“The practice of good corporate citizen ship by health-related organizations and systems has economic value to the entities and to the communities they serve. Citizenship-related organization behaviors also can contribute to fulfillment of these entities’ core missions–enhanced health. In the process, the entities strengthen and improve their political competence” (Longest 351).
Many of us already know that companies and corporations are considered by law as legal entities constituting “juridical persons”. But there is another aspect of companies that is very important. That is, companies are “citizens” of the so-called “global village”, just like us. And just like us, they have rights and responsibilities too (“Corporate Citizenship”, par. 1). The rights are to be offer goods and services and to try to maximize their profit. In a certain way they are creators of wealth within the society. The responsibilities are to pursue their goals and means without creating damage of any sort to the communities they serve. What is called corporate responsibility (or citizenship) is that part of the business which foresees that communities are not harmed and how the interests and goals of the company coincide with the interests, aims, and goals of the communities they serve (“Corporate Citizenship”, par. 1).
In a certain way, it is the view of companies not as entities outside the social system and our communities, but as “persons” acting within the communities and social system. Corporate citizenship tries to connect the two entities, communities and companies, to work together for the benefit of the social order.
But in order to do this the companies need to have a good level of political competence (Warner, 1).
In fact, political competence is the way a company approaches the social order and how it promotes its interests. Combined with corporate citizenship, we have as a result a way of promoting the interests of the society, communities, and that of the companies without contradicting each other. But companies have also another great benefit from being good corporate citizens of the society. In fact, this turns in a kind of positive marketing strategy for them.
At the beginning of the first page, I quote Longest which talks about corporate citizenship for healthcare companies. People tend to view with skepticism this kind of company. The reason for this is that the product and services these companies offer relate directly to the health of the individual. By investing and putting efforts into corporate citizenship, these companies build an image of themselves as community caring. People do not see them as “strangers” but begin to accept their presence in their daily life. In order to do that, these companies need political competence. Before trying to “became closer” to the communities they must understand their values and norms, their culture and heritage.
This way they can develop the best approach they can. In return, they get a more strengthened brand name among the community. People begin to trust the company because it is trying to be responsible toward them. Once this is achieved they tend to purchase the company’s product more easily because they evaluate the company as “part of the community”.
This, in return, is a big market and economic advantage for the company.
References
Longest Jr., B. (2006). Health policymaking in the United States (4th Ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
2008. Corporate Citizenship. The Corporate-Citizenship Website. Web.
Warner, J. (2008). A Phenomenological Approach to Political Competence: Stories of Nurse Activists. Abstract from SAGE Online Journals. Web.