.svg)
Order Now
Table of Contents
Section 1: Summary of the News Article
The news article that is taken from the website of Reuters is about the prosecution of a large oil company, the BP Oil Company. The said company has been facing various legal charges due to the horrifying incident that happened three years ago and killed 11 men and degraded the sea water in the Gulf of Mexico. The BP oil company had accidentally spilled 4 million barrels of oil in the mentioned portion of the gulf that have caused economic damages in the said area (Hays and Reddal).
One of the main legal suits was the negligence of the top officials of the BP oil company in effectively managing its international operation. It was pointed out that the top management was reckless enough ensuring that the operation was safe. There was a concrete evidence of the serious disregard of the top officials about the safety and environmental measures in the manufacturing of the oil products that led to the oil spill (Hays and Reddal).
The moral issue at hand is the tendency of multinational business corporations to prioritize profit making in exchange for the welfare of the people and the environment. This has been a serious issue in the business world. The top executives of business companies are caught between the urge to earn more money as opposed to giving importance to workers, consumers, and the environment.
Calculate the cost of essay
In the case of the BP oil company, it was clear that it has become one of the largest oil companies in the world despite a disregard on the welfare of the people and the environment. It is a known fact that the manufacturing of oil products is one of the most damaging operations to the environment. This is why companies in this industry should be very much careful in their daily operations.
Section 2: The Personal Belief about the Issue
I personally believe that the BP oil company has greater moral obligation in its operation than just earning money. Though oil products are among the most profitable commodities in the world, regulation of the distribution of such products should entail careful planning. The BP Oil company has neglected this aspect of its operation that resulted in the oil spill. This would imply that the top officials have concentrated on making money instead of taking care of the environment and the consumers.
The main issue, I believe, is choosing between social responsibility and profit making on the part of the BP oil company. Of course, it is common knowledge that business corporations such as the BP oil company operate mainly because of profit. However, business ethics would tell us that business is not only about money. Top executives of large corporations should be fully aware that they exist for a greater purpose. Apparently, the BP oil company has neglected this aspect, which is moral responsibility.
Section 3: Suggestions
To avoid such incidents, large corporations like BP oil company would have to allot sufficient budget for the protection of the environment. For one thing, this company should hire more scientists or experts alike to scrutinize the problem areas of the technical operations of the company. Consequently, the oil spill was a result of the outdated machines and incompetent technical experts of the company. Connectively, the company had a limited budget for the aspects, which illuminated its low degree of concern to safety. Hiring more experts would ensure that the company is really concerned about the welfare of the public and the environment.
The company should also devise or formulate concrete ways to manufacture oil products without seriously degrading the environment. This could also be done through serious strategic planning that would entail sponsoring researches. In other words, strategic plans should be founded on empirical evidence. Ultimately, the company has to fund the research and development department to come up with innovative ways in manufacturing oil products that would not degrade the environment.
