Abstract
We will analyze the case "British Petroleum: Transformational Leadership in a Transnational Organization". During this analysis, we will explain how different management styles are practiced in this company. Two different CEOs, Robert Horton and David Simon, succeeded this British oil company. We will see how they applied their visions to rectify the bleak profitability of British Petroleum (BP) and evaluate their leadership styles. The examples in this document will help us understand why leadership and management are important in communication. We also strive to answer the following questions: 1. What was BP's overall strategy with respect to organizational processes since Horton's appointment as CEO and after Simon's term? Did the new strategy focus on people management and, if yes, in what ways? Was it successful or unsuccessful? In the late 1980s, BP was a politicized, top-heavy company with a strict bureaucratic makeup. It was managed through a cumbersome matrix structure. BP is a typical British company that does not really adapt to big changes, as British people are not so open-minded. But, in this case, the transformation and adaptation to a new organizational work was a real need.
