The community
All companies can have an impact on the communities in which they
operate. This is why the wider community is an important stakeholder.
These impacts can be positive. For example, businesses provide
jobs, which have an impact on local economies. There can also be
negative impacts, such as pollution and other environmental
disturbance. All businesses must be sensitive to community
concerns. Negative publicity can damage a company’s reputation.
BT demonstrates its social responsibility through its environmental
initiatives. It is also playing a role in community building. One way
it is doing this is by helping to make broadband internet access
more widely available. 9.2 million adults in the UK have never used
the internet, BT hopes to address this via its ‘Get IT Together’
campaign to help people get online. By improving its networks,
BT can make a contribution to tackling social exclusion