Investing in communities: Forging new ground in corporate community co-development through relational and psychological pathways
Investing in communities: Forging new ground in corporate community co-development through relational and psychological pathways Journal Article
Academy of Management Journal
Abstract: Within management scholarship and practice, corporate community investments are heralded as an important form of corporate social responsibility. Yet, community development scholars have engaged in discourse and debate regarding corporate community investment, surmising that in some instances it does more harm than good. Where management research has not focused?and can substantially contribute to both theory and practice?is on how to implement corporate community investment for mutual gain. Integrating the fields of management and community development, I provide an evidence-based theory for understanding corporate community co-development, addressing relational and psychological pathways for behavioral change. This model emerged from a qualitative ethnographic study of 35 corporate-community investment programs involving members of at-risk remote Indigenous Australian communities, large corporations, and a nonprofit organization. Programs involved initiatives such as family income management, educational trusts, literacy programs, nutritional, and substance abuse campaigns. The results in competency building and community development have exceeded the expectations of all parties. Implications for theory, research, policy, and practitioners in management and community development are included.
Notes: doi: 10.5465/amj.2020.1664