When Business and Business Schools Unite to Create Uniqueness: Stakeholder Relationships in Business Hubs Embedded in Higher Education Business Institutions

Abstract

This research is conducted on a smart hub embedded in a business school, in a regional location, of a higher education institution. The two themes that emerged from this research are that the smart hub increased work satisfaction (theme 1) and also personal satisfaction (theme 2). The results show there are three distinctly unique factors that smart hub employees experienced by being in a business school, these included (1) external interactions with the institute's personnel (staff and students), (2) mutual benefits of engagement with smart hub employees and finally (3) the natural environment and facilities provided by the institution. Using the two themes of work and personal satisfaction, as well as the 3 unique factors, the research identified the "Unique Mutual Alliance Factors" (UMAF) to summarise the outcomes of embedding a smart hub within a higher education Business school.