Thanksgiving Assignment- Due by Nov 28th at Midnight
- Due No Due Date
- Points 30
- Submitting a text entry box
Watch the following videos:
Tylenol: The Tylenol Murders that Terrified America
Links to an external site.
United: Video shows a passenger forcibly dragged off a United Airlines plane
Links to an external site.
BP Oil Spill: Was the Deepwater Horizon Disaster Preventable? | Smithsonian Channel
Links to an external site.
All of these events are categorized as a crisis. However, two of them were completely preventable. In other words, two of the emergencies COULD have been anticipated (planned for) and likely avoided...with forecasting and better management. The other two emergencies came from "left field". Who could possibly predict that kids would start EATING Tide Pods? Who could possibly predict that someone would poison a medication?
Crisis Management and risk assessment is a strategic function that seeks to forecast and plan for any potential threats or liabilities. These kinds of events can be planed or unplanned...large or small. Either way, managers must use all of their skills to identify and address anything that could lead to a crisis before it happens. As a proficient manager, one of the most important responsibilities you have is to examine your environment for potential hazards and liabilities. Believe it or not, most companies either DON'T bother to do this, or...they conduct a risk analysis...and then ignore it. That's exactly what BP did. They had already experienced several serious events, yet repeatedly failed to address the systemic problems. Their apathy led to a massive explosion, death, and the largest oil spill on the planet. Simply put, the explosion and subsequent spill was literally a planned crisis. Why? They knew about the problems.
On the other hand, no one was expecting people to eat Tide Pods. There was no way to prepare for that kind of crisis. It was completely unplanned. However, a company can have crisis teams in place...ready to handle the unplanned (and we'll be discussing this next week).
As you watch the episode of "Undercover Boss" (Hulu), I want you to observe and identify safety hazards and potential liabilities. Some of them will be obvious. Others will be subtle.
Use the episode from "Undercover Boss" (Season 11, Episode 4), along with your notes, to answer the following questions.
1, In a few sentences, explain the difference between a planned or unplanned crisis.
2. In one or two sentences, give an example of a "planned crisis" and an "unplanned crisis".
3. Using the episode we watched (Rita's Ice), list and describe three specific circumstances where you observed a safety hazard or potential liability, and explain how you would solve it.
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