Ethical Analysis of BP's Actions in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: A Utilitarian and Relativist Perspective

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Ethical Analysis of BP's Actions in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: AUtilitarian and Relativist PerspectiveCritically analyzethe ethical issues surrounding BP's actions in relation to the DeepwaterHorizon oil spill of 2010, using the ethical frameworks of Utilitarianism and Ethical Relativism.In your answer, discuss the role of whistleblowers, the concept of "at-will" employment, andBP's efforts to rebuild its reputation through post-disaster marketing. Be sure to address howBP’s actions could have been different to prevent the disaster and explore the long-term ethicalresponsibilities the company holds. Your response should be at least 1,500 words.

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SUMMARY& BACKGROUND INFORMATIONBP oil isa global organizationthat essentially directs business in the oil and characteristicgas industry through investigation, field advancement, and creation that spotlights on creatingpowers, greases, and petrochemicals (BP, 2015). BP has associations around the world andactivities a plan of action to make maintainable progress concentrated on long haul intrigues. Theorganization makes esteem by giving vitality supply, while supporting and generating so as toadvance financial advancement, personal satisfaction upgrades, and occupations in numerousnations around the globe.The primary focus of this paper will examine theethical actions thatBP did or did not take pertaining to thedeep water horizon oil spill that occurred in the Gulf ofMexico on April 20, 2010, which was one of BP’s oil drilling sites(Huffington Post, 2015).Theexamination of ethical issues will view the ethical actions through a Utilitarian Perspective andEthical Relativism. In order to grasp the understanding of the ethical issues at hound we mustfirst turn to defining ethics, Utilitarian ethics, Ethical Relativism and take a deep look into thedeep water horizon water spill pertaining to the actions BP did and did not take.Additionally,this paper will examine the role in which whistle blowers did and did not play prior and after theexplosions and the efforts that the company put in place to re-establish, and rebuild theirreputation and image.DEFINITIONSThe meaning of ethics defined by dictionary.com (2015) “is rules of conduct recognizedin respect to a particular class of human actions, a particular group, or culture” (p.1). Any time

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ethics is referred to in the study the reference shall be to the actions and beliefs taken by BP incorrelation to the deep water horizon oil spill.Utilitarian ethics according to Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, and Meyer (2015)is a form areasoning that is applied to moral decision making by weighing the consequences of all possiblealternatives and selecting the best choice the produces the most benefit for the most good.Ethical Relativism assumes the position that there are no moral absolutes, no moral rightsand wrongs, instead the moral beliefs that decide what is morally right or morally wrong arecreate through the social norms in which society creates(Slick, 2015). In essence, ethicalrelativism makes the assumptions that the moral values that are held true by one person ororganization are those that have changed and evolved over a period of time.PROBLEMThe oil spill that occurred of the Gulf of Mexico in July, 2015 posed ethical problems andissues for BP. The main problem that occurred was that an explosion caused oil to flow into theGulf of Mexico for 86 straight days pouring over 5 million gallons of oil (Shannon, 2011). Theethical problem was not that of the oil spill, but rather why did it occur, and who would takeresponsibility for the events that occurred on that day and the actions that would be requiredthereafter pertaining to the cleanup. Theconsequencesof the oil spill resulted in11 deaths, 17injuries, 16,000 miles of coastline being impacted in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi,and Florida, 8,000 animals became deceased within six months of the soil, and over $40 billiondollars in total cost related to the cleanup and fines (DoSomething.org, 2015). All of theseconsequences revert around the ethical question of how BP responded to and handled thesituation that their organization was responsible for.

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