Communicating, connecting and developing social capital for sustainable organisations and their communities

Abstract

When organisations take an active role in community engagement they encourage sustainable community practices and develop social capital through networks, collaboration with other organisations, relational exchanges and meaningful community connections. This paper considers regional Canadian and South Australian models of sustainable practice where organisations developed community partnerships and organisations' directors, community leaders, public relations professionals and community media promoted a culture of community responsiveness within and between organisations. In the qualitative, interpretive study organisations embedded social capital initiatives in their strategic plans. This paper focuses on the role of communication in its various forms; media both traditional and social media, that encouraged dialogue and developed trust with organisations and their communities. Considerable effort was required to sustain relationships and manage challenges to community program develop. This paper contends that developing social capital is critical to organisations' participation in their communities and to the realisation of community goals.