Author: Alyson Warhurst, Warwick Business School, UK

This paper has discussed the imperative of corporate citizenship. It has suggested that public policy, particularly regulation, is important but that there exists substantial potential and a growing number of global and project-specific drivers for companies to act proactively and become the prime mover of change. This is all the more relevant in some developing countries where local communities, disillusioned with weak government and failed promises to return to them portions of royalties and taxes, are engaging directly with companies so as to ensure at least a minimal receipt of economic benefit within the host community.