Proceedings: Conference on Corporate Communication 2012 Page 1

In the Wake of the Deepwater Horizon
BP's Development and Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility As Core
Business
Grace Roodhouse
MA in Corporate Communication
Communication Studies Department
Baruch College/CUNY, USA
grace.roodhouse@gmail.com
The motivation for this research was to understand why BP’s Corporate Social Responsibility
program failed so dramatically following the catalyst of the Macondo blowout in the Gulf of
Mexico in April 2010. The research aims to address the development and evolution of Corporate
Social Responsibility as part of core business strategy at BP as a method of facilitating this
understanding and developing recommendations for CSR at BP as it endeavors to rebuild its
reputation. This research undertakes a thorough literature review as well as contributing unique
insights through primary research. The paper particularly recommends the use of blue ocean
strategy with a focus on becoming the new energy ‘super major’ focusing on alternative energy.
This suggestion is based on the belief that Bob Dudley is moving the company forward and
making the difficult decisions concerning change culture to address stakeholder desire. The paper
concludes that CSR will have to become a reality for every company in the long run and if BP
focusses on it now they will gain a competitive advantage, regain reputation, and become a
sustainable, transparent, and genuine company that will thrive in the future.
Abstracts of <strong>Conference</strong> <strong>Proceedings</strong>: <strong>Conference</strong> on Corporate Communication 2012
Page 39