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We have some questions for you, right off the bat:
- Which business do you like the most? Why?
- Which business do you like the least? Why?
We know, they might sound like strange questions for a blog article. But what does a company do that makes you think, “Good on them!” Maybe they have made efforts to reduce their use of plastic in their packaging. Maybe they are trying to use less water during the production process, or they encourage the recycling of their products once you’re finished with them to reduce landfill. They might even recruit staff from the local communities they operate in or sponsor local schools and sports teams. Companies engaging in these types of efforts result in positive community relations.
Consider then, your least favourite company. Take a second and think about what it is they do that turns you off them. Why wouldn’t you buy from them? What’s stopping you from walking into their shop? Why would you go to a competitor over them? Perhaps you don’t agree with their business practices. Maybe they opened a shop front or warehouse in your area, but they don’t employ locals, or they might not take their environmental impact as seriously as you like, if at all! They may even experience privacy breaches and try to cover them up or apologise half-heartedly after the fact. Whatever it is, there’s companies out there that you just refuse to engage with – they are the ones with negative community relations.
Companies who engage in behaviour that positively influence society – the ones we like – will pursue good community relations for several reasons. First, it gives them what’s called a ‘social license’ to operate. This means that society looks at them positively and allows them to continue what they are doing. But this isn’t the only benefit for a company that behaves positively. Their employees are more likely to have a higher morale, which means they are more likely to stay with the business. Employees take pride in working for companies that have a positive impact on their community, which leads to higher retention rates, increased performance, and a positive perception of the business. This opens the door to another positive outcome – access to local talent. A positive community reputation can attract local talent, which means companies will have access to local knowledge and expertise that can benefit their operations. Imagine a company that is interested in mining or agriculture, working with the local community to understand weather patterns, how water pools or where it evaporates first, or what animals live locally and how they would be impacted by business operations.
Communities all have unique interests, concerns and priorities, and companies with good community relations will benefit from working closely with the communities around them. Community diversity is a huge drawcard for companies who want to succeed in an area because it’s an opportunity to promote inclusion and draw on the knowledge of every individual who lives in the area.
As part of our broad ESG offering, Kineo Courses are excited to bring you our latest course, Community Relations.
Kineo Courses’ new Community Relations course provides learners with an understanding of:
- The significance of corporate community relations and its impact on society, business reputation and sustainability
- How to identify key stakeholders and understand their needs and expectations
- Effective community engagement initiatives
- Effective communication and conflict resolution techniques
- How to measure the success of community relations programmes
- The relevance of reporting social impact.
This course features high quality imagery, an engaging animation, interactive activities and information that focuses on real-life examples of the social impact of positive community relations.
Community Relations has been reviewed by a recognised subject matter expert in this space; Joanne Goddard, Founder and CEO, Green and Good.
