Exxon Mobile/ Social Responsibility

Essay by MattyGKidUniversity, Bachelor'sA, March 2009

download word file, 8 pages 4.7

Exxon MobilExxon Mobil is listed as one of the world's largest fortune 500 companies according to Fortune Magazine, 2006. Because of its size, I became interested in this company for my research paper on corporate social responsibility.

Exxon Mobile has a rich history that dates back to 1859. It all started when two individuals drilled an oil well in Pennsylvania. In 1870, Rockefeller and his associates formed the Standard Oil Company. Many businessmen, such as Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers began to depend on oil for their inventions. In 1926, Standard Oil Company changed its name to Esso. In 1959, the company developed a famous slogan "put a tiger in your tank." In 1972, the company changes its name to the Exxon Corporation (www.exxonmobil.com).

On March 24 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground in Prince Williams sound, Alaska. This was a tragic accident that the company deeply regrets.

It all began when the Valdez was traveling towards California when it hit a coral reef. As a result, of this accident, significant quantities of oil began to seep into the waters. According to most, the action to contain the spill was slow. As a result, the media blamed Exxon for not responding fast enough to the crises. Many of the wildlife including birds, fish and other mammals were killed because of Exxon's slow response to the spill. This spill became the llargest spill ever in U.S waters. The company unfortunately had to pay an estimated amount of$2.1 billion dollars in clean up operations for the spill (Business Ethics, Exxon Valdez pages 396-405).

After the Valdez incident Exxon Mobil realized that something had to be done if they were to shine in the publics eyes once again. They realized that they had to take on the worlds toughest energy...