Corporate communication and community engagement strategies

: a multi-case study in the copper mining industries in the north of Chile

Abstract

Copper mining is a crucial industry for the Chilean economy, but its high levels of extraction and industrial activity create numerous external impacts, which can lead to conflicts with nearby communities (Schorr, 2018). Community engagement and the use of strategic communication are approaches that enable the establishment of key moments of dialogue between communities and companies. This in turn facilitates the consensus of development models that can make mining an activity compatible with the demands of its stakeholders. This study explores how Chilean mining companies and local communities engage with each other, focusing on the role played by strategic communication in this process. It highlights the importance of dialogue and two-way communication in fostering community involvement. Furthermore, the study aims to understand the opinions of community engagement professionals regarding the effectiveness of current programs, as well as the perspectives of community leaders on the engagement strategies being implemented. With these objectives in mind, the research questions that guided the study were as follows: 1) What community engagement strategies do mining companies in Chile use, and what role does strategic communication play in these strategies? 2) How do key community stakeholders and professionals involved in managing the community-company relationship assess the effectiveness of these strategies, and what challenges do they face in their implementation? By drawing upon a qualitative methodological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from the mining sector who are in charge of creating and implementing community engagement plans. Community leaders were also interviewed for this study in order to ascertain their evaluation and views of these plans. After the data collection process, the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The results show that the companies in this study are inclined to implement transformative strategies that include communities in the final decision-making and in the co-management of social development programs. However, transactional approaches (Bowen et al., 2010) and the 3 prevailing perception of communities as a risk for the industry are still present in the discourse of the mining companies' participants. The same result was noted in the responses of community leaders, whose discourses strongly permeates the concept of Social License to Operate (SLO) as an element that gives relevance to the power of their consent over mining projects. The participant’s responses also indicates that strategic communication plays a relevant role in facilitating the dialogue between communities and companies. This is clearly expressed in the creation of specific communication channels that allow the diffusion of different key messages in a focused manner. Both groups of participants emphasized that holding public consultation activities and face-to-face meetings was crucial for reaching agreements, building mutual trust, and advancing joint projects. The conclusions of this study may help identify the most effective practices that enable communities and mining companies to seek common understanding and involve communities in the development of mining in Chile and other regions. Additionally, it can contribute to the study of strategic communication and its ability to influence stakeholders, supporting the achievement of strategic objectives that are crucial for companies.

Date of Award	20 Jan 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Sandra Borges Tavares (Supervisor)