Teamwork and Regional Universities: The Benefits for Women of a Third Space

This article reports on the findings of a study that explored the benefits and challenges for women of working at an Australian regional university in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines whether living and working at a regional university with dispersed campuses presented particular challenges for women and whether it had an impact on their career progression. Twenty-one women supplied written responses to a list of questions provided by the researchers. The main finding was that women enjoyed working in teams and preferred flexibility, autonomy and positive teamwork environments. To address challenges identified in the study about working across dispersed campuses and the limitations of virtual communication, particularly in the current pandemic, the article investigates the feasibility of a blended approach to teamwork using the concept of a third space.