An Assessment of Agbara Residents Perception of Nestle Plc Community Relations Practices

This study examined Agbara residents’ perception of Nestle Plc’s community relations practices. The aim of the study was to investigate Agbara residents’ perception of the community relations efforts of Nestle Plc. The objectives of the was to: investigate the stakeholder communication channels between Nestle Plc and Agbara community; ascertain Agbara residents’ perception of the community relations practices of Nestle Plc; find out if Nestle Plc carries out needs assessment of the host communities prior to execution of community relations project; and the ascertain the extent of community participation in the implementation of Nestle Plc’s community relations projects. The stakeholder theory served as the theoretical cornerstone. The cross-sectional survey research design was used to study a population of 299,900 from which a sample size of 384 was drawn. Findings of the study showed that that the major investment of Nestle Plc is the provision of employment opportunities. It was seen that the perception of Agbara community residents about the community relations practices of Nestle Plc is slightly negative as the organization do not appeal to the pressing needs of the community members. Findings also showed that Nestle Plc does not conduct adequate need assessments within Agbara community before embarking on community projects. Based on these findings, the study recommended among other things, that there is need for Nestle Plc to sustain its investment in promoting genuine stakeholderrelations through consistent communication. It was also recommended that Nestle Plc should ensure that it conducts needs assessments in its host communities before the implementation of projects.