British Petroleum Reflection Paper

The Company

In order to maximize the usefulness of this assignment, I decided to evaluate the company I plan to intern for this summer, and hopefully sign on full time with after the conclusion of my internship: British Petroleum. I believe this will be particularly interesting as the energy/oil industry is under particular scrutiny when it comes to values and ethics, for obvious micro/macro reasons. On the other hand, it will be enlightening for me to see and further understand the culture and long term goals of the organization I will be walking into.

The Mission BP does not explicitly lay out their “mission” and “vision” statements, but instead lay out “What We Do” and “What We Stand for” (2013, https://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/mission-statements/bp-mission-statement.html);

The most exceptional part of this vision is its constant commitment to a very high set of moral standards, beyond the industry requirements and norms. The entirety of the statement brings out a certain determined enthusiasm that inspires and arouses responsibility. The statement is choppy—consisting of nearly ten whole sentences—but articulate, and confident. I can appreciate their implications of purpose and potential, but “changing the world of tomorrow” does not properly help a strategic planner five years down the line make an essential pathway decision, so it should be specified, or redacted. While the purpose and potential are less than exhaustive, the organization’s ambition is very clear. British Petroleum has every intention of being the staple energy provider of the future, and they wish to do so as a respected and thoughtful global citizen. While large and scattered, they value being a united, singular team, operating on a global

British Petroleum is in the top five largest energy producers by revenue in the world and can finance about any venture that it desires. This provides a distinct advantage in getting ahead of the curve and planning for the future. While others have to focus on survival, a company with nearly 400 billion in annual revenue can find the “many forms” of energy “vital for people and progress everywhere”. British Petroleum is insistent on having consistent and quality cash flows, which is a strategic management plan that they will not live to