COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (COBA)

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMNISTRATION

ACADEMIC YEAR 2019-2020
SUMMER SEMESTER 2020

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT: FINAL EXAM

DATE OF ASSESSEMENT: 06/07/2020[MONDAY]

COURSE CODE& TITLE : MGT 101: Introduction to Management SECTION : 80 & 9

INSTRUCTOR : Ms. Eman Alswaid TIME ALLOWED : 3 Hours
CAMPUS : Online TOTAL MARKS : 20Marks

STUDENT
NAME -------------------------------------------------------- ID: -------------------------------

ASSIGGEND EARNED CLO

SECTION QUES.
POINTS POINTS REF. #
#
A 4 8
1 3
B 2 3
3 3
4 3
TOTAL POINTS
EARNED

Instructions:
1- Name the file after yourself, and include your student ID.
2- Be sure to send your answered exam file within three hours from the start of the
exam.
3- Check that you have sent the right copy and checked the sent items in your email.
4- Make sure to write your answers in your own words.

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Section A: Case study (8 Marks)

When all is said and done, it's likely to be one of the worst environmental disasters, if not
the worst, in U.S. history.9 British Petroleum's (BP) Deepwater Horizon offshore rig in the Gulf
of Mexico exploded in a ball of flames on April 20, 2010, killing I1 employees. This initial
tragedy set in motion frantic efforts to stop the flow of oil. followed by a long and difficult
cleanup process. Although the impacts of the explosion and oil spill were felt most strongly by
businesses and residents along the coast and by coastal wildlife, those of us inland who watched
the disaster unfold were also shocked and dismayed by what we saw happening. What led to this
disaster, and what should BP do to minimize the likelihood of it ever happening again?

One thing that has come to light in the disaster investigation is that it's no surprise that
something like this happened. After Hurricane Dennis blew through in July 2005, a passing ship
was shocked to see BP's new massive S1 billion Thunder Horse oil platform "listing dangerously
to one side, looking for all the world as if it were about to sink." Thunder Horse "was meant to
be the company's crowning glory, the embodiment of its bold gamble to outpace its competitors
in finding and exploiting the vast reserves of oil beneath the waters of the gulf." But the
problems with this rig soon became evident. A valve installed backwards caused it to flood
during the hurricane even before any oil had been pumped. Other problems included a welding
job so shoddy that it left underwater pipelines brittle and full of cracks. "The problems at
Thunder Horse were not an anomaly, but a warning that BP was taking too many risks and
cutting corners in pursuit of growth and profit”

Then came the tragic explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. Before the rig exploded,
there were strong warning signs that something was terribly wrong with the oil well. Among the
red flags were several equipment readings suggesting that gas was boiling into the well, a
potential sign of an impending blowout. Those red flags were ignored. Other decisions made in
the 24 hours before the explosion included a critical decision to replace heavy mud in the pipe
rising from the seabed with sea water, again possibly increasing the risk of an explosion. Internal
BP documents also show evidence of serious problems and safety concerns with Deepwater.
Those problems involved the well casing and blowout preventer. One BP senior drilling
engineer warned, “This would certainly be a worst-case scenario.”

The federal panel charged with investigating the spill examined 20 “anomalies in the
well’s behavior and the crew’s response.” The panel is also investigating in particular why “rig
workers missed telltale signs that the well was close to an uncontrolled blowout.” The panel’s

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final report blamed both BP and its contractors for the failures that led to the explosion on the
Deepwater Horizon. Many of those failings stemmed from shortcuts to save time and money.
However, the report also faulted the government for lax oversight of the companies.

Please answer the following questions:

1- Define the main issue/issues of this case study.

2- What type of control – feedforward, concurrent, or feedback- do you think would have
been the most useful in this situation? Explain your choice/s.

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 3- Why do you think company employees ignored the red flags? How could such behavior
be changed in the future?

4- What could other organizations learn from BP’s mistakes?

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Section B: Essay Questions (12 marks)
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

1. Discuss the six key concepts/ elements defining organizational design. (3 marks)

2. Compare and contrast traditional and contemporary organizational designs. (3 marks)

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 3. Describe the key components of the human resource management process. (3 marks)

4. Explain FOUR employee training methods. (3 Marks)

[END OF QUESTIONS PAPER]

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