Private companies and community collaboration : towards building community resilience in Diepsloot

Abstract

This study explored ways in which private companies and community collaboration can be capitalised and directed towards building resilience in communities. Limited research, indicating how private companies can collaborate with communities with the aim of building community resilience and contributing to disaster reduction exists. Therefore, the goal of this study was to make recommendations for private companies and community collaboration towards building resilience in the community. The study applied both a review of literature and empirical research in order to achieve its objectives. The study was based on a qualitative research approach and the design that was employed in the study was a case study. The data collection methods used in the collection of data was focus group interviews with the community of Diepsloot and semi-structured individual interviews with the private companies operating in close proximity of the community. Through the study of literature and the contributions from the respondents in the study, the study highlighted the need for private company engagement in disaster risk reduction and resilience building in communities. The study further recognised, through theory and empirical research, the motivation for private companies collaborating with the community in order to build community resilience. The study made recommendations on how private companies, through collaborating with communities, can direct their community engagement projects towards building resilience in the community. The recommendations made in the study highlight the need for private companies to have knowledge and awareness of disaster risk reduction related concepts with the aim of integrating disaster risk reduction related activities in their corporate social responsibility projects. Further to this, the recommendations propose that private companies can drive disaster risk reduction education in the community and moreover, the recommendations further highlight the need for private companies to consult with the community prior to collaborating and the inclusion of community protection forums in the collaboration process. The limitations of the study identified the limited scope of the study and presented the prospects for the study to recommend additional areas for future research.

Hierdie studie het maniere waarop privaat maatskappye en gemeenskapsamewerking gekapitaliseer kan word, verken en is gerig op die bou van veerkragtigheid in gemeenskappe. Daar bestaan beperkte navorsing oor hoe privaat maatskappye met gemeenskappe kan saamwerk met die doel om gemeenskapsveerkragtigheid te bou en by te dra tot ramp ver mindering. Daarom was die doel van hierdie studie om aanbevelings te maak vir privaat maatskappye en gemeenskapsamewerking om veerkragtigheid in die gemeenskap te bou. Die studie het beide die hersiening van literatuur en empiriese navorsing toegepas om die doelwitte te bereik. Die studie was gebaseer op 'n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en die ontwerp wat in die studie gebruik is, was 'n gevallestudie. Die data-insamelingsmetodes wat gebruik is in die versameling van data was fokusgroeponderhoude met die gemeenskap van Diepsloot en semi-gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude met die privaat maatskappye wat naby die gemeenskap werksaam was. Deur die studie van literatuur en die bydraes van die respondente in die studie, is die behoefte aan privaat maatskappybetrokkenheid in ramprisikovermindering en veerkragtigheid in gemeenskappe beklemtoon. Die studie erken verder, deur middel van teorie en empiriese navorsing, die motivering vir private maatskappye wat saamwerk met die gemeenskap om gemeenskapsveerkragtigheid te bou. Die studie het aanbevelings gemaak oor hoe privaat maatskappye, deur samewerking met gemeenskappe, hul gemeenskapsbetrokkenheidsprojekte kan rig om veerkragtigheid in die gemeenskap te bou. Die aanbevelings wat in die studie gemaak is, beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid dat privaat maatskappye kennis en bewustheid van ramprisikoverminderingsverwante konsepte moet hê met die doel om ramprisikoverminderingsverwante aktiwiteite in hul korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheidsprojekte te integreer. Daarbenewens stel die aanbevelings voor dat privaat maatskappye ramprisikoverminderingsonderwys in die gemeenskap kan bestuur. Die aanbevelings dui ook verder daarop dat privaat maatskappye met die gemeenskap moet konsulteer voordat hulle saamwerk en dat gemeenskapsbeveiligingsforums in die samewerkingsproses ingesluit moet word. Die tekortkominge van die studie het die beperkte omvang van die studie geïdentifiseer en die vooruitsigte daargestel om bykomende gebiede vir toekomstige navorsing aan te beveel.