Change Management and Problems for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Continuation Programs in an Oil and Gas Company

Abstract

This case study examines the business of an oil and gas company, EMP, in a time of crisis: the management had to downsize operations to survive in an unpredictable situation. The management was implementing new internal policies that would have an impact on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. However, the rules and beliefs of the institutional environment have the potential to influence the management change process at EMP. Aside from external rules and beliefs, the persistence of the social service ethos within the company, inherited from the past, explains the lack of management changes. An explanatory case study approach was adopted, mostly consisting of semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The research strategy borrows the institutional logic approach based on situational reasons for variation in organizational practices, which determine how multiple logics are addressed. In essence, EMP must resolve the tension between production demands and CSR efforts. As a result, management reform occurs in a research setting where social programs and production goals coexist. Keywords: Oil crisis, Oil and Gas Company, CSR, Case Study, Change Management. JEL Classification: L2, M41, R11