefitted the Wisdom Group as it provided a scientific evaluation of their CSR programmes from the perspective of those who benefited from them

Inhloso yalo mbhalo omude bekuwukuhlola iminikelo yesibophezelo senhlalo yenkampani (CSR) emkhakheni ozimele wemfundo ephezulu, kusetshenziswa ukusongozwa kwecebo locwaningo olusekelwe esifundweni. Ucwaningo lwalufuna ukuphenya umthelela we-Wisdom Group ku-CSR ngokuhlaziywa kwemibono yababambiqhaza bocwaningo abahlomule ezinhlelweni ze-CSR yenkampani. Kwalandelwa indlela yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane okungezona izinombolo, njengoba ibifanele izinhloso ebeziqhutshekwa ocwaningweni. Ucwaningo lwamanje belusekelwe embonweni we-Bourdieuan wezinhlobo zemali, othi izimali ezihlukene (ezenhlalo namasiko) zakhiwe ngokusebenzisa izindawo ezifana nezikole. Lezi zimali ziphinde zinqume impumelelo yomuntu ngoxhumano (ngokombono obizwa ngokuthi ubudlelwano bomphakathi ekudluliseni ulwazi); nokho-ke, lokhu kufihlwe ngenkohliso ezuzisayo ethi abantu baphumelele ngokusekelwe ekuzuzeni kwabo kuphela. Inkohliso ezuzisayo iveza isithombe esingalungile - sokuthi wonke umuntu unethuba elilinganayo lempumelelo - kungakhathaliseki izimo zakhe zomuntu siqu. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi i-Wisdom Group ibambe iqhaza ezinhlotsheni ezahlukene zokuzibophezela emphakathini ngokusebenzisa, phakathi kwezinye izinhlelo, izinhlelo zokuthuthukisa amakhono ngokuklomelisa ngemifundaze kanye nohlelo lokufunda olusekelwe emsebenzini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ababambiqhaza babe nemibono emihle ngezinhlelo ze-CSR abahlomule kuzo. Le mibono yayihlanganisa ukuthi izinhlelo ze-CSR zathuthukisa iholo labo, zabakhuthaza ukuba baqhubekise ukuthuthukiswa kwezemfundo, futhi kwaholela ekuqashekeni kwabo. Ngenxa yemikhawulo ye-COVID-19, izingxoxo nababambiqhaza kwadingeka ukuba zenziwe kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe benkomfa yokulalelwayo esikhundleni sobuso nobuso. Ucwaningo lube nenzuzo ku-Wisdom Group njengoba lunikeze ukuhlolwa kwesayensi kwezinhlelo zabo ze-CSR ngokombono walabo abahlomule kuzo.

Maikemisetso a thuto ena e ne e le ho hlahloba nyehelo tsa boikarabelo ba khamphani setjhabeng (CSR) lekaleng la poraefete la thuto e phahameng, ka ho sebedisa dipatlisiso tsa thuto ya boithuto ba taba. Dipatlisiso di ne di batla ho batlisisa tshusumetso ya Wisdom Groups’s ho CSR ka tlhahlobo ya maikutlo a bankakarolo ba dipatlisiso ba ruileng molemo ho tswa mananeong a CSR a khamphani. Ho ile ha latelwa mokgwa wa boleng, ka ha o ne o loketse merero e neng e phethilwe thutong. Boithuto ba ha jwale bo ne bo thehilwe kgopolong ya Bourdieuan ya mefuta ya matlotlo, e bolelang hore matlotlo a fapaneng (a setjhaba le a setso) a hahilwe ka maemo a kang dikolo.Matlotlo ana a boetse a kgetholla katleho ya motho ka dikgokahano (ka kgopolo e bitswang marangrang a setjhaba); leha ho le jwalo, tsena di kwahelwa ke kgopolo ya hore batho ba hatela pele ho latela seo ba se finyelletseng ho ipapisitswe le makgabane feela. Kgopolo ya hore batho ba hatela pele ho latela seo ba se finyelletseng ho ipapisitswe le makgabane feela e hlalosa setshwantsho se fosahetseng - sa hore e mong le e mong o na le monyetla o lekanang wa katleho - ho sa tsotellehe maemo a bona a bophelo.Thuto ena e fumane hore Wisdom Group e sebedisitse mefuteng e fapaneng ya boikarabello setjhabeng mme a mang a mananeo e bile, mananeo a ntlafatso ya ditsebo ka ho fana ka dibasari le dithupelo. Ho feta moo, bankakarolo ba ne ba e na le maikutlo a matle ka mananeong a CSR ao ba ileng ba rua molemo ho ona. Maikutlo ana a ne a kenyelletsa hore mananeo a CSR a ntlafaditse tjhelete eo ba e fumanang, a ba kgothaleditse ho hahamalla ntshetsopeleng ya thuto, mme a lebisa ho hirweng ha bona. Ka lebaka la dithibelo tsa COVID-19, dipuisano le bankakarolo di ile tsa tlameha ho etswa ka tshebediso ya theknoloji ya ho hokela batho ba fetang bonngwe ho mohala o le mong. ho e na le ho shebana mahlong.Thuto ena e bile molemo ho Wisdom Group ka ha e fane ka tlhahlobo ya saense ya mananeo a CSR ho latela pono ya ba ileng ba rua molemo ho ona.