Community

Current society is complex and diverse. A change in the various forms of social welfare has strengthened the position of a multitude of entities in their role as subsidy providers. At the same time companies have become part of people’s everyday life not only through products but their ability to influence institutions.

Society looks increasingly to the support of companies in providing services to the community that are not part of their normal business. Furthermore they are expected to act as a spokeperson in institutional debates.

For these reasons, companies that operate across international markets must find strategies and actions that are consistent with their corporate values and distinctive skills and create occasions to interact with local communities wherever these may be located, while taking into account the specific needs and characteristics of each individual situation.

Moreover, enterprises must not ignore the co-existence of a two-layer system of relationships between people. The first consists of social interaction, emotional and rational intensity and real meetings in traditional places. Companies that manufacture consumer products that are widely used by families and individuals must take this phenomenon into account, as it is in line with their specific mission. At the same time social networking has experienced exponential growth.

These new interconnections create not only group satisfaction but a desire for individual and independent growth. On the whole, communities today seek to use local entities and organizations (whether public or private, institutions, companies or associations) in order to access resources that are useful to sustainable development.

Companies play a leading role in society and for some time now have been expected to act in an open and transparent way and are required to make available their specialist skills to complement and integrate those of public enterprises and associations.