An analysis of corporate community engagement in Zimbabwe

Abstract

A notable conflict in extractive industries is a clash of competing interests. A desire to address this conflict has resulted in the development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) theories. The aim of this paper is to provide an indepth understanding of factors that have a significant impact on positive corporate community engagement, by focusing on the engagement aspect of corporate social responsibility. The study is centered around the following three questions: (1) How should corporates engage with local communities to ensure positive engagement outcomes? (2) What is the role of communities in the corporate engagement process? (3) What are the key components of Corporate Community Engagement? Using qualitative and quantitative data instruments, empirical evidence was generated from five commu-nities in close proximity to platinum and diamond mining companies in Zimbabwe. The qualitative data gathering process generated ten key components of corporate community engagement. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the factorial validity of these components. The factor solution resulted in three significant components: (1) value adding partnerships; (2) trust; and (3) effective communication. The paper concludes by giving consideration to corpo-rate best practices that lead to enriching understanding of local communities and effective engagement.