Corporate Community Relations: The Principle of the Neighbor of Choice - Hardcover

"Burke, director of Boston College's Center for Corporate Community Relations, provides an insightful analysis of the contribution businesses make to community well-being....Corporate social responsibility is a significant issue in today's business environment, and thus this book is a timely and important addition to academic and professional business collections."-Choice ?An excellent selection of scenarios from a variety of industries complements the text, highlighting the impact and importance of emerging partnerships between business and community....[A] timely and important addition to academic and professional business collections.?-S.R. Kahn, University of Cincinnati ?Burke, director of Boston College's Center for Corporate Community Relations, provides an insightful analysis of the contribution businesses make to community well-being....Corporate social responsibility is a significant issue in today's business environment, and thus this book is a timely and important addition to academic and professional business collections.?-Choice "An excellent selection of scenarios from a variety of industries complements the text, highlighting the impact and importance of emerging partnerships between business and community....[A] timely and important addition to academic and professional business collections."-S.R. Kahn, University of Cincinnati "[This] is a book that every nonprofit should read to help corporations see philanthropy as a way to achieve business goals while they help communities achieve social goals. In today's competitive environment, it is essential to find ways that corporations can be heroes to their stockholders, customers, employees, and communities through enlightened use of corporate contributions."-Mark O'Connell President United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta "What pratitioners and students will find most valuable about this book is the author's detailed explanations, based on a lot of first hand knowledge and years of practical course teaching, of how companies can develop 'neighbor of choice' strategies. There is much excellent guidance with accompanying practical tools for companies seeking to understand their various communities, develop mutually beneficial working relationships with them, and keep the whole process under regular review."-Chris Marsden Director, Corporate Citizenship Unit Warwick Business School University of Warwick Warwick, England "Ed Burke has written an invaluable theoretical and practical guide to achieving excellence in responsible corporate citizenship. The book is a must read for CEOs and managers seeking to begin or enhance an effective community outreach program."-Virginia Rodriguez Director, Public Relations The Washington Post "As the creator and first Director of Boston College's Center for Corporate Community Relations, Ed Burke brings great knowledge and expertise to his subject. Every senior executive concerned with their community will benefit from this work."-G. Graig Sullivan Chairman and Chief Executive Officer The Clorox Company "As Director of the Center for Corporate Community Relations at Boston College, Ed worked with us to help turn our vision of being a leader in corporate social responsibility into reality. Over the years, the NBA has employed many of the principles described in this book to ensure that our league and team community relations efforts are strategic, focused, and effective."-Paula Hanson Senior Vice President, Team Operations National Basketball Association

Burke challenges the current thesis that companies should act responsibly toward communities and societies. Instead, he shows that changes in society mandate that companies must develop strategies and programs that foster a reputation of trust in local communities in order that they preserve their license to operate. Burke describes strategies and programs of action that enable companies to develop trust and thus maintain their license to operate. He also describes ways to use philanthropy and volunteer programs to achieve a competitive advantage. The public environment in which companies operate has changed significantly since the 1970s. Communities, in response to elected officials and community groups, are demanding that companies observe new norms of behavior. They expect companies to respect the environment, respond to the concerns of the community residents, and contribute to the support of community institutions. As Burke illustrates, a company's community reputation also affects the behavior of consumers and employees. Consumers prefer to buy products from companies that are involved in the community. Employees are attracted to companies that have a good community reputation. Just as successful companies need to be a supplier of choice, an employer of choice, and an investor of choice, they now have to become a neighbor of choice. They have to behave in ways that build a legacy of trust in order to be positioned positively in the community. As Burke shows, to be a neighbor of choice, a company has to pursue three strategies: build sustainable and ongoing relationships with key community individuals, groups, and organizations; institute procedures that anticipate and respond to community expectations, concerns, needs, and issues; and focus the company's community programs on ways that promote and strengthen the community's quality of life and which also support the business goals of the company. The strategies developed by Burke will be of great use to community and public affairs managers and general managers of corporations as well as CEOs and other executive officers. Students in courses on corporate strategy and general management will find the book of value, as will students in courses on non-profit management.