THE DYNAMICS OF CHANGE IN CORPORATE COMMUNITY-RELATIONS

This article examines the evolving role of corporate community relatio ns in the 1990s. The corporate community relations function faces exte rnal pressures-including globalization, alliances, competition, and go vernmental regulation- and internal pressures-from technology, restruc turing, decentralization, resource constraints, and from employees and communities. Collectively, these pressures have broadened the definit ion of community from that of the local headquarters to include all th e various communities in which companies operate. To respond to these shifts, many community relations professionals are focusing their atte ntion on strengthening the linkages between community relations activi ties and company strategy.