Students taking Victoria Business School’s new Leading Social Enterprise summer paper delivered strategic solutions to challenges faced by real, local social enterprises.

Students taking Victoria Business School’s new Leading Social Enterprise summer paper were put under the spotlight shortly before the Christmas break when they delivered their strategic solutions to challenges faced by real, local social enterprises.

The 24 students from PUBL305 worked in teams to tackle business issues identified by social enterprises Red Cross, PledgeMe, Sustainability Trust, Loomio, Mr Four Eyes and Conscious Consumers.

Adelaide Brown was one of the students presenting to the not-for-profit eco-centre Sustainability Trust.

"It's a really great opportunity to pretend to be consultants. We had client meetings and did a lot of research."

Adelaide's team was presented with the challenge of raising the profile and profitability of Sustainability Trust’s Eco-centre, which is located in an under-used alleyway in downtown Wellington.

The team strategy involved a number of solutions, including redesigning the centre’s floor plan, installing novel and eco-friendly signage to increase foot traffic, and partnering with commercial outlets in shared ventures.

Students from another team, Kate Smith and Jarrod Bryce, said they valued the practical-based course design and opportunity to work with external clients, which they say enabled them to draw on different skills from those used in a typical classroom setting.

Sustainability Trust chief executive Philip Squire was on the judging panel and was impressed with the high quality of all the teams' presentations. He also appreciated gaining insight into one of the Trust's main target audiences.

"The ideas provided by my group were valuable from a practical perspective and could be implemented easily.

"It was also very useful to get feedback from folks with an external perspective on what we offer. The students are well connected, enthusiastic, great ambassadors – what better group of people to critique and present solutions."

Professor Brad Jackson, course co-ordinator and Head of the School of Government, says generally New Zealand's social enterprise environment is lagging in scale and maturity when compared to other Westminster-model countries.

"I believe that Victoria Business School is well positioned to help forward its development – our teaching and research of social enterprises focuses on the critical interface between the private, public and community sectors.

"This focus means Victoria is well positioned to make a valuable contribution, especially by working alongside organisations like Akina Foundation that have been specifically charged with accelerating the development of social enterprises in New Zealand."

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