...BP's Ethical Culture and the 2010 Oil SPil The explosion of 2010 that occurred at the “Macondo” oil reservoir is to date the largest oil spill in history of the United States of America which resulted in 2.5 million gallons of crude oil to pour into the Gulf of Mexico daily. The death of thousands of marine animals, the damage done to the habitats, the lives of the 11 oil rig workers and many other consequences have been laid at the feet of BP. Such a crisis has raised further questions regarding BP’s ethical practices and has urged enquires into what aspects of BP’s ethical culture would have contributed to this disaster. BP (formerly known as British Petroleum) has had a long history of questionable ethical conduct. The Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not the first incident that BP has been involved in but it is certainly the largest. After some previous incidents, BP issued a code of conduct to all of its employees around the globe entitled “Our commitment to integrity”. While this was a valiant attempt by BP to change course and to instill a clear code of conduct within its employees, it did not take effect which is apparent in the Gulf of Mexico incident. Research into this most recent dilemma has shown that BP did not place safety and security as a priority in their drilling activities. There is evidence that BP have conducted this operation with the intent to save costs and expenditures. BP included numerous safety systems in the oil rig and have complied with...
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...What aspects of BP’s ethical culture could have contributed to the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster? BP’s ethical culture did contribute to the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster which occurred on April 20th, 2010 resulting from an explosion which killed eleven (11) employees. This disaster created an environmental catastrophe as millions of gallons of crude oil were sent into the Gulf of Mexico, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of fishermen and others who depended on the Gulf for income. The aspects of BP’s ethical culture that contributed to the Gulf Coast oil spill are: BP did not have in place adequate safety measures. The rig did not have a remote control cut off switch. A BP official falsely informed Fox News after the incident that BP had successfully activated part of a failed blowout preventer, which was slowing the oil flow. This announcement turned out to be false as BP’s underwater robot did in fact trigger a device, but the device did not stop the flow of oil. While the remote controlled cut out switch was not required by law as long as the Rig had a backup control system, BP could have ensured that some sort of emergency shut off system was in place. BP cut corners to save time and money while not providing sufficient oversight. Seventy five percent of incidents that caused Federal investigations into safety on deep sea drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico were on Transocean drilling rigs and BP were their biggest client. Therefore it was BP’s responsibility...
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...in the Middle East this is tricky cultural difficulty. This can be a serious issue because women should be able to be equals in a corporation, but at the same time, BP has to be able to not offend someone that they are trying to do business with because they are culturally uncomfortable with women in business. This is a delicate balancing act between ethics, social responsibility and cultural awareness for the company. Legally and ethically a woman should be able to perform all the same tasks as a male counterpart, but it may be in the best interests of the company to respect the cultural differences that can occur in doing business in other countries. There are several ethical perspectives at BP when it comes to dealing with culture and gender. Consequence ethics and principle-based ethics can both be at play in this situation. Consequence ethics in that there can be consequences from both making business partners uncomfortable and in choosing a man over a woman for business dealings because of cultural differences. Principle-based ethics looks at this situation in that the decision made is done morally with a respect for justice, doing no harm, doing good and having a respect for autonomy. In principle-based ethics, the person making the decision has to outweigh the harm that could be caused to gender equality while not harming the relationship with the business that might not be comfortable with women in a business-setting. Each of these...
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...C H A P T E R Organizational Culture Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: • Describe the elements of organizational culture. • Discuss the importance of organizational subcultures. • List four categories of artifacts through which corporate culture is communicated. • Identify three functions of organizational culture. • Discuss the conditions under which cultural strength improves corporate performance. • Discuss the effect of organizational culture on business ethics. • Compare and contrast four strategies for merging organizational cultures. • Identify five strategies to strengthen an organization’s culture. 16 S I X T E E N 496 T o an outsider, PeopleSoft is one of the loopiest places on the planet. The Pleasanton, California, business management software company has nerf ball shootouts and minigolf tournaments in the hallways. Dress-down day is every day of the week. A white collar is usually a T-shirt. The bagels and gourmet coffee are free. Having fun is so ingrained that many employees—called PeoplePeople—say it’s the best place to have a bad day. PeopleSoft also values egalitarianism— treating everyone with respect and minimal status differences. Executives don’t have secretaries, special perks, or grandiose offices. “Don’t kiss up and slap down,” PeopleSoft cofounder Dave Duffield reminds everyone. In other words, give the bagel delivery guy the same respect as the company president. PeopleSoft is also extreme on...
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...Cross-Cultural Communication Theory and Practice Barry Tomalin; Brian J. Hurn ISBN: 9780230391147 DOI: 10.1057/9780230391147 Palgrave Macmillan Please respect intellectual property rights This material is copyright and its use is restricted by our standard site license terms and conditions (see palgraveconnect.com/pc/connect/info/terms_conditions.html). If you plan to copy, distribute or share in any format, including, for the avoidance of doubt, posting on websites, you need the express prior permission of Palgrave Macmillan. To request permission please contact rights@palgrave.com. Cross-Cultural Communication 10.1057/9780230391147 - Cross-Cultural Communication, Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin Copyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Griffith University - PalgraveConnect - 2014-04-12 This page intentionally left blank 10.1057/9780230391147 - Cross-Cultural Communication, Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin Copyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Griffith University - PalgraveConnect - 2014-04-12 Cross-Cultural Communication Theory and Practice Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin Copyright material from www.palgraveconnect.com - licensed to Griffith University - PalgraveConnect - 2014-04-12 10.1057/9780230391147 - Cross-Cultural Communication, Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin © Brian J. Hurn and Barry Tomalin 2013 Foreword © Jack Spence 2013 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this...
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...Material Diversity Worksheet Answer each question in 50 to 150 words. Provide citations for all the sources you use. 1. What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? “ The term “diversity” is used broadly to refer to many demographic variables, including, but not limited to, race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, education, geographic origin, and skill characteristics. America's diversity has given this country its unique strength, resilience and richness.” ( U.S. Department of Interior). It is what this country is all about, being free to be whatever we want to be. 2. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is where one culture will judge another on by their own beliefs or convictions. This is very detrimental to a society because they only see one side of things, and that is their side only. They will not give anyone a fair shot to disprove their beliefs or ideas, because they already have it in mind that they are wrong or a “plague” to their way of thinking. This is how many people get hurt or killed because of this. If you look at Hitler this would be a great example. 3. Define emigration and immigration. The term emigration and immigration are the same thing they just mean things to different people depending on their viewpoint. The definition for immigration is for a group of people moving from their national origin to settle somewhere else. As to...
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...includes the different varieties of human cultures or societies in the entire world as a whole, or in a particular region. Dimensions of cultural diversity can include religious beliefs, gender, marital status, race, age, parental status, income, physical abilities and attributes, sexual orientation, geographic location, language, and other components. Today, the management of cultural diversity is much more complicated than single dimension like age, gender, race, etc. (Harvey & Allard, 2009). Ethnic, religious, racial and gender dimensions are considered as being the most important (Schaefer, 2011). Cultural diversity dimensions are actually divided into two sections: primary and secondary. The primary dimensions includes an individual’s race, age, physical attributes, gender, etc, and the secondary dimensions include factors like language, marital status, income, occupation, parental status, religious beliefs, etc. With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? I honestly believe that I identify with a lot of ethnic or cultural groups, but the groups that I identify with the most are Native American, Caucasian, and African-American cultures. My mother is a Choctaw Indian (from lower North American region) and my father is actually the son of a “diverse” (African-American and Caucasian). My husband also came from a diverse family like my father, so my two kids have the pleasure of learning about so many different cultures every single time our families meet...
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...My particular culture is from Irish American. Both of my parents are from the same background and are very prominent in their families. We are strong believers in healing within the healthcare system. Ethic and cultural diversity are not new phenomena in Ireland. Have strong culture and identity of their own. The Irish healthcare is founded on a belief that awareness and sensitivity is the key requirement for adapting to a culturally diverse patient population. There has always been cultural diversity in Ireland. There has always been ‘people of colour’ in Ireland, including black Irish and other EU citizens and this visible form of diversity has also increased in recent years and is now part of the fabric of Ireland’s increasingly multicultural society. The increasing diversity means that the people who are seeking to avail of our healthcare services are from a broader range of ethnic groups than previously experienced. It is clear that cultural diversity is a key challenge for the Irish health care sector, both in terms of diversity in the workplace and the development and enhancement of service delivery that has the potential to impact positively on minority ethnic groups. 2. Within the community I live in, I feel that Hispanics are rising and especially within the healthcare system. Hispanics have very strong family connections, and have a variety of beliefs regarding healthcare. Some believe in folk medicines such as herbs. Folk medicine has a long-standing place...
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...society could not be expected to perceive custom which was the stuff of their own thinking. Anthropology holds up a great mirror to man and lets him look at himself in this infinite variety” Anthropology subfields. -biological/physical – archeology –Linguistics – Social/Cultural Ethnology –comparative study of cultures or people Ethnography – a systematic study of a culture or people. History of Anthropology - Herodotus = father of anthropology? Age of Discovery (16th and 17th century) - Xuanzang (7th century chinese) - xuanzang said that the Indians were very clean, why has that changed? Ethnocentrism: evaluating other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of ones own culture. Edward Tylor –(1832 – 1917) 1st professor of Anthropology at Oxford in 1884. Early Cultural Evolutionist: cultures evolve from simple to complex through stages: savagery, barbarian civilized. Tylor: animism to polytheism to monotheism. ‘primitive’-------- advanced James Frazier (1854 – 1941) - Scottish Magic-- Religion---- science In terms of rationality it evolves Cultural Relativism Looking at other cultures or...
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...Organizational Culture of Ann, Inc. An Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) can be used as a tool to measure the culture of an organization through seven distinct values. Those values include detail-oriented, team-oriented, people-oriented, outcome-oriented, stable, aggressive and innovative. The sum of these values characterizes an organization’s culture. By identifying values that make up a company’s culture, managers can steer the principles, values and beliefs of the company more effectively. At Ann, Inc., the parent corporation of Ann Taylor and Loft stores, the culture of the corporation is described as follows, “our high-performance culture offers rewarding possibilities that fit perfectly into your own version of success.” (Ann, Inc., 2013). More specifically, the culture of Ann, Inc. can be discovered by delving into some of the specific dimensional values of the OCP framework. According to Carpenter, Bauer and Erdogan (2013, p. 210), “companies that have innovative cultures are flexible, adaptable and experiment with new ideas.” Customers that shop at Ann Taylor and Loft stores on a frequent basis notice that new clothing is introduced when the seasons change and when trends change. As further evidence of this cultural value, Ann Inc.’s website mentions “innovation is constant” (Ann, Inc., 2013). In fact, in 2010, Ann, Inc. launched a move to replace its outdated large Ann Taylor stores with smaller stores that make women feel like they are at home, walking...
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... and mores, and subcultures are the basic elements of an organizational culture (Fottler, Ford, & Heaton, 2010). I feel that an employee should be fired if they do not meet the organization’s organizational culture. We all know that every individual has his/her own beliefs; however, if the person does not match the beliefs and values of the organization, problems can arise. If an organization says that they are focused on their consumers and when the employees interact with consumers they are rude and inconsiderate, the consumer may not return. I worked in a nursing home as a CNA for almost two years. Our patients all were elderly and had Down’s syndrome. Our organizational culture was to treat each patient with dignity and respect, as well as giving each patient their right to privacy. We were all trained on these beliefs, as well as all of the HIPAA rules. Our facility hired a young girl to work the floor as a CNA as well. I caught her making fun of one of our consumers with one of her friends. I turned her in, and she was fired on the spot, no questions asked. Like I stated before, I do believe that an employee should be terminated if they do not meet the organization’s culture. I also believe, however, that if the employee is trained properly, they should have a chance to get their attitudes in check. Once given that second chance, if they still do not meet the organization’s culture, then they should be terminated. I personally do not see any issues arising...
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...lingual” because he cannot speak his native Chinese language fluently and have also forgotten how to write in Chinese. As a grown man, he now struggles to face reality and is confined from embracing his own identity. From reading the story, I learned about his struggles and the discrimination he faces. But I also realized that Eric Liu is not different from me and from my culture. We also faced the same discrimination and prejudice from different groups of people. However, his struggle and his purpose is different from mine. I want to be known for who I really am and where I come from, but in his case, he wants to completely forget about his past. His fragmented knowledge about his father, his father’s past has left him a feeling of being incomplete which makes him ungrounded. In this case, he lacks the knowledge of his collective (personal and family) history which makes him lack the anchor for a sense of self and a bridge of intimacy and connection to people. My story is different from Eric Liu because if he feels ashamed of his true identity, I am proud of where I came from. I embrace my own native culture and traditions. I migrated to America from the Philippines with my family when I was twelve years old. Even if I am fully adjusted here, me and my family still holds a bridge and connection with our fellow Filipinos. My family and I still speak with our own native tongue and celebrate the Filipino...
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...the nation considered next ‘SUPERPOWER’ after America doesn’t have English as their official language. They are doing great with mandarin and have very less people speaking English there. When their language is not posing a hindrance to their growth, when their GDP rate is going pretty well, when they are not thinking for changing their official language but are rather putting their heads into bigger constructive discussions then why should we? Globalization has brought the world closer and therefore to know and have tolerance for different cultures and languages is absolutely great but to forget and bring a change in our own heritage is something that according to me should not be acceptable. It’s fantastic to know English and get education in the same medium. Surely, it enhances our people to be recognized globally. It may bring them confidence and it may also aid to their growth in personality, but to look down upon one’s own culture and language is like looking down upon your parents when they are old and they need help. We should get modern and have respect for different languages but it is also our responsibility to take care and preserve the heritage, HINDI, the language of our...
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...He knows it is a risky decision. When he became a franchisor, he had to overcome many difficulties. Steve anticipates he will face some of these difficulties again at the new location in Prague, Czech Republic. Although he was born in the United States, he has family and friends in the Czech Republic. Steve speaks Czech fluently, and has visited the country of his origin several times. In other words, he knows the people and the culture. Or does he? The purpose of this Cultural Challenges of Doing Business Overseas paper is to analyze the major differences and incompatibilities between the U.S. and Czech cultures. I will analyze the cross-cultural differences between the United States and Czech Republic, determine comparative advantages in this country, and recommend ways to minimize the risks of establishing a franchise overseas. It is important for Steve Hafka to understand Czech Cuisine being that he has decided to expand his business in Czech. If he does not research the Czech culture, his pizza franchise may not be successful. Both cultures are quite compatible and the major differences come in attitudes of people. Americans are generally optimists, where the majority of Czechs are pessimists. Another difference between the Czechs and Americans is their level of confidence. Americans seem to be overly confident in anything they do where Czechs have a hard time to take a stand. This could be explained by Americans being brought up embracing individualism and the Czechs...
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...Mäori & Public Health: Ethics A discussion paper Preamble Being asked to write a paper on Mäori perspectives on Public Health ethics raises issues for me. Some years ago my research colleagues and I invited Moana Jackson to participate in a project on genetic engineering. Our first question for him was along the lines of whether Mäori had a ‘unique perspective’ on genetic engineering. It was then that we received our lesson about the use of the word ‘perspective’ (Cram, Pihama & Philip-Barbara, 2000:66-67). Moana said that, ‘The word perspective to me is interesting. It assumes that there is something that is a given upon which Mäori can be expected to have a valid point of view. The moment you do that you situate the Päkehä model as the truth; and you ask Mäori to give a view on it. I think there are Mäori truths and they exist independently of whatever Päkehä view as reality or truth and to seek a Mäori perspective is to legitimate the Päkehä perspective on the issue. So to ask for a Mäori perspective on say the use of land is to validate the Päkehä concepts of property and seek to fit a Mäori view of that within it. Whereas what we should begin with is: what is the Mäori truth on land and how does that sit alongside, rather then fit within, the Päkehä view?’ Perhaps even more scary than asking whether there is a Mäori ‘perspective’ on Public Health ethics is the thought of asking what the Mäori ‘truth’ about Public Health ethics is. Once again, Moana is able...
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