Communication Strategies During a Crisis - Case Study Example

In the current business environment, a large volume of information is communicated using advanced technological tools to enhance the performance and profitability of the organization. Communication creates organizational excellence which stems from the dedication of the people who are effectively communicated to deliver their best to the organization they work for (Heath, 2006).

British petroleum is one of the largest energy players in the global market based on market capitalization and scales of operations. It is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom, and has an operational presence in several countries across the world and is thus considered as the fifth largest energy multinational in the world. It repackages the refined oils and distributes them to different parts of the world as either gas, petrochemical, and other forms of gas used to drive industries and machines across the world. In the United States, BP America is the largest subsidiary of BP with operations in the United States and southern American continent (Hearit, 2006).

On the 20th of April 2010, one of the worst disasters hit BP America that culminated into one major organization sturgeon to reduce the damage and restore the image of the company. The company’s oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico caused mass spillage into the sea resulting in major environmental destruction, loss of lifted interruption of naval activities in the area. During this crisis, the organization adopted a communication approach that enabled its stakeholders and the society at large to respond whenever a situation arose (Coombs, 2007).

In this paper, the communication strategies used by BP America will be evaluated in line with organizational communication theories and perspectives. The case study will seek to answer vital questions on the communication approach and response approaches that the company adopted during this time and how these strategies enabled the company to rise to its feet after the disaster. While analyzing BP communication strategies, this case study will several organizational communication principles that were applied. It will provide the basis for the communication approach the company adopted during this conflict and crisis and how it enabled it to restore normalcy. The management and leadership of BP America will also be paced into perspective as the paper will seek to highlight the communication response that the management adopted during this point in time.