The 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill: Implications for theory of organizational disaster

Focusing on the interaction of technology and organizational factors, the present paper examines the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill for the purpose of developing a better understanding of the requirements for a theory of organizational disasters. Drawing from literature on organizational disasters, a model of “technology-embedded disasters” is developed and discussed. After outlining the events surrounding the oil spill disaster, the model is employed in analysis of the oil spill. The oil spill case is employed as a means of reflecting on the requirements for an improved model of organizational disaster.

► I develop a case study of the 2010 BP oil spill.
► The analysis focuses on the organizational bases of disaster and how these interact with technology.
► I present an analytical model relating technology-embeddedness and characteristics of organizational environments.