Human resources final case study assignment British Petroleum

Résumé du document

We will analyze the case "British Petroleum: Transformational Leadership in a Transnational Organization". During this analysis, we will explain how different management styles are practiced in this company. Two different CEOs, Robert Horton and David Simon, succeeded this British oil company. We will see how they applied their visions to rectify the bleak profitability of British Petroleum (BP) and evaluate their leadership styles. The examples in this document will help us understand why leadership and management are important in communication. We also strive to answer the following questions: 1. What was BP's overall strategy with respect to organizational processes since Horton's appointment as CEO and after Simon's term? Did the new strategy focus on people management and, if yes, in what ways? Was it successful or unsuccessful? In the late 1980s, BP was a politicized, top-heavy company with a strict bureaucratic makeup. It was managed through a cumbersome matrix structure. BP is a typical British company that does not really adapt to big changes, as British people are not so open-minded. But, in this case, the transformation and adaptation to a new organizational work was a real need.

Extraits

[...] In other words, we can say that he can charmed and attract people besides his direct, formal and authoritarian manners. Simon's leadership style: On the opposite, Horton's successor, David Simon was more suited to BP. He is open-minded thanks to his traveling experience and his mastery of five languages. He is “more European than typically British”. He was more popular than Horton, but continued Horton's abrasive cost cutting at BP. He has a high sense of team management, thanks to his passion for sport games. [...]

[...] On the opposite, we can find similarities between Robert Horton and Steve Jobs. As we said it in class, Steve Jobs is a lunatic person and a genius. He has this vision for the future that makes him a kind of revolutionary men. Robert Horton also had this intelligence, not as much as Steve Jobs, but his ideas from Project 1990 were right and good and everybody had approved them. As Steve Jobs, Robert was ousted by his company. He was pushed out for practically the same reasons than Jobs. [...]

[...] We found that Emma Van Nijmegen emphasizes the emotional aspect to manage people. From this point of view, we can find some similarities with David Simon's leadership style. Indeed, David Simon and Emma were really focused on people, and like talking with all of their staff members to understand each aspects and each branch of their company, that would allow them a better management of the company. They communicate a lot and they believe that social exchanges and communication are part of the corporate culture. [...]

[...] The main difference of those two charismatic men is their ways to apply the transformation process to BP. In one case it was a failure, and in the other one, it was a real success. The main barrier that Horton had met was the corporate culture and conservative ideas of this British company. It is essential for a leader or a manager to adapt his management method and process to each culture, and so each company. Horton wanted to impose his vision in an authoritative and arrogant way; instead Simon emphasizes the importance of the communication and the collective efficiency as teamwork. [...]

[...] I am a Cartesian person and I would prefer to work with people like David Simon, because his rational intelligence and team spirit would fit with my character. I think that talking about feelings and emotions at work is not relevant. You are in a company to work and to do your job, not to talk to your psychologist lying down on a sofa! You have time for personal life, and a time for work. In my mind, it is important no to confuse them. [...]