Getting It Right

Luc Zandvliet, Mary B. Anderson

"A company begins exploration of future operations in a remote and rural area of a poor, but resource-rich country. The communities in this area welcome the company's interest, seeing the prospects for improved social and economic conditions. They look forward to the creation of jobs and other income opportunities, and they look forward to being connected to the outside world through the company. The company, for its part, wants to get it right with local communities. In order to understand the context in which they plan to operate as well as to demonstrate their respect for local mores, managers hire an anthropologist or a non-governmental organization (NGO) to do community surveys. They see these as the first steps for establishing good relations between the company and local communities. Five years later, a visitor to the area sees schools and clinics that the company has built and...