The Idea Case

The Idea of responsibility when an accident like the BP spill happens is that it must be someone else’s fault. From the beginning BP recognized there was a problem and began going to work on fixing the problem. But for many this was not enough. Many concluded that it must have been from shotty corporate practices and wanted answers. They believe that somehow the CEO’s had cut corners and allowed this to happen. But the idea of social responsibity can’t only be summed up into one or two nicely constructed statements made the CEO’s of BP and in a few nicely placed ads on Television telling the American people how they are here for us and will continue the effort to clean up the golf, it lies in the actions taken in the weeks and months after the spill. We need to look at the ethical decisions made, the people who were affected, the effects on the environment, and plans for the future. The affects will last forever and we need to have a full understanding what and why before we can point the finger and tell them to take responsibility.

It is east to look back at the events and see the value of ethics in the company, but I think we need to look at the company as a hole. I remember when I first heard about the spill I thought there had to be more to the story. Being a law major I thought there had to be a short cut taken or manning issues that caused the problem. In the weeks after the spill began it came out there may have been miscalculations and reasons why there were drilling there in the first place. To understand this I think we have to keep in mind that BP is an organization. In fact it is one of Americans largest oil company. Many would say that you don’t get to be the largest without cutting a few corners. Business ethics cannot be taught, although the lives of millions relied on the safety of the drill, money sometimes speaks louder than actions.

As discussed early in our reading Stakeholders can be anyone who has an interest in the company. In this case the stakeholders are the CEO’s, the workers and their families, the stock holders, the community, and the environment. There is an old saying that things roll down hill and in this case I think there in nothing but things rolling downhill. First the CEO’s are affected by the publicity of the spill. They will forever be branded as the ones who destroyed the golf. Next we look at the stockholders. When news broke of the spill stocks fell at least 60% and no one wanted to be associated