CHAPTER ONE
- INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Community Relations is a branch of Public Relations that has emerged from what used to be referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Community Relations is concerned solely with how to create an enabling environment in the host community so that the company can carry out its activities without any hindrance, but rather with the assistance and support of host inhabitants. An example of an articulated community relations policy which must be sensitive to local customs and the developmental aspirations of communities in the areas of healthy, education, infrastructure and economic self-reliance have become expedient. Hence, tangible and long-lasting projects that are beneficial to majority of the people must be embarked upon. This is against the background that a healthy and enlightened rural community that is well provided with infrastructure that can support co-ordinated economic activities will contribute more significantly to local and national development efforts.
The community‟s perception of a company derives principally from the company‟s employees who would be either good or bad ambassadors to the community. Their views and feelings about their companies are transmitted to the community as a whole. Good community relations, therefore, should be from the company itself. Employee and community relations can be considered, to some extent, by having employees participate in community relations‟ activities. Such involvement can create an effective programme and boost employee morale.
Therefore, communities have realized that they cannot remain passive, and so are getting to be more active and vocal in their expectations and demands. There are two reasons for this,
firstly, communities realize that business tend to gain more from them than the other way round. In a lot of cases, communities are exploited by companies, Secondly, with business and industries coming up in the communities, problems like pollution, over pollution, breakdown of law and order, slums, inadequate health facilities and other such pockets of neglect, besiege the community. Therefore, it is necessary for organisations/ businesses to be proactive and have established community relations programme.