According to Bittner (2015)  he argued that in a bid to ensure good community relations, organizations expend shareholders money, cut down workers salaries, waste precious time which should be used for other profitable things. He calls it “a fundamentally subversive doctrine which offers insoluble practical problems”.

While Nweke (2001:220) is of the view that compliance and non compliance with the idea of corporate philanthropy determine the measure of goodwill, cordiality and continued acceptance an organization enjoys in its business premises.

The problem of this study is to ascertain the role Shell’s Community Relations has played on their corporate image. The reasons behind the negative or positive public perception, about SPDC.

As well as whether this is a result of its compliance or non compliance to the business philosophy of corporate philosophy and the positive or negative attitude of the management and staff members towards the money expended on community relations.

Moreso, it will examine the extent to which these perceptions and attitude are capable of affective the success or failure of the organization.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY       

The central goal of this study is to find out the role community relations has played on the corporate image of Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria (SPDC); with the aim of evaluating their corporate philosophy, its benefits and peoples attitude towards SPDC. This would be achieved through the following objectives:

i.            Assessing the community relations programmes of SPDC.

ii.          Finding out people’s opinion and attitude toward SPDC as a corporate entity.

iii.        Probing into the reasons for such perception about SPDC.

iv.         Assessing the programmes of SPDC for enhancing  the lives of its host community members in order to forestall crisis.

v.           Making recommendations based on the research findings for effective community relations programmes /projects for SPDC.