Christiaan Knapp
6/6 Lemnos Street
Red Hill Q 4059
Student I.D. 11566493
ASSIGNMENT 2
Submitted April 13, 2015.
Introduction
With the ongoing globalisation of developed economies we have continued to see organisations establish themselves as agents of significant authority and influence within our cultures. This rise in power has bought with it increased scrutiny and led researchers like Burnes (2011) to examine the choices made by leaders within these organisations and considered what ethical implications may have arisen as a result. As organisations have established their power base we have also seen the emergence of a number of leadership strategies. As Daft (2011) suggests the concept of leadership has changed over time and has included a range of theories; all of which contain elements that are still applicable to the study of effective leadership today.
Sparked by the financial crisis of 2007-2008 there is renewed analysis on how leadership theory is used to drive organisational success. Two of these theories, Transactional and Transformational leadership, have evolved as dominate approaches and continue to be a source of research Judge and Piccolo (2004). By applying the results of studies in these areas we can explore how these approaches influence organisational results and consider the ethical implications of each leadership function.
When applying ethical and leadership theory to the oil and gas industry we uncover a complex web of competing objectives. This industry contains some of the world’s largest organisations (Chen, 2014) whose global operations provide essential resources for our on-going energy consumption and are a driving force in international financial markets. In developed countries like the United States of America and Australia oil and gas organisations like British Petroleum (BP) are regulated by Federal policy which enforce standards in defined areas of business operation. Of
References: Burns, J.M, (1978), Leadership, N.Y, Harper and Row. Bach, J., Gelber, D. (Producers). (2006, October 26). 60 Minutes: The Explosions at Texas City. New York. CBS Broadcasting Inc. Retrieved from http://www.texascityexplosion.com/60mins_09 Bass, B Bass, B. M. (2000). The Future of Leadership in Learning Organizations. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 7(3), 18-40. doi: 10.1177/107179190000700302 Beattie, A Burnes, B., Rune Todnem. (2011). Leadership and Change: The Case for Greater Ethical Clarity. Journal of Business Ethics, 108(2), 239-252. doi: 10.1007/s10551-011-1088-2 Chen, L Daft, R. L. (2011). The Leadership Experience: Cengage Learning. U.S. Chemical Safety Board. (2007). Investigation Report: Refinery explosion and fire. [Report]. Retrieved from http://www.csb.gov/bp-america-refinery-explosion/ U.S U.S. Department of Justice. (2007, October 25). British Petroleum to Pay More Than $370 Million in Environmental Crimes, Fraud Cases. [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2007/October/07_ag_850.html