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Exploring Critical Success Factors for Effective Collaborative Relationships

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Learning Through Community Engagement

Abstract

Building capacity for mutually beneficial and responsive partnering is prominent in scholarly and public discourses on university-community engagement, with particular emphasis on ‘how’ to manage and sustain key stakeholder relationships as a fundamental cornerstone of partnership development. Genuine community engagement promotes the development of relationships founded on a collective, flexible approach that acknowledges interdependence, rather than dependence (Butcher J, Egan LA, Ralph K, Australas J Commun Engage 2(3):106–112, 2008; Sinclair, Asia Pac Public Relat J 12(1):1–20, 2011). As with PACE at Macquarie University, this involves designing and developing processes in collaborative and inclusive ways that elicit buy-in and create feelings of ownership by stakeholders. In seeking to understand critical success factors for improving and sustaining relationships as core to partnering with PACE, this chapter presents findings of three research studies conducted into the implementation and outcomes of the PACE program. Results of these studies centred on core elements of the program: communication and collaboration; roles and responsibilities; expectations and contributions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Conducted by Justine Lloyd and Maria Amigo with Macquarie University Human Ethics Research Committee approval #5201300520.

  2. 2.

    Conducted by Kathryn McLachlan and Judy Hutchison with Macquarie University Human Ethics Research Committee approval #5201300527.

  3. 3.

    Conducted by Theresa Winchester-Seeto, Anna Rowe and Jacqueline Mackaway with Macquarie University Human Ethics Research Committee approval #5201001421.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. PACE, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    Kathryn McLachlan

  2. Department of Sociology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    María Florencia Amigó

  3. Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    Anna Rowe, Theresa Winchester-Seeto & Kate Williamson

  4. PACE, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    Judy Hutchison

Authors
  1. Kathryn McLachlan
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  2. María Florencia Amigó
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  3. Anna Rowe
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  4. Theresa Winchester-Seeto
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  5. Judy Hutchison
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  6. Kate Williamson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn McLachlan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Macquarie University School of Education, Sydney, Australia

    Judyth Sachs

  2. PACE, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    Lindie Clark

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McLachlan, K., Amigó, M.F., Rowe, A., Winchester-Seeto, T., Hutchison, J., Williamson, K. (2017). Exploring Critical Success Factors for Effective Collaborative Relationships. In: Sachs, J., Clark, L. (eds) Learning Through Community Engagement. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0999-0_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0999-0_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0997-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0999-0

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