Table 4.

Study findings

Theme (related literature)FindingsRepresentative study quote
Understanding
Blenker et al. (2012); Shaheen (2016); Baggen et al. (2022) 
  • The broader concept of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity has relevance and value for disadvantaged communities

  • Expressing entrepreneurial activity may be a precursor to entrepreneurship in business/economic context

  • Community education requires different approaches to entrepreneurial education within an HEI

“To talk about this as entrepreneurship in a purely business sense, you are frightening people…it needs to welcome the way you are being creative, endorse your way of thinking is good and give space to reflect and discuss that is safe and secure.” (SH, #15)
Teaching and learning
Holland (2001); McAteer and Wood (2018) 
  • Different education considerations required for community learners

  • Disadvantaged communities may be non-traditional leaners

  • Initiatives require flexible, active, subjective and person-centred pedagogy

  • Appropriate staff and initiative location (co-located) should be considered

  • A steering committee to provide guidance and advice should be established

“It is important that it wouldn’t be something that is just developed by academics, you would need input from representatives of disadvantaged communities and other stakeholders – some sort of steering committee.” (SH, #7)
Capacity building
Robinson and Hudson (2013); Rawsthrone and dePree (2019)
  • Enterprising potential or creativity may be untapped through capacity-building approaches

  • HEIs must equally value community knowledge and academic knowledge

  • Initiatives that are co-created can build upon the inherent entrepreneurial potential in disadvantaged communities

“There is something about your world view as a disabled person that can benefit others. I think being able to untap that creativity, that way of viewing or doing would give some people a huge sense of themselves. There is no end to the potential. (SH, #14)
Tailoring
Cooney (2021); Wang (2021); OECD (2023)
  • Disadvantaged communities require tailored support in developing their entrepreneurial potential

  • HEIs have knowledge and expertise to support but it must be accessible

  • Involving learners within HEI and community is a unique offering from an HEI

“Tailored initiatives are important - they recognise the multiple disadvantages that our community [ethnic minority] experiences such as lack of confidence, illiteracy, skills deficits. (SH, #12)
Partnership
Holland (2001); Benneworth et al. (2018) 
  • Partnership between a community and HEI is a foundational element

  • Community engagement partnerships are premised on mutual reciprocity

  • Intercultural considerations required by all stakeholders

  • Inclusive of community, industry, enterprise support and HEI partners

“In terms of the university community engagement, it is important that mutually supportive objectives are being achieved.” (SH, #10)
Institutional support
Holland (2001); Farnell (2020) 
  • Appropriate HEI resource and workload allocation models can support community engagement

  • Initiatives that fit within an HEI mission more likely to be supported

  • Institutional support required for initiatives to grow and be sustained

“If the university is going to do it, they have to fund it and the resources need to be there, activities may grow from the bottom-up, but they require top-down support.” (SH, #7)
Context
Maritz and Brown (2013); Benneworth et al. (2018) 
  • Community engagement is context specific linked to HEI mission, history, location, national and international policy

  • Community learners, educators, outcome and program objectives also require contextualisation consideration

“This is a porous place, it belongs to the area. When you are on the “university” campus, it is not about creating an ivory tower…it is trying to create a sense of community.” (SH, #11)
Source: Authors’ own work

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