LESSON – 19: Community Relations
B A (JMC) (3-YDC), SEMESTER SYSTEM
SEMESTER –IV
SEC III: PUBLIC
RELATIONS AND EVENT MANAGEMENT
Unit -1: PUBLIC RELATIONS
LESSON - 19: Community Relations
1. Identify the need for Community Relations.
2. Learn about the need of Social Audit.
3. Know about the Corporate Citizenship.
4. Understand various ways of maintaining Community Relations.
5. Learn the advantages of Community Relations through
CSR.
Introduction:
Community Relations as a Public Relations function can
be explained as an Organization’s planned active and continuous participation
with and within a Community to meet its needs. Community relations play an
important role in building up a good PR image, because Community is a
neighbour. Whether a neighbour is good or bad is dependent upon the
relationships that one maintains. It is always desirable to have a friendly
neighbourhood.
In this lesson we will be discussing as to what is
Community? what is the need and importance of Community Relations? the role of
PR in Community Relations, Community and Business symbiosis, Social Audit,
about Corporate citizenship, Corporate Social Responsibility and the Media that
can be used for maintaining community relations in order to understand why the
Government Organisations and Corporate entities shall maintain Community
Relations.
Meaning
of Community Relations
“It is the relationship that a company, organization
etc. has with the people who live in the area in which it operates.”
“It is a business practice involving the development
of mutually beneficial community partnerships within the areas in which a
business operates.”
“It is a particular state of affairs in an area where
potentially conflicting ethnic, religious, cultural, political or linguistic
groups live together”
What
is a Community?
Community Relations is a subset of Public Relations.
It is an area of Public Relations just like Government Relations, Media
Relations, Employee Relations, Financial Relations, Shareholder Relations etc.
No other area of Public relations has changed as much in the last few years as
community relations. No other area is having so profound an effect on the
practice of public relations. Today, no matter, how large and important an
organisation may be, it can be undermined, if it is indifferent to community
needs. It is because public opinion is important and it is linked directly to
public relations as also the community relations.
The term “Community” means not merely the group of
people living in the vicinity of an organisation but virtually every segment of
pubic that may be interacting with the organisation from time to time.
Community consists of individuals. In other words, individuals make a
community. Individuals create groups, join groups and oppose groups This brings
into sharp focus that Community does not mean merely collection of people. It
means complex groups of people constantly changing in their outlook and thus the
Community is a powerful force.
Community
and Society
Let us compare and contrast the Community and the Society.
Though the two terms “community” and “society” are often used interchangeably
in everyday language, they have distinct meanings. Community and Society are
related but distinct concepts. Here's a comparison and contrast of the two:
Similarities:
1. Both refer to groups of people with shared
characteristics, interests or goals.
2. Both involve social relationships, interactions and
connections among individuals.
3. Both can provide a sense of belonging, identity and
support for their members.
Differences:
1. Size and scope: A community is typically smaller and
more localized, while society is larger and more encompassing, often referring
to a nation or global population.
2. Boundaries: Communities have clearer boundaries and a
more defined membership, whereas societies have more fluid and inclusive
boundaries.
3. Purpose: Communities often form around specific
interests, needs or goals, while societies encompass a broader range of
institutions, structures and social norms.
4. Level of formality: Communities can be informal and
organic, while societies typically have more formalized institutions, laws and
governance structures.
5. Relationships: Communities often prioritize
face-to-face interactions and personal relationships, whereas societies may
rely more on impersonal and institutional connections.
6.Culture: Communities can have unique cultural practices
and traditions, while societies encompass a wider range of cultural diversity.
7. Social control: Societies typically have more formal
mechanisms of social control through laws, norms and institutions, while
communities may rely on informal social norms and peer pressure.
While both community and society refer to groups of
people, community tends to be smaller, more localized and focused on specific
interests or goals, whereas society is larger, more encompassing and
characterized by more formal institutions and social norms. Here, we are
focusing on Community. To be very specific, in Community Hall, the term Community
means a local community sharing several things in common. When we say Indian
Society, here, the society refers to the collective social structure, culture
and norms of the people living within India or of Indian origin living abroad.
Community
and Business Symbiosis
Business organisations and community have a symbiotic
relationship. One thrives on the other. They have a profound effect on each
other. From a practical standpoint, we find that there are several things that
an organisation provides to the community and vice versa. Firstly, the things
that an organisation gives to the community are (a) capital investment (b)
employment opportunities (c) new products (d) educational and (e) health
facilities. Secondly, the things that the organisation gets from the community
are (a) land (b) work force (c) power (d) water (e) transportation etc. The
needs of the organisation and the community as explained here brings into focus
the symbiotic relationship between the two. Nurturing this relationship is in a
way the job of public relations department as community relations.
Need
for maintaining Community Relations
The need for maintaining community relations by any
organisation arises for various reasons. They are (1) Building trust: Community
relations help build trust and credibility with local stakeholders (2)
Reputation management: Positive community relations enhance an organisation’s
reputation and brand image (3) Social license to operate: Community acceptance
and support are crucial for an organisation’s long-term success. This in other
words is social audit (4) Risk management: Community relations help identify
and mitigate potential risks and conflicts (5) Business development: Strong
community relations can lead to new business opportunities and partnerships (6)
Employee engagement: Community involvement and volunteer programs enhance
employee morale and retention (7) Community investment: Organisations invest in
community development, leading to economic growth and social well-being (8)
Regulator compliance: Community relations help organisations comply with
regulatory requirements as per CSR norms
and meet legal obligations (9) Ethical considerations: Maintaining community
relations meets ethical and moral obligations to give back to the community
(10) Long-term sustainability: Building strong community relationships ensures
long term sustainability and success (11) Crisis management: Community
relations help organisations respond effectively to crises and maintain public
trust (12) Stakeholder engagement: Community relations involve engaging with
local stakeholders, including residents, businesses and community groups.
By maintaining community relations, organizations can
create a positive impact on society, enhance their reputation and contribute to
their long term success and sustainability.
Public
Relations and Community Relations
Public Relations and Community Relations are closely related
but distinct concepts in the field of Communications. However, as already said,
Community Relations is practiced as part of Public Relations. PR refers to the
strategic communication process but builds mutually beneficial relationships
between organisations – corporate, government or non-profit – and their
publics, including customers, investors, media and the targeted publics among
the general public. The goal of PR is to create and maintain a positive image,
reputation and brand identity through various forms of communication, such as
media releases, social media, crisis communications and reputation management.
Community relations, on the other hand, specifically
focus on building and maintaining positive relationships between an
organisation and the local community that it serves. This includes engaging
with local stakeholders such as residents, businesses, community groups and
organisations to address social issues, promote corporate social responsibility
initiatives and enhance the organisation’s reputation and its presence within
the community.
Thus PR has a broader scope, encompassing multiple
publics and stakeholders while community relations focuses on the local
community. PR often involves more formal structured communication, whereas
community relations may involve more informal, grassroots engagement.
Role
of Public Relations in Community Relations
Public Relations does not and cannot operate in
vacuum. In order that public relations plays a role in community relations, it
is necessary that an organisation has a community relations policy and
programme. For example, in the case of the House of Tata, by far the most
striking corporate example that one can think of in the area of community
relations, is that the organisation has been having a community relations
policy for decades. The House of Tata is unique among industrial houses in that
a large percentage of the profit of the parent firm goes to public trusts.
Profits of some other Tata companies also go to Tata foundations. It is the policy
of the House of Tata to promote community welfare that has earned for them a
distinct position as a good corporate citizen. From this, it should be clear
that good community relations can spring from a sustained policy on the part of
an organisation with regard to community relations. Public Relations can
subserve the policy on community relations and at any rate can never be a
substitute to a policy or programme. More clearly, if an organisation does not
have a policy regarding community relations, there is little that public
relations can do.
Very often, the question is asked, where and how does
community relations begin and how does public relations fit in the field of
community relations? Like any public relations programme, public relations in
the case of community relations takes recourse to the usual four-step process.
a. Fact finding is the first step: It is primarily to
know the community, reasonably intimately and understand the needs.
b. Planning: It is to evolve suitable plans that can
promote and meet community needs.
c. Execution: It is to implement community-oriented plans
with the active participation of the community and voluntary organisations
within the community.
d. Evaluation: Is to assess the effectiveness or
otherwise of the organisation’s community relations programme.
Given the situation where an organisation has a
clearly laid out policy in regard to community relations, role of public
relations can be described as that of a catalyst, that is the role of a change
agent. Let us take an example. The Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited at Ramachandrapuram
near Hyderabad has adopted a village near the complex and developed it socio-economically.
With a policy decision taken, the public relations department served as a
catalyzing agent in promoting the socio-economic development of the village
with the active participation and involvement of the community. Here, the
public relations activity took recourse to finding out the facts regarding the
things the community needs – the things the organisation can provide for, such
as primary education, health facilities, family welfare counselling, health
camps, certain basic facilities etc and evolved suitable plans to meet these
needs. In the matter of execution of these plans, as mentioned earlier, there
is a lot of scope for involving voluntary organisations such as Rotary Clubs,
Lions Clubs, NSS, NCC, Scouts & Guides, Youth Clubs, Local volunteers,
Residential Welfare Associations etc.
Corporate
Citizenship
Every corporate organisation is a corporate citizen.
As in the case of an individual citizen, corporate citizen has similar legal
and moral responsibilities towards the needs of the Community and the Society.
Corporate citizenship is therefore about the contribution that a corporation
makes to the Society through its core business activities. Corporate
citizenship is a recognition that a business, corporation has social, cultural
and environmental responsibility towards the community. It is an idea which has
both practical and ethical dimensions. It suggests a two-way relationship
between the corporation and the society which are focused towards meeting
community needs. In fact, business organisations and the community have a
relationship with one thriving on the other which we already discussed as
symbiotic relationship. Corporate Citizenship is often used as a synonym for
Corporate Social Responsibility.
Community
Relations and Business Organisations
The very nature of operations of business organisation
whether they are in public or private sector makes them community-oriented. We
come across things like Urban communities and Rural communities. People in
urban communities are generally self-sufficient and able to take care of
themselves, whereas people in rural communities may require more support and
care due to the limited resources and access to services. This is where the
responsibility of Government lies. In the case of public sector, one of its
objectives is to set up industrial units in backward areas to subserve the
cause of developing them. In the case of private sector, the Government
encourages the setting up of new units in notified backward areas with
subsidies and incentives. Thus, both the public and private sectors show a
definite propensity towards rural and backward areas. As the industrial units
come up, they improve the life styles of the community by fulfilling several of
their needs.
Taking the example of BHEL at Ramachandrapuram again,
let us see how the company fulfilled its obligations to the community and
transformed the once a rural area, later semi urban and now totally an urban
one. Ramachandrapuram, about 25 KMs away from Hyderabad was a nearly desolate
place when BHEL was established. As the land was acquired for BHEL unit, the
organisation had to develop the infrastructure for the plant. However, it
started off by drawing upon the then existing infrastructure such as roads,
water supply, electricity etc. As the time passed by, there came new facilities
that the Company created such as schools, health center, recreational
facilities which could be used by BHEL employees as well as the people living
in the vicinity – the Community.
Similarly, ECIL near Moula Ali, HMT at Jeedimentla,
IDPL at Balanagar have contributed significantly to the progress and
advancement of the people in the vicinity of these organisations. Similarly,
private sector organisations such as Tata Iron & Steel Company,
Bhadrachalam Papers Limited of ITC Company, Voltas are just to name a few have
done significant work in the sphere of community relations by perceiving
community needs.
Social
Audit
Social audit is an evaluation of an organisation’s
working procedures, codes of conduct and the impact of their operations on the
society and social welfare. Social audit is not new to public relations because
human engineering is one of the tasks of public relations. If the accounts of a
company were to be audited by a firm of Chartered Accountants and certified to
be in order, the activities of the company shall have to be audited also by the
Society in which it is operating. Social Audit means anything what an
organisation does is open for scrutiny by the Society at large. In other words,
the activities of an organisation must be compatible with that of the Society
and cannot transgress social limits. What then are social limits? Society is
not an amorphous entity. Society, like community consists of individuals.
Whatever that is compatible with individuals’ interest becomes socially
relevant and working within those social parameters, fulfilling social norms
and withstanding scrutiny by the society can broadly be explained as social
audit.
Preserving environment by checking any possible
pollution by an organisation, helping economically and socially weaker sections,
promoting child nutrition, adult literacy, working towards eradication of caste
evils can be broadly termed as socially relevant actions. Passing the test of
social audit means the Corporate organisation has got the acceptance of the
Society.
Corporate
Social Responsibility
In one of the previous lessons, we have elaborately
dealt with Corporate Social Responsibility. It is important to discuss it here
briefly with reference to community relations. Corporate Social Responsibility
i.e. CSR refers to a company’s voluntary efforts to improve the social,
environmental and economic impacts of its operations. It is a commitment to
operate in an ethical and sustainable manner, going beyond legal requirements
to address societal needs and expectations. CSR means giving back to the
Society. It is a thoughtful and practical way to give back to the Society. It
is a business model that involves a Company’s efforts to improve the society
and environment. It is extremely important for sustainable development of all
stakeholders.
The key aspects of CSR are – (1) Social: Community
development, human rights, labor practices, diversity and inclusion (2)
Environmental: Sustainable resource use, climate change, pollution prevention
and environmental conservation and (3) Economic: Ethical business practices,
transparency, accountability and economic development.
The goals of CSR are – (1) Enhance reputation and
brand value (2) Improve stakeholder relationships (3) Increase business
efficiency and productivity (4) Manage risk and reduce costs and (5) Contribute
to sustainable development and societal wellbeing.
The permissible CSR initiatives as mandated by
Companies Act 2013 are (1) Eradicating extreme hunger and poverty (2) Promotion
of education (3) Promoting gender equality and empowering women (4)
Environmental sustainability projects (5) Protection of national heritage, art
and culture (6) Measures for the benefit of armed forces veterans (7) Training
to stimulate rural sports and (8) Contribute to the Prime Minister’s National
Relief Fund etc.
Community
Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility
Community relations play a vital role in implementing
corporate social responsibility initiatives. Here are some ways community
relations contribute to effective CSR implementation.
1. Stakeholder engagement: Community relations help
identify and engage with local stakeholders, including residents, businesses
and community groups to understand their needs and concerns.
2. Needs assessment: Community relations efforts help assess
the community’s social, economic and environmental needs, enabling the
development of targeted CSR initiatives.
3. Partnership building: Community relations foster
partnerships with local organizations, NGOs and government entities, enhancing
the impact and sustainability of CSR initiatives.
4. Community investment: Community relations inform
decisions on community investments, such as philanthropic initiatives,
sponsorships and volunteer programmes.
5. Reputation management: Community relations help
address and manage social and environmental issues, minimizing negative impacts
and promoting constructive dialogue.
6. Employee engagement: Community relations encourage
employee involvement in CSR initiatives, boosting morale, motivation and a
sense of social responsibility.
7. Community development; Community relations support
initiatives that promote economic development, education, health and
environmental sustainability, contributing to the wellbeing of the local
community.
By prioritizing community relations, organisations
ensure that their CSR efforts are effective, responsive and sustainable,
leading to long term positive impacts on the community and the organisation
itself.
Media
for Community Relations
The communication media used for promoting community relations
include:
1. Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and
YouTube etc to engage with the community, share updates and promote
initiatives.
2. Press Releases: Issued to local and regional media
outlets to share news and announcements about community-related activities.
3. Community Newspapers: Advertise and publish articles
in local newspapers to reach a wider audience.
4. Events and Sponsorships: Host or sponsor local events,
such as festivals, charity runs and cultural programs, to engage with the
community.
5. Public Relations: Leverage media coverage through
press conferences, interviews and feature stories to showcase community
initiatives.
6. Content Marketing: Create blog posts, videos and
infographics to share stories and updates about community relations efforts.
7. Email Newsletters: Send regular newsletters to
subscribers highlighting community news, events and achievements.
8. Corporate Social Responsibility Reports: Publish
annual reports detailing community relations efforts and impact.
9. Online Communities: Participate in online forums and
discussion groups to engage with local stakeholders.
10. Traditional Media: Utilize television, radio and print
media to reach a broader audience.
11. Influencer Marketing: Partner with local influencers
and thought leaders to promote community relations initiatives.
12. Community Bulletin Boards: Use physical bulletin
boards in public spaces to share updates and announcements.
13. Open House: Organize an open house once a year so that
the people in community see and believe the working environment because their
kith and kin might be working there.
By leveraging these media channels and events,
organisations can effectively promote their community relations efforts and
engage with local stakeholders.
Summary:
Community relations refer to the interactions and
relationships between an organization and the local community it operates in.
Effective community relations are crucial for businesses to build trust,
reputation and long-term success. In today's digital age, various media channels
are used to promote community relations, including social media, press releases,
community newspapers, events and sponsorships.
Businesses recognize the importance of connecting with
the local community, as it provides opportunities for growth, talent
acquisition and customer loyalty. By engaging with the community, businesses
can demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility, which is essential
for maintaining a positive reputation and meeting ethical standards.
Social responsibility is a critical aspect of
community relations, as it involves giving back to the community through CSR
initiatives like philanthropic activities, volunteer programs and environmental
sustainability efforts. Organizations that prioritize social responsibility are
more likely to build trust and credibility with local stakeholders.
In addition to social responsibility, community
relations also involve building partnerships with local organizations,
community groups and stakeholders. This collaboration enables businesses to
better understand the community's needs, address concerns and develop
initiatives that benefit the local population.
In conclusion, community relations are essential for
businesses to build trust, reputation, and long-term success. By leveraging
various media channels, connecting with the local community, prioritizing
social responsibility, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to the
community and contribute to its well-being. Effective community relations lead
to stronger relationships, improved reputation and a more sustainable future.
FAQs
1. Explain briefly about Community Relations.
2. What do you understand by Business and Community
symbiosis?
3. Explain the role of Public Relations in Community
Relations?
4. What is Social Audit and why is it necessary?
5. Which media can be used for maintaining Community
Relations?
Model Answers
1. Community Relations is a subset of
Public Relations. It is an area of Public Relations just like Government
Relations, Media Relations, Employee Relations, Financial Relations,
Shareholder Relations etc. No other area of Public relations has changed as
much in the last few years as community relations. No other area is having so
profound an effect on the practice of public relations. Today, no matter, how
large and important an organisation may be, it can be undermined, if it is
indifferent to community needs. It is because public opinion is important and
it is linked directly to public relations as also the community relations. Community Relations as
a Public Relations function can be explained as an Organization’s planned
active and continuous participation with and within a Community to meet its
needs. Community relations play an important role in building up a good PR
image, because Community is a neighbour. Whether a neighbour is good or bad is
dependent upon the relationships that one maintains. It is always desirable to
have a friendly neighbourhood.
2. The Community and Business Symbiosis
means the relationship between the two. Business organisations and community
have a symbiotic relationship. One thrives on the other. They have a profound
effect on each other. From a practical standpoint, we find that there are
several things that an organisation provides to the community and vice versa.
Firstly, the things that an organisation gives to the community are (a) capital
investment (b) employment opportunities (c) new products (d) educational and
(e) health facilities. Secondly, the things that the organisation gets from the
community are (a) land (b) work force (c) power (d) water (e) transportation
etc. The needs of the organisation and the community as explained here brings
into focus the symbiotic relationship between the two. Nurturing this
relationship is in a way the job of public relations department as community
relations.
3. Public
Relations does not and cannot operate in vacuum. In order that public relations
plays a role in community relations, it is necessary that an organisation has a
community relations policy and programme. For example, in the case of the House
of Tata, by far the most striking corporate example that one can think of in
the area of community relations, the organisation has been having a community
relations policy for decades. The House of Tata is unique among industrial
houses in that a large percentage of the profit of the parent firm goes to
public trusts. Profits of some other Tata companies also go to Tata
foundations. It is the policy of the House of Tata to promote community welfare
that has earned for them a distinct position as a good corporate citizen. From
this, it should be clear that good community relations can spring from a sustained
policy on the part of an organisation with regard to community relations.
Public Relations can sub serve the policy on community relations and at any
rate can never be a substitute to a policy or programme. More clearly, if an
organisation does not have a policy regarding community relations, there is
little that public relations can do.
4. Social audit is an evaluation of an organisation’s working procedures, codes of conduct and the impact of their operations on the society and social welfare. Social audit is not new to public relations because human engineering is one of the tasks of public relations. If the accounts of a company were audited by a firm of Chartered Accountants and certified to be in order, the activities of the company shall have to be audited also by the Society in which it is operating. Social Audit means anything what an organisation does is open for scrutiny by the Society at large. In other words, the activities of an organisation must be compatible with that of the Society and cannot transgress social limits. What then are social limits? Society is not an amorphous entity. Society, like community consists of individuals. Whatever that is compatible with individuals’ interest becomes socially relevant and working within those social parameters, fulfilling social norms and withstanding scrutiny by the society can broadly be explained as social audit.
5. Some of the important communication media used for promoting community relations include: (1) Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube etc to engage with the community, share updates and promote initiatives (2) Press Releases: Issued to local and regional media outlets to share news and announcements about community-related activities. (3) Community Newspapers: Advertise and publish articles in local newspapers to reach a wider audience. (4) Content Marketing: Create blog posts, videos, and infographics to share stories and updates about community relations efforts. (5) Email Newsletters: Send regular newsletters to subscribers highlighting community news, events and achievements. (6) Traditional Media: Utilize television, radio and print media to reach a broader audience. (7) Community Bulletin Boards: Use physical bulletin boards in public spaces to share updates and announcements etc.
Multiple
Choice Questions
1.
Community
Relations as a subset of ______ _______.
a.
Media
Relations
b.
Financial
Relations
c.
Marketing
Relations
d.
Public
Relations
2.
Community and Society are _______ but distinct
concepts.
a. Similar
b. Same
c. Related
d. Different
3.
Business
organisations and community have a ________ relationship.
a. Financial
b. Symbiotic
c. Psychological
d. Business
4.
Corporate Social Responsibility means giving
back to the _________.
a.
Society
b.
Community
c.
Management
d.
People
5.
Every
corporate organisation is a ______ ________.
a. Registered Company
b. Corporate Citizen
c. Business Organisation
d. Commercial establishment
Keys to Multiple Choice Questions: 1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (b)
Glossary:
Community:
A group of people living in the same place or having a particular
characteristic in common.
Society: A group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory and dominant cultural expectations.
Symbiotic relationship: A mutualistic relationship where both the parties involved either benefit from the interaction or suffer.
Social Audit: An ethical audit. A way for citizens to measure, understand and improve an organization’s social and ethical performance.
Corporate Citizenship: A company’s actions and responsibility that support the local and community’s social, economic and environmental outcomes.
CSR: An event less formal than press conference for networking opportunities with pressmen.
Communication Media: Modes of giving out and receiving information that include a wide range of tools and platforms for enabling communication between individuals, groups and organisations.
Community Relations: The relationship between a business and the communities it operates in.
Public Relations: The practice of managing and dissemination information from an individual or an organisation to the public in order to influence their perceptions.
Key words: Community, Society, Corporate, Citizenship, CSR, Symbiotic, Communication, Media
Y.
BABJI
Academic
Counsellor, Public Relations (since 1989)
AP
Open University/Dr BR Ambedkar Open University
Editor,
Public Relations Voice
