Author Description

"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 staffed for the community. He sees upgraded roads and electricity that had not existed before. He sees increased activity in the region, more people and more vehicles, as people have migrated to the area for work. But he hears the company manager complain that he spends far too much time dealing with the community's "never-ending demands" and with "local trouble-makers," and he hears community members complain that "the company has done nothing for us."This book has been written for corporate managers who are responsible for company operations in societies that are poor and politically unstable. Many such managers are frustrated with the situations they face. They try their best to run effective, profitable and beneficial operations that take account of the needs of all their stakeholders, including local surrounding communities. But, even with their best efforts, they encounter community dissatisfaction, unrest, opposition, and delays and, worse yet, threats and violence.In many ways, this book is also written *by* such managers because the information and learning it includes come dire