Abstract

This article examines the evolving role of corporate community relations in the 1990s. The corporate community relations function faces external pressures- including globalization, alliances, competition, and governmental regulation- and internal pressures-from technology, restructuring, decentralization, resource constraints, and from employees and communities. Collectively, these pressures have broadened the definition of community from that of the local headquarters to include all the various communities in which companies operate. To respond to these shifts, many community relations professionals are focusing their attention on strengthening the linkages between community relations activities and company strategy.