British Petroleum and the intercultural management

BP is a petroleum company. Even if this name does not exist anymore, BP is more known as British Petroleum. The company was founded in 1908, in England. After three mergers (Amoco in 1998, Atlantic Richfield in 2000 and Burmah Castrol in 2000), the company became the biggest company in England and the third largest energy company in the world after Exxon and Shell. So big, that the company decided to enter in the video game market 'Second Life', we can see BP Stations, we can have sustainable products in order to build our house and there are some other moments and situations where we may need BP's help. The company wanted since the beginning, to be different from the other energy companies; they decided to show it again when BP chose the following slogan: 'Beyond Petroleum' in 2000, when the company became only 'BP'. With this slogan, the company wanted and still wants to show their awareness of the environment and more. They are trying to extend its range of services because of the 'petroleum peak' in 2006, now the oil production could decrease by 3 % each year. The other meaning that the slogan has, is the human side of the company, the men and women who work for the company, for the customers. The company has 97, 000 employees all over the world, and must have a strong intercultural management in order to deal with them. We will see if the directors and the company in general manage well the difference, analyzing the company management with the five dimensions of Geert Hofstede: Large or small power distance, Individualism or collectivism, Masculinity versus feminity, Strong or weak uncertainty avoidance, Long term versus short term orientation.