MBA students help domestic abuse centre

By IRENE CHAPPLE


What could the sort of business theory taught to university MBA students possibly do about domestic violence?

Quite a lot actually, according to Jane Drumm, overworked executive director of the Domestic Violence Centre.

Since the former probation officer and victim adviser joined the centre six years ago, its income has grown from $180,000 to almost $1 million from Government and private sources.

The centre offers a phone crisis line and services for Aucklanders affected by domestic violence, and is now the largest domestic intervention centre in New Zealand.

Four staff have ballooned to 18 staff, with 25 contractors and many volunteers. The centre deals with more than 7000 cases a year.

The workload increased dramatically over the past few years, so Drumm put her head down and got stuck in. The problem with that, however, is that the organisation's profile has remained low-key.

That, for an organisation dependent on fundraising, is no good.

Drumm called on a friend, Geoff Lorigan, of the Auckland Business School, who sent a group of MBA students along to offer some advice.

The strategy worked for both: The students got to work with a real case study and Drumm got very helpful advice.

"We looked at business issues, how to represent the organisation," she said. "And the students talked about having a more strategic rather than operational approach ... with stronger administrative support."

Says Drumm: "Because they were outside the agency no one had a stake in it, which was helpful."

Drumm now has some practical advice which she intends to put into practice.

And there has been a further benefit. Many of those MBA students - some of whom hold senior positions in the private sector - have now offered their volunteer services to the Domestic Violence Centre.