Territorial development through business and local community interaction: Priority areas and assessment of the enterprises’ contribution

This study addresses how modern companies can align their key objectives of production development, revenue generation, and strengthening competitive advantages with demands of society and the state for solving social issues, as well as the integration of environmental and ethical principles into their business activities. The objective of the study is to identify priority areas and assess the contribution of Russian businesses to the development of their local communities through interactions. Based on analysis of the current state of affairs and study of public opinion of local industrial enterprises, expectations regarding business contribution to the development of urban and rural areas are identified. Key areas for improving the comfort of the urban environment are identified. The role of business in creating and maintaining comfortable living conditions in cities is underestimated. Indicators for assessing the contribution of enterprises to the development of their local communities, including the environmental well-being of the population, are proposed. The study focuses on the development of regions where Russian businesses operate through their interaction with local communities. It examines the priority areas and contribution of businesses to the development of their regions through interaction with local communities. It was established that the key points of convergence between the interests of businesses and local residents are addressing the issue of personnel shortages and the existing contradiction between the public’s expectations of business participation in socially significant activities and the existing potential of companies in this area. It is proposed to supplement the national “Sustainable Development Goals†system, data on which is published on the Rosstat website, with specific indicators for assessing business contribution to regional development, to implement the developed coefficients for the environmental responsibility (the key, most widely represented of the 17 “Sustainable Development Goals†) of municipal enterprises and the level of environmental reliability of regional enterprise projects, and to rank the priority areas of socially responsible business activity based on the number of settlements and public opinion.