Narrative reporting and crises: British Petroleum and Shell, 1950–1958

Abstract

Narrative reporting has been identified as potentially playing one of two contrasting rather than complementary roles: incremental information (II) and impression management (IM). II denotes the disclosure of information needed to help in investors’ decision-making, whilst IM relates to its selective use in enhancing reputation or protecting from criticism. They can be linked with, but are not confined to, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This article examines the use of narrative reporting by British Petroleum (BP) and Shell during two significant crises, the Iranian nationalization of oil supplies (1950–51) and the Egyptian nationalization of the Suez Canal (1956–57). The impact of these differed for the two companies because of the importance to each of Iran and of oil supplies from the Eastern Hemisphere. An analysis of their disclosure suggests that both, in different ways, varied their narrative in response to the threats presented by the two episodes, and that there is scope for further investigation of this form of reporting.