Why Marx s Social Theory Place So Much Emphasis On Class...

Why does Marx s social theory place so much emphasis on class conflict and the economic aspects of society? Karl Marx is one of the most influential and revolutionary philosopher, economist and sociologist of the 19th century. His thoughts not only shaped our understandings of the capitalistic world but also created a new system of social organization, communism. His ideology also defined the key political figures of the cold war period such as Stalin, Mao and Castro. Without Marx, the modern history would have been completely different. Despite his rather bourgeoisie family background, he was able to closely observe the struggle of proletariat and identified the injustices in the capitalist system. In the following section, I will define terms that Karl Marx used in his works. The term bourgeois is defined as the owners of the means of production. In oppose to bourgeoisie, the proletarian or the wage-earner is defined as â€Å"a class of labourers who live only as long as they find work, and who find work only as long as their labour increases capital† (I. Craib, Classical Social Theory, 99). Economic is defined as relating to the process or system by which goods and services are produced, sold, and bought (Merriam-Webster, 2016). The economic process that we will mainly focus on is capitalism. In a capitalist society, the main goal of any firms is simply to make profits for the owner. In the following essay, I will attempt to explain why doShow MoreRelatedWhy Marx s Social Theory Place So Much Emphasis On Class Conflict And The Economic Aspects Of Society?1630 Words   |  7 PagesWhy does Marx’s social theory place so much emphasis on class conflict and the e conomic aspects of society? Introduction There are many reasons why Marx’s social theory places so much emphasis on class conflict and the economic aspects of society. Marx created his theory during a period of time where there was a large level of social change which led to modifications in the ways in which people worked (Morrison, 2012). This social change impacted his sociological thinking, encouraging him to exploreRead MoreMarxs Influence on Community Development3855 Words   |  16 Pageswithin the parameters of social justice. I felt it was necessary to narrow down the focus of this topic as Marx has been translated, philosophized, reiterated, rewritten and rethought by a plethora of philosophers, sociologists, economists etc. I am also concentrating on Marx’s written ideas with regard to Western civilization. This essay does not enter into debate or description of contemporary Marxist or neo-Marxists approaches. Also, included in the discussion is conflict theory within which Marx’sRead MoreBe nefits of American Education2214 Words   |  9 PagesEducation Introduction Historically, American education has really served as both economic and political needs, which verbalized the function of education. Nowadays, sociologists and educators discuss the various roles of education. Many would probably make the assumption that without argument that adequate professional instruction in the education arena is not wholly theoretical, but does involve a particular amount of practical work. The main query as to the latter is the goal with which itRead MoreMarxs Failure to Predict the Future but Its Useful Insight Into the Past2371 Words   |  10 PagesPast Marxism was first coined by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Frederich Engels (1820-1895). It’s both a theory and practice based on a scientific method of thought called historical dialectal materialism, meaning there is no one clear answer to a question, instead the theory is based on a certain amount of variables that are always restricted and so most of these theories are limited. Through this historical materialism Marx and other Marxists through time have studiedRead MoreThe Rise and Fall of Class in Britain9826 Words   |  40 Pagesï » ¿INTRODUCTION Beyond Class--Forward to Class? The rise and fall of class in Britain is both an allusive and ironic phrase, totally correct yet also at least half mistaken. It is allusive (and correct) because, during the last twenty years or so, the once-fashionable and widely accepted view that class structure and class analysis provide the key to understanding modern British history and modern British life has been disregarded by many historians and abandoned by almost all politicians. YetRead MoreSocial Movements And Collective Action Essay8585 Words   |  35 PagesINTRODUCTION: Theories regarding social movements and collective action are precisely significant and valuable. They allow us to describe and explain such movements- how they form and organize, their agendas, the extent to which mobilization or counter-mobilization process succeeds or fails in different situations, and how they evaluate strategies and policies in the light of specific outcomes. Self-evidently, the terms and perceptions and the dialogue that we bring to bear must be in coherenceRead More Transcending Herbert Marcuse on Alienation, Art and the Humanities4411 Words   |  18 PagesHumanities (1) ABSTRACT: This paper discusses how higher education can help us in accomplishing our humanization. It looks at the critical educational theory of Herbert Marcuse, and examines his notion of the dis-alienating power of the aesthetic imagination. In his view, aesthetic education can become the foundation of a re-humanizing critical theory. I question the epistemological underpinnings of Marcuses educational philosophy and suggest an alternative intellectual framework for interpretingRead MoreTracing Theoretical Approaches to Crime and Social Control: from Functionalism to Postmodernism16559 Words   |  67 PagesJoanni Hache, Caroline Trudel, and Alex Wilson; to my best friend Nicole Prime, your continuous friendship and educational assistance is appreciated more than words can express; to Dr. Jim Brittain for your influential insight into Karl Marx and the capitalistic social order; thank you to my second thesis supervisor, Dr. Anthony Thomson, for your unwavering patience, which afforded me a space of peace and tranquility that guided me through the thesis process; and finally, to my first thesis supervisorRead More Mind, Body, Media Essay2819 Words   |  12 Pagesthreatened their power, influence, and credibility plague the history books. During the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution many scientists were ostracized from the church for their theories and discoveries. For example, Giordono Bruno, a follower of the Hermetic tradition and an outspoken supporter of the Copernican theory, was summoned by the church to appear before an Inquisition whereby he was found guilty of blasphemy and condemned to death. He was burned at the stake in 1600 (Perry, 70). GalileiRead MoreCultural Control in Organizations4076 Words   |  17 Pagesdimensions: * Technical * Social * Political * Cultural The technical aspect ensures allocation and assessment of resources. The social aspect is all about controlling attitudes and behaviour. This is where bureaucratic organization comes in picture. It is about influencing and shaping employees behaviour. The political control is all about power. Last but not the least; cultural control is actually about institutionalising certain values. All these aspects need to be coordinated properly

Ohio State Football as a Religion Essay - 2320 Words

As the sunrises over the crisp fall horizon, followers begin to surround the sacred space in anticipation for what is about to take place. The sacred space is soon surrounded by people who are dressed in the sacred colors, some wearing necklaces of their totem, while others wear headdresses that adorn with their sacred symbol. People begin to drink, play music, and prepare a banquet feast for each other, creating a festival atmosphere in hope that today’s ritual will be a success. As the ritual gets set to begin followers begin to crowd into the sacred space, surrounded with pictures and names of those who have reached greatness. As the ritual begins, music is played in order to bring everyone together and prepare for the events that†¦show more content†¦Through its use of myths, rituals, devotion of the fans, and use of space as well as time, Ohio State Football seems to be more then just a sport to many people, it seems to be a religion. In this paper I will aim to show that, as the world seems to become more secular through modernity there also seems to be a â€Å"resacralization† of the world. Looking specifically at the resacralization of the world, I hope to show that sports can function as a religion; particularly within the context of Ohio State Football. I will aim to find clear patterns and themes between traditional and/or primal religions and the Ohio State Football Culture. These patterns allow the culture to act as a new form of religion, blurring the line between the sacred and profane. Ohio State Football Functioning as Religion? In his book, Authentic Fates: Religion and American Popular Culture, David Chidester looks at number of different themes in pop culture and the religious dimensions that surround them. Specifically, one chapter focuses on baseball, Coca-Cola, and rock ’n’ roll in which he argues that these, â€Å"Seem to encompass a wildly diverse but somehow representative range of possibilities for what might count as religion. They evoke familiar metaphors – the religious institution of the church, the religious desires attached to the fetish, and the religious exchanges surround the sacred gift – that resonate with other discourses, practices, experiences, and social formationsShow MoreRelatedFree Speech Freedom Of Speech1180 Words   |  5 Pagescountry. The First Amendment prevents the government from infringing upon our freedom of assembly and speech. â€Å"The disability is so complete that Congress is expressly forbidden to enact laws respecting an establishm ent of religion, or laws abridging the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech and press, and the right to petition the government† (Bybee). As a whole, our founding fathers only had good intentions with regards to First Amendment rights in America. On September 22, 2017, PresidentRead MoreCulture, Gender, Reflected Appraisal, And Social Comparison1089 Words   |  5 Pagesbeing American. My family has been in the United States for five generations. When I think about being an American I believe it means people are treated equally no matter what color skin they have, and the people will forever be free. To be an American is great, because I have freedom of speech; I can go to school to get an education; Being an American means that I celebrate the United States. Being an American I have right to pursue my religion. I choose to be Christian. It means using moralsRead MoreWhat is the Bill of Rights?1440 Words   |  6 PagesConstitution and once the government went ot action the first item on the agenda was the Bill of Rights to be made. The Bill of Rights purpose was to clearly state the individual rights of American citizens. 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As a nation that was built under the notion of equality, we fail to treat each other equally, which in turn divides the nation that is supposed to be unitedRead MoreHistory of The Super Bowl Essay1591 Words   |  7 Pagesnumerous individuals together in the United States (Wertheim, n.p). What makes this particular event a cultural phenomenon? The entire combination of food, parties, suspense, alcohol and sports is what makes this game such an enthralling piece to understand to revisit with a historical conception. At the end of the season, on a Sunday; this game has had the potential to tie numerous viewers at the same time from the three different zones in the United States. In very simplistic terms, the Super BowlRead MoreThe United States Constitution2849 Words   |  12 Pagesâ€Å"The United States Constitution has proved itself the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written.†-Franklin D. Roosevelt. In order to make â€Å"the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written†(Roosevelt) it took multiple modifications, and approximately 116 days to complete. The reason for the creation of the Constitution was to not let any government or any person become too powerful. The other purpose of the constitution was to resolve disputesRead MoreRobinson And Owens, African American Allstars Essay1450 Words   |  6 Pagestraction during this time. He was awarded the Region’s Most Valuable Player in baseball after becoming UCLA’s first student to win varsity letters in all four competitive sports. Jackie later moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football for the Honolulu Bears. Unfortunately, Jackie’s time with the Honolulu bears was cut short when World War II began. He enlisted in the army and became a second lieutenant in his battalion. Despite the fact that he never deployed into the front, heRead MoreBrown V Board Of Education1386 Words   |  6 Pagesfor people of race are unconstitutional and unequal. ïÆ'Ëœ The Outcome: The Supreme Court states that segregated schools could never be equal to each other. The Court decided that laws requiring separate schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision supports that all people are equal. As a student, I am affected because people of different race are welcome to go to school where I go to school. ï  ¬ Mapp v Ohio (1961) ïÆ'Ëœ The Background: The police were suspicious of Dollree Mapp hiding a personRead MoreThe Reality Of The Innocent1181 Words   |  5 Pagesneeds to evaluate themselves by changing their prejudiced behavior or even to excogitate the problem in a fairer manner. In many cases, a certain tragic event can sometimes lead to hate and discrimination towards specific ethnicities. One article states, â€Å"Another example of racial profiling is the targeting, ongoing since the September 11th attacks, of Arabs, Muslims and South Asians for detention on minor immigrant violations in the absence of any connection to the attacks on the World Trade CenterRead MoreAmish Culture - Essay 21549 Words   |  7 PagesRebels of society are often times considered deviate and choose not to adhere to society’s customs and norms. However, would one consider the Amish communities as rebellious? The Amish are a unique subculture of the United States that do not adopt customs, norms, and lifestyles of the broader society (Sternheimer, 2012). Just because they set themselves apart from social norms, does not make them deviate. The Amish is an old religious group that originated in Europe. In the sixteenth century, Jakob

Business Law Ultra Vires free essay sample

The International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. , 1971), pp. 301315 Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/758032 . Accessed: 26/04/2013 02:48 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms Conditions of Use, available at . http://www. jstor. org/page/info/about/policies/terms. sp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [emailprotected] org. . Cambridge University Press and British Institute of International and Comparative Law are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. ttp://www. jstor. org This content downloaded from 140. 159. 34. 46 on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:48:44 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SHORTER ARTICLES, COMMENTS AND NOTES IS THE DOCTRINE OF ULTRA VIRES DEAD? MOST traditions die hard and it seems that, despite a long and often apparently successful defensive campaign, the supporters of the doctrine of ultra vires would probably now admit that if the doctrine is not dead it is no more than a walking corpse. In Australia this has been brought about by two developments, and in the U. K. he first development is expected shortly to be introduced by amendment to the Companies Act. The first, a statutory development, is seen in the introduction into the Companies Acts of the various Australian territories and states, of provisions which are aimed at giving to companies almost unlimited powers and which are aimed at virtually abolishing the doctrine except for limited purposes; 3 the second is seen in the interpretation given to an objects clause in a companys memorandum of association which vests in the directors the power to carry out whatever business they deem would be beneficial to the company. 4 In the evidence given to the Jenkins Committee on Company Law Reform, the supporters and opponents of the doctrine had ample opportunity to elaborate their views The former pointed to renewed interest in investment. . . . we feel that there is now a new race of investors appearing, the little man, and we think that everything should be done so that he knows exactly what is happening; if he buys shares in a company he ought to know . .. the activities of the company . . . in which he placed his money. 5 The opponents view is characterised by the following statement made in the report of the Cohen Committee. . . . the doctrine of ultra vires is an illusory protection for the shareholders and may be a pitfall for third parties dealing with the company . . . the ultra vires doctrine serves no positive purpose but is, on the other hand, a cause of unnecessary prolixity and vexation. It is not untrue to suggest that a careful appraisal of the evidence before the Jenkins Committee reveals that the majority of witnesses supported its Generally referred to as ultra vires, although it is occasionally referred to as extra vires. This is to be contrasted to illegal actions (see infra) and actions which are outside the powers of directors. See e. g. , Penningtons Company Law (2nd ed. ) (1967) pp. 144 et seq. 2 See Wedderburn The Death of Ultra Vires (1966) 29 M. L. R. 673. 3 ss. 19 and 20 of the uniform companies legislation. This legislation which is uniform in many respects was introduced into the various states and territories within a short period during and after 1961. It is convenient to refer to the various legislation as the uniform Companies Acts. See Wallace and Young, Australian Company Law and Practice (1965) pp. 95-100. 4 The high water mark of this development is the U. K. Court of Appeal decision in Bell Houses Ltd. v. City Wall Properties Ltd. [1966] 2 All E. R. 674; [1966] 2 Q. B. 656. 5 Evidence of Mr. Ockleston on behalf of the Council of Associated Stock Exchanges in evidence before the Company Law Committee (Jenkins Committee), 8th Day in answer to Question No. 2418. 6 Committee on Company Law Amendment. Cmd. 6659/45, para, 12, p. 10. 1 301 20 I. C. L. Q. 1 This content downloaded from 140. 159. 34. 46 on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:48:44 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 302 International and Comparative Law Quarterly [VOL. 20 abolition 7; those who wished it retained were more vocal and more emotional in their claims. 8 The conclusions of the Jenkins Committee were such that the doctrine would if the committees report were adopted be abolished except for very limited operations. In this regard U. K. legislation would differ from the Australian approach. The Committee recommended that 9: (a) a contract entered into between a company and another party (including a shareholder contracting otherwise than in his capacity as a shareholder)contractingwith the company in good faith should not be held invalid as against the other party on the ground that it was beyond the powers of the company: he should not, however, be allowed to enforce the contract without submitting to perform his part of it so far as it is unperformed; (b) in entering into any such contract the other party should be entitled to assume without investigation that the company is in fact possessed of the necessary power; and should not by reason of his omission so to investigate be deemed not to have acted in good faith, or be deprived of his right to enforce the contract on the ground that at the time of entering into it he had constructive notice of any limitations on the powers of the company, or on the powers of any director or other person to act on the companys behal f, imposed by its memorandum or articles of association; The other party should not be deprived of his right to enforce the contract on the ground that he had actual knowledge of the contents of the memorandum and articles at the time of entering into the contract if he honestly and reasonably failed to appreciate that they had the effect of precluding the company (or any director or other person on its behalf) from entering into the contract in question; (d) there should be no change in the position of a company in relation to ultra vires contracts entered into by it. In Australia the campaign for abolition has been almost completely successful. By section 20 the doctrine is virtually abolished, being retained for certain specific cases which shall be mentioned later. But it is clear that there is still some room (theoretically) for the doctrine to operate. Whether this room offers any real scope for the doctrine to operate or is merely a concession to those wishing to retain it, is dependent, not only on a strict interpretation of the section, but also on assessing to what extent the liberal interpretation given by the U. K. Court of Appeal to a particular objects clause in the Bell Houses case 10 can be said to offer the draftsman a virtual open season, thus enabling the company to be vested with any powers that the directors may in their wisdom choose to put into operation. Before discussing these particular problems it is appropriate to study in a little detail the history of the doctrine to understand the reasons for its introduction and retention over the last 100 years. 7 e. g. Registrar of the Companies Court (5th Day), Chartered Institute of Secretaries (11th Day), Institute of Directors (11th Day). The General Council of the Bar (13th Day), The Law Society (15th Day). 8 e. g. , Council of Associated Stock Exchanges (8th Day), British Insurance Association (9th Day), Association of Investment Trusts (10th Day). 9 Cmnd. 1749/1962, para. 2. 10 Supra, n. 4. This content downloaded from 140. 159. 34. 46 on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:48:44 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions APRIL 1971] Is the D octrine of Ultra Vires Dead? THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DOCTRINE 303 It has been held as a principle of English company law that companies created by Royal Charter, although created for a clearly defined commercial purpose-for example to carry out trade in a particular area-had the capacity of a natural person. 1 This freedom was extended to all things which were not forbidden by the law. However, companies created pursuant to Acts of Parliament were not regarded as having this power. This is as much a matter of constitutional law as it is a matter of doctrine. 12 There is no authority in the courts for this interpretation but the historians all agree that as such the doctrine of ultra vires can be traced to the beginning of the era of modern company law. Dr. Horrwitz in an interesting archaeological survey finds 13 the doctrine first referred to (in its modern context) by Mr. Ker, an eminent barrister, who was a witness before the Select Committee on Joint Stock Companies. 4 Mr. Ker stated that in any statute dealing with companies there should be a provision preventing the altering the nature of the undertaking (to be precisely described in the Deed) except on having a new deed. 15 A very similar suggestion was made by a Mr. J. Duncan. 15 Under the Joint Stock Companies Act of 1844 16 which set up the structure of modern company law 17 joint stock companies could be registered. A deed of settlement had to be filed which contained, inter alia, the name of the company, the objects and the names and addresses of the promoters. The powers of the company were, by virtue of sections 24 and 25 of the Act, purported to be limited to those set out in the deed and in the latter section. However the deed of settlement could be altered by unanimous consent of members. The concept of limited liability, although desired,l8 was not introduced by this Act.

Leadership Theory and Practice via an Account of BPs Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

Moral Accountability Issues at BP Every organization is expected to be morally accountable in all its operations and activities (Caulfield, 2011; Tittle, 2000). Lack of moral accountability can lead to lawsuits and loss of consumer loyalty. Companies should be responsible in all they do.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theory and Practice via an Account of BP’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They should ensure that their activities do not cause harm to the people around or to the ecosystem. It is a legal requirement in most countries that companies should be morally accountable (Bergsteiner, 2012; Fisher, 2012). BP is a company that has been accused of accidents that occur mainly due to lack of accountability. The company deals with petroleum products, which are known to be very harmful to both human beings and the environment in general if not handled responsibly. Fro m the perspective of a rig operator, one of the morality issues that seem to be inherent at BP is the failure to follow the right procedures in making the rig machinery. Secondly, the maintenance of the machinery is not done in the right way. Despite the aging machinery, no one seems to care . For instance, in the year 2004 the company did not pay attention to the concerns raised by its workers regarding safety and environment. Instead, managers opted to save on maintenance costs through a practice referred to as â€Å"run to failure.† The aging equipment was left to continue running with little or no maintenance. This led to spills in the year 2006 of over 200000 gallons. It was the largest spill that ever happened in Alaska’s North Slope.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the year 2006, BP failed to follow the correct procedure in the manufacture of the rig machinery. Before the completion of the machine, there had to be final drawing designs that are called the â€Å"as-built† drawings. These drawings are very important since they ensure that the machinery being made is ready for use and ensures the safety of people. When Kenneth Abbott was hired as the project control leader, he advocated for the completion of â€Å"as- built† documents since they were essential for a standard machinery. The BP engineers strongly opposed this idea and supported the making of this machinery without the forms. It is understood that they did this in order to save on cost. The impact of these issues to the rig operator is that his life is left at risk since the machinery can explode any time. The people around him, as well as the ecology around the area of operation are also exposed to risk. From the perspective of a UK based retiree with a major income stream from BP shares, following shortcuts would be beneficial in that the earnings woul d increase. However, the machinery manufactured is not standard. The machinery is likely to explode at some time. Their major concern is the loss they might incur if the machinery exploded and/or the spill occurred. The default machinery would also lead to poor perception of the company by employees, both current and potential employees. The implication would be high turnover of employees who would fear for their safety. Potential employees would be reluctant to join the company. The retiree shareholders would be concerned since the productivity of the firm relies largely on the employees and their morale.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Theory and Practice via an Account of BP’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Leadership issues Leadership is essential for the success of any organization (Northouse, 2010). The issues that have been affecting BP can be associated to poo r leadership of the company. There are a number of leadership issues that are notable in the company. First, the managers of BP harass or intimidate employees so that they do not report the negative things that happen within the company. The employees are concerned about their safety since the equipment is not safe to work with. However, the leaders intimidate them and the problems result in big losses through spills and explosives. Leaders avoid these problems from being reported since they do not want to spend a lot of money on repairs and maintenance costs. This indicates conflicting interests between managers and employees. While employees want the aging equipment well maintained, the managers, on the other hand, do not want to maintain it since they want to reduce costs. The other leadership issue that needs to be addressed is about promotion of managers. Promotion should be done on merit (Gill, 2010). A manager or any other employee should be promoted depending on his or her p erformance. At BP, senior managers are never held accountable for failures. They are, instead, offered promotions despite their poor performance. This is a leadership issue that is likely to affect the organization negatively in the long run. This is a policy that needs to be amended. If managers are promoted without any merit, in the future the company will be headed by managers who do not have the ability to propel it forward. These managers will cause poor performance and probably failure of the organization.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to note that promotion of managers without merit might demotivate employees who have the interest of the organization at heart (Winkler, 2010). Such employees will feel that they are being overlooked despite their efforts. Such employees are likely to leave the organization or their productivity is likely to go down. Leadership theories The practices of managers in BP can be changed if the organization adopts the right leadership theories. The theories or the policies that are applied in the organization today are not effective, or they have insignificant effect if any since the organization seems to be going the wrong way in terms morality issues (Meindl and Schyns, 2005). Global policies today advocate for a clean environment, but BP is not in line with the global policies as the case displays. One of the leadership theories that can be applied in BP management is the contingency theory. Under this theory, the managers of BP would have the responsibility to determi ne the leadership style to be applied in various situations. Situations are bound to change since the world is full of uncertainties. The success of an organization is dependent on a number of variables (Banner and Blasingame, 1988). One of the variables is the leadership style that should be used. For instance, the leaders of the organization ought to have applied the autocratic leadership style in the situation where the machinery had to be designed only after the ‘as- built’ documents had been completed. The leaders should have stood firm and ensure the making of the machinery does not proceed until the documents are completed. The documents ensure that the machinery is of high quality, and that it can be safe for use by anyone. The compromising behaviour of the managers could be as a result of pressure from shareholders who want costs to be reduced so that their earnings can increase. Managers should be bold and not compromise since the machinery could be risky to t he employees and to the environment. Their decision making in such a situation needs to be centralized. The other theory that should be used by the BP managers is the situational theory. This theory is not very much different from the contingency theory. Under situational theory, a leader or a manager should take the best action that can address the situation he or she is faced with. This means that the decisions the leader makes in various situations could be based on various leadership styles, depending on the situation at hand. Some situations need decentralized decision making, while others need centralized decision making (Schyns, 2006). In the former, the leader can apply the democratic leadership style, while in the later the authoritative leadership style is applicable. BP managers are faced with a number of situations that lead to accidents and losses. One of the most notable situations is the Gulf Spill, where gallons of oil spilled off. The spills were as a result of poor maintenance and poor management. BP managers need to be authoritative in such a situation, but they should have the best interest of the organization at heart. The decisions they make should be favourable to the well- being of the organization, as well as its employees and the environs. Decision making is one of the most sensitive activities in an organization (Schyns, 2006). Managers are trusted with decision making since they are knowledgeable and have experience in decision making. Decision making at BP is more sensitive since the company deals with products that could be risky to human beings, as well as the environment. The machineries used in the industry are subject to breakdown and they can cause much damage if they do not function properly. In such situations managers need to apply the best leadership styles to ensure that the machinery is corrected and functioning properly. In replacing those machines that have faced out or are becoming obsolete, democratic leadership sty le could be effective. Leaders could meet with all the stakeholders and decide on the best machine to make or buy. BP senior managers need to adopt the participative theory of leadership. This is the leadership style whereby the input of the rest of the organizational members is put into consideration. All the members of the organization are included in decision making and other activities within the organization. At BP, managers get promotion even if their performance is poor. The employees are always ignored and usually threatened if they raise concerns about their safety and environmental issues. This kills the morale of employees, and their productivity is negatively affected. Participative leadership will always motivate employees. Employees feel they are part of the organization and they report any problem before it occurs (Dion, 2012). This keeps the mangers on alert such that they take the necessary actions before the problem occurs. If participative leadership was applied i n BP by the senior managers, the Gulf Spills could not have occurred. The employees had already raised concerns about their safety and the environment, but the managers chose to ignore the employees and even intimidated them. As a result, the management could not prevent the spills since they failed to pay attention to employees’ concerns. In participative leadership, employees are considered as important people who can make positive contributions in the organization (Mann, 2011). Finally, management theory of leadership could be very influential and effective at BP Company. The theory is also referred to as the transactional theory (Mann, 2011). Its focus is mainly on supervision, as well as on the group’s performance. As it is displayed in the case, there is poor supervision in the activities being conducted. This is displayed in the making of rig machinery. The machinery was made without the completion of ‘as- built’ documents. Proper supervision of a p roject ensures that all the relevant and significant procedures have been followed in the manufacturing process. It ensures that quality products have been produced. Proper supervision was not conducted, thus the machine produced was of poor quality and it ended up with an explosion. Under management theories, reward systems as well as punishments are embraced. This lacks in BP Company. The managers ignore important issues that end up with serious accidents, but they always get away with it (Dion, 2012). The managers are never punished for their negligence. To make the matters worse, the managers who ruin the company are promoted contrary to expectations. This encourages them to go ahead with their dismal actions and performances. There are employees who have always raised concerns about the aging equipment and the threat it poses, yet they are always ignored. Under managerial theory, such employees could be appreciated and rewarded so that in future they would talk of a problem the y perceive in the organization. This would be effective in preventing future accidents in the organization. BP managers should adopt the above named theories since they would be very effective in salvaging the situation that is currently in the organization. List of References Banner, DK Blasingame, JW 1988 ‘Towards a developmental paradigm of leadership’, Leadership Organization Development Journal, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 7 – 16 Bergsteiner, H 2012 Accountability theory meets accountability practice, Emerald, Bingley Caulfield, H 2011 Vital notes for nurses, John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, NJ Dion, M 2012 ‘Are ethical theories relevant for ethical leadership? 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