Hello there! And welcome back to the 3rd post of this mini-series. I think given that this is the third post, it would be fun to talk about the third sector!
As I have done before I would quickly like to recap what we have discussed previously. At first, we clarify 7 areas that researchers need to keep in mind when collaborating with other institutions. Last time, I wrote about communications and its importance for success. We also covered the topics of thick and thin communications, as well as reviewing different modes of communication in a professional environment.
In today’s blog, we will be looking at the third sector. My goal here is to introduce it nice and gently, because it is a bit of a controversial topic. In the sense that it is difficult to define, there is not a lot of academic research on it, and it is often perceived as a competitor. When in fact, it is possible to define, it should be researched, and it should be viewed as an opportunity for collaboration with a new perspective. So, in today’s blog I will define the third sector for you, we will also look at the different types of activities in the third sector, and based on this discuss why the third sector does add value to society. We will also conclude with some tips on how to collaborate with the third sector – because it is slightly different than collaborating with industrial partners.
DEFINITION
To define the third sector, it is important for you to know that most of the research that I found on it was from the UK. As a result, some of this may sound biased. However, I believe that this just reinforces the plea from the academics that have studied it that it should be studied more.
The third sector has been defined in very formal and complex ways, ranging from models to verbal conceptualisations. In some of the literature, authors even present different threads of discourse debating the definition of the third sector based on different characteristics. However, for our intents and purposes, and just generally for someone just getting started with the third sector, a basic understanding is enough. The third sector is basically not for profit, non-governmental, member owned entities. Any thirds sector entity is also a formal entity so it has legal obligations. As a result, things that I like to use as examples are: Horticulture Clubs or Urban Community Plantation organisations, Sports Clubs, and Research Institutes.
In research the third sector has also been presented as a political entity. This was especially important in the UK when they introduced the concept of Big Society when David Cameron was Prime Minister. The idea was that instead of Big Government, the UK would be governed by Big Society. There are several papers studying the successes and shortcomings of the concept. I will leave my opinion (and politics) out of this blog, because this is not a political blog.
So, we can see through the definition, my examples, and the additional example through research that the third sector is very diverse and can contribute in many different areas of society.
HOW THE THIRD SECTOR CONTRIBUTES TO SOCIETY
If we think more explicitly of the different ways in which the third sector can contribute to society we can take a look at some of the examples I gave more closely. When thinking of a horticulture club or a community plantation organisation it might be outside of your niche of interests. However, these are still organisations that collect knowledge about the specific topic and therefore can be a low threshold entry point for the general public to access knowledge about a specific topic. Therefore, collaborating with third sector organisations can be a good way for academia to make research more accessible and less “threatening”. Basically, by ensuring that the people feel like they are talking to peers and friends rather than academics.
Another contribution of the third sector to society is innovation, creativity, and other “micro” skills. This is where the example of a sports club or some culture focussed club comes in. By practicing skills, teamwork, innovative play, and critical thinking outside of the work place. It has been shown by research that there is then an overlap into the workplace. Thus, just the very act of participating in the third sector may benefit performance at work and beyond. This is also where the innate variety of the third sector is massively important – it forces people of different backgrounds to mix. Different backgrounds usually come with different perspectives, and different perspectives mean new and meaningful contributions to whatever may come up in discussion. If we look at more formal third sector structures we may also look at research institutes. These are formal institutes that do research and development for a price. The fact that research institutes still exist today show that these have value to society and that they do have enough clients to keep them afloat. A common misconception is that they compete with universities for customers. The reality is that both institutions usually have a common goal of creating new research. Both institutions are also key actors in the innovation ecosystems of nations. Both institutions may also have mixed public and private funding for their projects. The main difference being that research institutes do not have teaching obligations, and therefore can employ the brightest minds to focus solely on research.
You should be getting a good feel for what the third sector is at this point… if not, comment below! And I will try and get back to you 😊
HOW TO ENSURE A SMOOTH COLLABORATION
In the previous paragraphs, you should have picked up that there are a few good reasons to collaborate with third sector organisations. However, collaborating with organisations that have varying degrees of formality can be difficult. That is why I wanted to put together some (scientifically backed) tips on how to ensure a smooth collaboration:
The first thing universities, and indeed researchers should do, is to have a clear pathway for third sector organisations to network. This can take the form of employing specialists, but can also be as simple as both actively and passively marketing third sector collaboration opportunities. Active advertising may take the form of networking events, passive advertising may be in the form of a virtual platform with opportunities for collaborations.
You should also try to be aware of all the third sector organisations that you are involved in. Because sometimes you’re doing more than you think. When you’ve identified them, try to think of how you could involve them in your research, or how you could benefit from participating in the organisation for your research.
Of course, if you manage to collaborate with a third sector organisation, you need to encourage boundary spanning. At the end of the day, a lot of change is required for a more fruitful and visible third sector. And I cannot pin this down on individuals such as yourself. But gather some colleagues around and try to make a change for the better. Ask for a budget to design and develop training schemes to improve your institutions ability to work with the third sector. Develop knowledge transfer mechanisms tailored to the third sector, try to create opportunities for the third sector to interact with institutions. At this point, I think I will also echo what has been said many times in academia previously – find ways in which you can research third sector organisations so that academia and everyone at large would have a better understanding of the functioning of these organisations. Of course, studying how third sector organisations collaborate would be the pinnacle, but baby steps!
TO SUM UP
In conclusion then, third sector organisations are organisations that are private, not for profit, with varying degrees of formality, and with a myriad of funding possibilities. We have also seen that a third sector organisation can be virtually about anything and everything. Additionally, we have discussed that universities, in order to collaborate better with third sector organisations need a collective effort to improve the visibility of opportunities for collaboration as well as a clarification of the channels to do so.
Last but not least, I wanted to thank you for accompanying me through this blogging journey. I hope you had as much fun reading the blogs as I had preparing them – going over old notes and mixing in new research so that I could hopefully bring a good product to you! ^.^
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hi! My name is Riccardo Notarangelo, I have been at the University of Vaasa since the end of February 2022. I was hired as a project researcher for the REUNICE project and am having a lot of fun exploring all the different aspects of collaboration between universities and other sectors. I’m a young and dynamic researcher and love physical activity. I’m naturally curious and hands on in my approach. This gets me involved in a lot of things. I currently hold a BSc in Economics and Business Economics as well as an MSc in Business Intelligence and Smart Services.
