In some Western countries, corporations have a long history of contributing to the development of their local communities. They can bring prosperity to their communities in a variety of ways. It occurs when businesses perform their traditional economic functions of earning profits, expanding employment opportunities, and reinvesting for future growth.
Corporations also develop their communities by enhancing the environment in which they operate.
The two articles below highlight how businesses are helping to improve their local communities in Poland, a country undergoing a transition to a market-oriented economy where corporations are confronting tremendous competitive pressures. The actual number of corporations in Poland that are investing in their local communities may be few relative to those in wealthier countries. However, the country remains an instructive case study of the expanding role of the corporation throughout the world because it demonstrates that the private sector is increasingly recognizing that the principle of self-interest can be pursued in a variety of creative ways. Social Responsibility In Poland, the idea of social responsibility in business has yet to be widely recognized. Given the country's economic condition and the limited scale of profit for most companies, relatively few enterprises see the benefits, or even the possibility, of focusing on social issues.