THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF SHELL NIG PLC)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The concept of corporate social responsibilities is a new concept in the business world. Corporate social responsibility is the ability of a corporation to relate its operations and policies to the needs of the environment and the workforce to the benefit of the organization and the host communities. Corporate social responsibility involves management of an organization, working and relating with host communities and own labour force to ensure that the company or organization is responsible and responsive to corporate governance. It includes the participation of the company in such vital area as environmental protection training of its workforce and welfare package and employment, provision of social amenities within plant location, such as water, electricity, bridges, roads, school, scholarship programmes and youth development for the communities and natural development. Business and society are inter-dependent because business cannot operate in a vacuum, it operates in the society and contribute immensely to the hazards of the environment from citizens and at same time provides employment security and other many values of the community. Thus concept of social responsibility of business is vital in the life organized business operations.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Presently, it is obvious that most corporate citizens or organization are not living up to expectation of their duties in the host communities. These contributed immensely to environmental degradation of the region, the air, water and land pollution, destruction of natural habitations and waste disposal system that are harmful and destructive to the host community. Lack of corporation to tackle the problem and reduce the effects of drilling activities on the environment and raise the standard of living of the people in the host communities became a source of concern to the youth of the region. Secondly, lack of infrastructures and social amenities in the host communities of Niger Delta region by the federal government and the oil companies operating in the region. Thus, the researcher is intended in finding out the cause of the problems in the region.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objectives of the study is to explore how best to use the practice of public relations to manage and reduce the challenges facing the people of the Niger Delta, the oil companies therein and the peace and security of the lives and property in the Nigerian state.
The research objectives include the following:-
1. To know whether the neglect of social responsibility have negative impacts on the organizations operating in the region.
2. To know the relationships that exists between the corporate organizations and their host communities.
4. To know the effective methods of handling the relationships between the organizations and the environments in which they operate.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions have been formulated to enable the researcher do the study properly.
1. Do the activities of the multinational corporations in the region pollute the environment of the region?
2. Does the pollution of the environment by the oil companies make the host communities unable to farm and fish in their land and water?
3. Do the people of the region suffer from unemployment?
4. Do these multinational corporations provide adequate infrastructure and amenities in the region?
1.5 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
HYPOTHESIS I
Ho: The activities of the multinational corporations in the region doe not pollute the environment of the region.
Hi: The activities of the multinational corporations in the region pollute the environment of the region.
HYPOTHESIS II
Ho: The people of the region does not suffer from unemployment
Hi: The people of the region suffer from unemployment
HYPOTHESIS III
Ho: The community does not benefit from the social responsibility of company
Hi: The community benefit from the social responsibility of company
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of the study lies in the fact that it would add to the alliteration guiding the federal government of Nigeria on how best social responsibilities of business concepts could be used and investigated in the region in order to restore progress, peace and security of lives and property of the communities and the corporations therein. The concept, if fully managed, would bring harmony between the organization and the host communities operating in the region. These will also create the impression that business is not only for profit making but also improvement for the welfare of its work force and the host communities. It will equally help the government make motivating polices to encourage organizations in the region participate and implement fully, the corporate social responsibilities polices and goals in communities of operation.
1.7 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study focused on the role of corporate social responsibilities of multinational companies in the Niger Delta region. Specifically, the host communities expect the companies to improve and raise the standard of living of the people and also what the companies expect from the host communities, especially what shell company is able to do in this direction, to alleviate the impacts of oil exploration on the people of the region.
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
On the course of this research, the following problems were encountered, like short time frame. Financing problem, scarcity of information or data, etc. this is due to mainly, the wide scope of this study which emphasizes on a complex institution like Nigeria. Now, the implication is that the short time frame mapped out for this research work posed a problem of assessing these programs as whole, but that doesn’t threat the authentication and quality of this work. Again, enough finance for the accomplishment of this work became a problem in the sense that gathering information was costly, the researcher needed enough money to gather them.
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