Interview Question 7:
How do the activities of the Business Simulation Course benefit the community?
The respondents reported that the activities of the BSC are beneficial to the University and the community. Community benefits derived from the BSC were
identified as social benefits (promoting altruism and reciprocity) and economic benefits (direct marketing, product standardisation, advice). These are presented under the following sub-headings:
• The BSC promotes a sense of altruism • The benefits of direct marketing
• The BSC promotes and fosters reciprocity The BSC promotes a sense of altruism
Altruism is an important focus of Payap University's mission statement which values 'Truth and Service'. The Business Administration Faculty at PYU applies this statement in practice by using the funds generated by business activities in the 'Dummy Company' to support community charities. Donations from students in the BSC help children with low family incomes to gain scholarships. A number of respondents commented:
Funding! Students donated their money for the Thai students' scholarship. …I never realised that there are so many poor children, who lack the opportunity to study… I am very proud that this money is derived from profits of the 'Payap Dummy Company'. I think to give disadvantaged students an educational opportunity is a worthwhile cause (STU # 1).
I think there are two kinds of activities: first, business activities. Secondly, activities that directly benefit the community. I am not sure whether students use the money from the company's profit to donate to social causes. I heard that marketing students donated money to poor students. This is very good. Students shouldn't expect to maximise profit; they have to care for their community as well. They might become responsible business people as a result (STA # 1). One of the benefits to the community is donations, which are a strong point of the BSC (STA # 7).
Students in the BSC are encouraged to develop a strong sense of altruism, in order to contribute to community development. A respondent, who held a position as General Manager, gave as an example of altruism, the donation of profits from the BSC to the community. He spoke:
…at the end of this course, the 'Payap Dummy Company' policy is to send students out to join community members to develop some poor areas and donate money to the community (STU # 5).
Students' community feeling is evidenced by donating of money and time, intended to improve poorer students' chances of gaining an education and to improve university facilities. One staff respondent, who is the academic supervisor of the BSC, gave more details about how students in the BSC contribute money to the community. Her comments were as follows:
… providing funds for Thai children is one of the university's activities. This includes raising money for children's educational scholarships. The next step is to ask them [students in the BSC] to donate money to help with the construction of the University library, which needs a large amount of money. Each semester, the 'Dummy Company' gives quite a bit – about 50,000 Baht to help with the library. We also have a program of 'elder brother helping younger brother', in which we will help poor students in our own department. We give 10,000 Baht a semester for this item, and we also give 5,000 Baht to help support activities in our Business Administration Faculty…. These things have been continuously done for a long time and we will continue to do this (STA # 4).
The benefits of direct marketing
Respondents identified several advantages of direct marketing and contact with community members: first, access to a wider variety of products for people who live in remote areas and who may lack personal transport; second, it provided an opportunity for recently released products to the market to be available more quickly than they would in the recent past. Finally, it raises the possibility that the new, wider range of products also may be made available more cheaply. Three responses from students who worked as sales representatives of the BSC reported the benefits of direct marketing, as follows:
Sometimes we sell products to those who live in remote areas. This is very convenient for them (STU # 2).
Some community members live in remote areas and transportation is difficult. Thus, the students travel as sales representatives for their company. This is a reciprocal situation; the interaction between students and the community has improved our working relationship (STU # 3).
In my opinion, it is useful to present goods that they may not have known about before, goods that may be useful to them. If it's a product they know about, but they cannot find and buy it at the time they need it, we may be able to sell it to them. That is a benefit for the community (STU # 4).
The BSC promotes and fosters reciprocity
Business people as well as the community and university students have much to share, and much to gain through the BSC, especially when the 'Dummy Company' works as a business partner. Staff and non-university stakeholders reported:
Yes! At least OTOP [community product]… students in the BSC take part in the community by selling these products. Both the BSC and the community members are in a 'Win-Win' situation (STA # 3).
However, if the community meets OTOP suppliers, this might be of benefit to villagers. They know how to produce but don't know how to market, thus students in the BSC help them by selling their products and designing a business plan. The more products, the more benefit. They work together planning and promoting, which is most useful around the community (NUS # 3).
…the BSC is one of the distributors of OTOP [community products]. This is directly beneficial to community members and I think this will satisfy everyone (STA # 7).
Staff and non-university respondents indicated that the BSC students' activities benefit both students and community. As two respondents commented:
The community is very diverse, and we use these activities to support outside institutions. We help make them similar to us – to have a chance to help society. We both profit from this. The other benefit is that this is another channel to distribute goods to the community to reach customers (STA # 4).
…when students have a chance to familiarise themselves with the community, they'll know it well and the community also benefits by student input. Some communities have no chance to learn what's going on outside, which is a pity because they know only about their local environment. Therefore, these activities expand their horizons (NUS # 2).
All respondents reported that students' activities in the BSC are important to community development. Students who work in the BSC were seen as able to make a significant contribution to the positive climate of the community and the development of business partnerships with local entrepreneurs. Students were seen as enabled to work with campus and community partners to promote community service — collaborations that benefit the community, foster mutual learning, and prepare the students for responsible citizenship.
4.1.3.3 Students Have a Sense of Belonging and Commitment to the