Sustainable Enterprises: Crisis Management and Culture Transformation for BP

Abstract

Corporate sustainability includes many normal business practices. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico provides a classic example of how failure to be sustainable can lead to an overall organizational failure of mandate, and a failure to serve stakeholders. BP plc was faced with managing the crisis and examining the causes of its organizational failure. At the core of the issue is a failed organizational culture. This paper examines what events and organizational values have led to the crisis and what changes to organizational culture would be required, to avoid a repeat event and begin to create a sustainable organization.