Discuss why a business may wish to get involved in community relations.
Discussion 4
Benjamin Schlotter
Liberty University
BMAL 560: Corporate Responsibility
Dr. Christopher McChesney
Discuss why a business may wish to get involved in community relations. What benefits accrue to business that actively participate in their communities?
A business being involved in the community is an idea that has become more and more prevalent over time. There are a group of people who believe business should stay out of the community, but that is a difficult idea to get behind as many employees and managers are part of the community they work in. From a Biblical point of view, we can argue that no matter the setting we should look to improve our communities. In Psalms we are told that it is well with a man who deals generously and lends (Psalms 112:5 ESV). With this idea in mind it does not matter whether it is an individual or a business, we should always be looking to improve our communities.
In looking in how a business gets involved in the community, two basic ideas that a business can use to begin work in the community is through volunteerism and corporate giving (Lawrence, 2020). Beginning to work in a community does not only benefit the community but the business as well. One important concept for a business to remember is that community involvement helps protect the firm and encourages the people within to follow its moral principles (Santana, 2014). Part of protecting the organization through community involvement comes down to its own employees. Those who are involved in the community not only have a higher job satisfaction, but also foster a stronger belief in the organizational mission and pride (Veleva, 2014). In diving deeper into organizational benefits, one must not forget how the community will inevitably give back. The more businesses are involved in their communities, the more a community will support the business itself (Johnson Jorgensen, 2020). This is a crucial idea in business today because of the added success it can bring. Community involvement can help bring along the development of new business models, especially for the lesser known small business who are looking to gain traction in the community they serve (Johnson Jorgensen, 2020). Community involvement can possibly be even more important during a recession (Berezin, 2011). During a recession a business can use collaborative partnerships to increase its value in the community as they fight for business in a difficult market (Lawrence, 2020). As businesses are able to gain more traction through a difficult economy, they are able to use their community support to strengthen a local economy (Berezin, 2011). Possibly the most valuable aspect of a business being involved in a community comes down to the image in which is created. It is no secret that the way in which you are viewed can create success on an individual and business level. Through community involvement the business can enhance its brand along with more recognition (Berezin, 2011). Enhancing a brand not only initiates monetary success, but organizational success. In having a strong brand, a business will be able to attract and hire better employees who will be steer the business toward long term success (Berezin, 2011). Business’s involvement in the community can only be a good thing when it is approached properly. Businesses must always look at the wide array of stakeholders to ensure policies are implemented properly (Veleva, 2014). In looking at the big picture with community involvement there is a real chance for business success along with strengthening and building the community they are in.
References
Berezin, D. L. (2011). Business involvement in the community: Everyone wins. National Civic Review, 100(2), 58-61. https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.20060Links to an external site.
English Standard Version Bible. (2007)
Johnson Jorgensen, J., Masuo, D., Manikowske, L., & Lee, Y. (2020). The reciprocal involvement of family business owners and communities in business success. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 12(10), 4048. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104048Links to an external site.
Lawrence, A.T. (2020) Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public policy. 16th edn. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Santana, A. (2014). Firm size and ownership structure: Effects on motivations for use of business community involvement practices. Business and Society Review (1974), 119(2), 277-296. https://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12034Links to an external site.
VELEVA, V., PARKER, S., LEE, A., & PINNEY, C. (2012). Measuring the business impacts of community involvement: The case of employee volunteering at UL. Business and Society Review (1974), 117(1), 123-142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8594.2011.00395.xLinks to an external site.
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