2000 Concorde Accident - Essay Example

Case Study of 2000 Concorde Accident Introduction The legitimacy theory emanates from the assumption that the actions of a company are determined and measured against norms, values, traditions, and perspectives of a given social order within which it operate. The subliminal forces emanating from the social environment shape the direction of company’s policies and its choices. The stability, performance, and general progress of the firm depend on the manner in which the company aligns its policies and actions on the resident concerns and values as established within a certain environmental setting (Hoque, 2006, p. 111; Buys, 2010, p. 55). This theory proceeds from the perspective that business environments are socially determined. Therefore, the levels of success of business enterprises are directly proportional to the level of attachment that exists between the social order and the company’s actions and reactions. On this score, some of the issues that have been used to determine the course of action are mostly tied on the capacity to relate to issues of general interest. Multiple perspectives agree on the fact that legitimacy theory harmonizes the relationships and connections between the society and the business in ways that provide synergies that enable the sustainability of the business environment (Buys, 2010, pp. 55-61). Other theorists suggest that the proper adoption of this theory has the effect of easing the chain of supply as the streamlined social environment provides the necessary support for easing the processes of the firm. This study shall engage the theory of legitimacy in understanding the reactions that followed the 2000 Concorde Crash. Air France reacted in various ways to the tragedy but this paper will concern itself with the formal responses as obtained from press releases, official comment, news reports, and other kinds of responses that followed the disaster (Buyck, 2010, p. 67). The assumption is that the responses could be reduced into the company’s demonstration of an underlying commitment to the service of certain values, mores, ethics, and traditions that regulate its policy framework and on which its operational framework is based. Essentially, the reactions by Air France to the disaster could be interpreted as an outward manifestation of its framework as understood within the aspect of corporate management. The Case The case in point for discussion concerns the disastrous crash of the French Concorde flight also known as Air France Flight 4590. This paper will limit itself to some specific responses of the management of Air France to the 2000 crash of the Concorde (Woods & Woods, 2008, pp.33-41). Technical aspects relating to the crash will only be explored as far as they apply to the specifics of the study. On the most part, documentary evidence of the official reactions will provide the substance upon which the study will be founded. Also excluded from the paper are the reactions of third parties who do not have any direct bearing to the official matters that attended to the crash of the Concorde. Context Air France Flight 4590 crashed into a hotel in the area of Gonesse in the outskirts of Paris (Owen, 2001, p. 122). The plane crashed shortly after take-off. The plane took off from Charles de Gaulle International Airport and was destined to John F. Kennedy International Airport. The crash is attributed to the damage caused by a piece of metal left on the runway, which raptured one of the plane’s tires and led to a series of mishaps that eventually culminated into a raptured wing and a series of other reactions and shock waves that created the fire. The piece of metal that led to accident was left on the runway by mechanics of the Continental Airlines DC-10. The pilots of the plane attempted various mechanisms of restoring the balance of the plane but the damage was intense and could not be easily contained in the little time that the flight had been airborne. Multiple issues have also been cited as attendant factors that contributed to the disaster. Some of the issues that attended to the factors relate to issues of maintenance and the preliminary procedures. Regarding the preliminary procedures, experts have called into question the fact that the runway was not cleared moments before the take-off of the Concorde. According to this perspective, the piece of metal that raptured the tire could have been removed from the runway had the required clearing process taken place. Other matters brought to bear on this case relates to the failure to replace some parts in the plane after during the maintenance process that the plane had undergone shortly before the day of the crash. The reactions of Air France were mainly tailored on the causative aspects of the disaster. The company was sought to demonstrate that the mechanical factors were purely accidental and the blame laid squarely somewhere else. Data For the most part, information on the reaction of Air France following the disastrous crash can be obtained was obtained from a range of sources including information found in the print media, press releases sourced from the company’s website. More reactions would be sourced from official reports that were presented to the authorities on the causative aspects of the crash. In essence, such reports will be considered in terms of their inclusion of Air France’s reaction in the aftermath of the crash. Methodology The news reports, press releases, official reports will be explored in light of their capacity to expose the underlying motives in the reactions of the officials. Generally, the matter was reduced into themes of social responsibility, brand protection, and crisis management. These two themes were choses because they respond appropriately to the rules of the society as imagined within the framework of the legitimacy theory. It might be important to consider the fact that some of the issues that attend to the interest of the society also tie into the concerns that followed the disaster. The reactions of the company were classified into two broad themes in a manner that brings out the multiple issues that engage with the subject matter. Findings The study determined three main patterns of response. The first kind of response concerned the official determination of the cause of the crash. Multiple reports were united in the perspective that the cause of the crash lay somewhere other than with Air France. All the responses were aimed towards demonstrating the fact that the company was affected and concerned about the impact of the crash on the families of the victims and on the stakeholders of the company across the board. In the aftermath of the crash Air France was under intense pressure to provide information appertaining to the cause of the crash. The first press release was released on the day of the crash with information about investigations on the cause of the crash and condolences to the families that had lost their relatives in the crash. In as much as this reaction was mandatory and expected from Air France, the reaction was tailored on the need to demonstrate sensitivity and a sense of responsibility. Air France continued to release other press releases on a daily basis from the day of the crash to subsequent events. In these press releases, the airline made announcements about plans to make prior payments to the victims of the crash before the full legal settlement is made. The airline Chairman, Jean-Cyril Spinetta toured the site of the crash in a show of concern for the enormity of the loss both to the company and to the families and relatives who had lost their loved ones in the crash (Byers, 2002, p. 33; Trubshaw, 2001, p.27). The flight chairperson would later join the family of the victims in a memorial ceremony two days after the devastating crash. At all times after the crash, the Airline remained focused on efficient communication. This was achieved by furnishing the media, the public, and authorities with all the relevant information that related to the crash. The responses adopted by the company helped retain its image and keep its reputation as a respectable and sensitive company that sought to serve the welfare of the community. The reactions from the management were consistent with the tenets of the legitimacy as it applies to the aspects sensitivity to the feelings and concerns of victims. Following the crash, Air France announced an immediate step of grounding all its flights. This action was also perceived in terms of the high priority that the airline placed on matters of passenger security (Regester & Larkin, 2005, p. 134). According to analysts, this approach helped the airline to salvage its public image to such an extent that its share price on the market regained quickly after the initial shock that followed the news of the disastrous crash. The reactions and actions of Air France were important in demonstrating and articulating matters of professional ethics, concern for human suffering. Such positive concerns for human suffering are consistent with the provisions of the legitimacy theory, which supports the reliance on certain socially accepted norms of practice. Legitimacy theory, according to scholars, operates from the perspective of social realism. Theorists contend that there exists some significant closeness between the theory and matters of social concern (Hoque, 2006, p. 36; Buys, 2010, p. 140). There are strong ethical matters, which connect within the process of accountancy. In general, terms, most of the issues relating to the theory of legitimacy originate from the perspective of social realism. Conclusion The crash of Air France Flight 4590 widely known as Concorde in 2000 was one of the most devastating accidents in the history of France aviation. Air France the owner of the company reacted in various ways in its effort to manage the crisis and engage in the process of mitigating the impact of the loss on the company and to protect its own reputation on the market. The actions included condoling with the victims, engaging in compensation processes, and providing information on the details of the crash on a regular basis and consistently since the day of the disaster. In this regard it might be argued that the responses of the airline were conducted in an orderly, ethical, and responsible manner that eventually safeguarded the interests of the company, uplifted its corporate profile, and encouraged families, friends, and relatives of the crash victims. This approach aligns with the tenets of the legitimacy theory. Works Cited Buyck, C, 2010, Continental Mechanic found guilty in Concorde Crash. Air Transport World. Retrieved http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines-components/news/continental-mechanic-found-guilty-concorde-crash-1206 Buys, P, W 2010, The Legitimacy Predicament of Current Day Accounting Theory, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom. Retrieved from http://www.econbiz.de/en/search/detailed-view/doc/all/the-legitimacy-predicament-of-current-day-accounting-theory-pieter-willem-buys-buys-pieter-willem/10009456141/?no_cache=1 Byers, A 2002, The Crash of the Concorde: When Disaster Strikes!, The Rosen Publishing Group, New York. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=bzFeJDE2adAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Crash+of+the+Concorde:+When+Disaster+Strikes!,&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tX-qULr3KIrLhAeE_IGIDA&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA Hoque, Z 2006, Methodological Issues in Accounting Research: Theories, Methods and Issues, Spiramus Press Ltd, New York. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=XR2vENpTAwYC&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=Methodological+Issues+in+Accounting+Research:+Theories,+Methods+and+Issues,&source=bl&ots=yyCR96BZXq&sig=1Tsy6tq2t9FdeA-MGVTTFbkXmHY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UoCqUILTOoWmhAeZhYCQBw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAg Owen, K 2001, Concorde: Story of a Supersonic Pioneer, NMSI Trading Ltd, New York. Regester, M, & Larkin, J 2005, Risk Issues And Crisis Management: A Casebook of Best Practice, Kogan Page Publishers, New York. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=VzNUJlX7CXoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Concorde:+Story+of+a+Supersonic+Pioneer&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3YCqUMCzCoGLhQfZ7YGYCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA Trubshaw, B 2001, Concorde: the inside story, Sutton, New York. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Concorde.html?id=Ap9TAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y Woods, M, B & Woods, M 2008, Air Disasters, Lerner Publications, New York. Retrieved from https://www.lernerbooks.com/products/t/5576/9780761339731/air-disasters Read More