Text B Crisis Management Team in Companies

 

In regard to managing crisis situations in companies, an essential part of the process is the crisis management team – the people who have authority to make decisions and handle. The team is divided into two different groups. The first group consists of the members who are specialists in their field with the responsibilities of analyzing incidents and providing recommendations. The other group is the core team, where the members are people who execute crisis management. The tasks of this group are:

- Providing guidance to the assessors.

- Receiving recommendations and providing approval and directions.

- Being responsible for the directions provided.

The core should consist of senior managers. Positions that should represent company departments include: risk management, human resources, financial services, public relations (PR) and other specialists.

The duty of the team members is to define possible threats and risks the company can be faced with.

 

5.2.1 Read the text and find the definitions of:

 

- crisis management team;

- CM team’s structure;

- the tasks of the team’s central part;

- the duty of the team members.

 

5.2.2 Complete the sentences according to the text

 

The first group consists of the members who are specialists in their field ….

The core should consist of ….

Positions that should represent company departments include: ….

 

5.2.3 Translate paragraphs 1 and 4 in written form

 

5.2.4 Choose the nouns from the box that collocate with the following verbs. One noun may collocate with more than one verb

 

situation, risks, term, services, purpose, problem, bankruptcy, threats, crisis, plan, approval, duties, dangers, difficulty, goods, crisis management.

 

1) provide …; 2) face …; 3) define …; 4) execute …; 5) analyze ….

 

5.2.5 What words in the text have the following meanings:

 

1) to follow an order, plan or instruction;

2) to give or supply sth;

3) favourable opinion;

4) to state clearly;

5) a specialist who judges the quality sth.

 

5.2.6 Summarise the general idea of texts A and B

 

5.2.7 Speak on the duties of CM team in the process of crisis management in companies

 

5.2.8 Read the following text and fill in the gaps with the suitable words from the box given

 

information, experienced, departments, decision, handle, suggested, management, possible, senior.

 

In order to … possible crisis situation properly it is important to gather competitive and … crisis … team. It is … to divide crisis team into … - makers and analysts. Different … managers are … members of the … crisis management team.

When needed the team could be expanded to involve key … such as corporate security and … technology.

 

Text C Disaster in the USA

5.3.1 Read the text and be ready to answer the question: What is needed to take care of people in the crisis?

 

In the wake of the 9/11 2001 disaster in the United States, crises preparedness has become primary concern for oil and gas companies – especially, the human side of recovery. Most oil companies have emergency plans that they test early. And while terrorism is a real threat companies need to focus on crisis preparedness as a whole taking care of their most important resources their people.

Firstly oil and gas companies have to look at what incidents occur in the oil and gas industry as a whole: oil spills, industrial accidents, etc. Then, they must take into consideration what can happen to any company at any time – natural disaster, workplace violence, and, of course, terrorism.

Likely you have some kind of plan, but make sure that the crisis team has been trained to help your people.

A structured and intelligent approach to the human side of crises is new and unique to most companies. What is needed is a well-developed management system to help effectively to those employees who may be suffering from traumas, grief and depression.

No region is safe from incidents that can badly affect people. This may be especially true for employees of oil and gas companies who often work in dangerous places.

Notes:

- in the wake of – по следам

- to focus on – сосредоточивать внимание на

- disaster – бедствие

- to take into consideration – принимать во внимание

- to make sure – убедиться, удостовериться

- emergency – чрезвычайное положение, крайняя необходимость.

 

5.3.2 Entitle the text

 

5.3.3 Find English equivalents for the following Russian ones. Make up sentences with these equivalents:

 

- человеческий аспект оздоровления (кризиса);

- оказать сильное воздействие на людей;

- нефтяная и газовая промышленность в целом;

- вероятно;

- хорошо развитая система управления.

 

5.3.4 Comment on the following statements:

 

- … companies need to focus on crisis preparedness as a whole taking care of their most important resources their people.

- A structured and intelligent approach to the human side of crises is new and unique to most companies.

 

5.3.5 Compose four special questions to the text

5.3.6 Retell the text in detail

Unit 6. Crisis Preparedness

 

Pre-text exercises

6.1.1 Practise the reading of the following words and guess their meanings:

 

- associate;	- component;	- aspect;
- design;	- criminal;	- isolation;
- specific;	- incident;	- destructive;
- portfolio;	- company;	- strategy;
- human	- systematic;	- symptom
- select;	- reputation;	- resolution.

 

6.1.2 Memorize the following words and word-groups from the texts of the unit:

 

crisis portfolio - портфель ценных бумаг по подготовке к кризису;

to share strong similarities - иметь большие сходства;

human blame - вина человека;

to withstand (effects) - выдерживать воздействие\влияние;

to charge with - обвинять в чем-либо;

appropriate - соответствующий, подходящий;

to prod sb to do sth - подстрекать кого-либо сделать что-либо;

simultaneous - одновременный;

to anticipate - ожидать, предвидеть;

poisoning - отравление;

incident - случай, инцидент;

upcoming - предстоящий, наступающий;

to gain experience - приобретать опыт;

to survive a crisis - пережить кризис.

 

6.1.3 Check up the meaning of the following verbs:

 

- to attempt;

- to share;

- to consider;

- to produce;

- to broaden;

- to contribute;

- to exceed;

- to exist;

- to cause;

- to survive.

 

6.1.4 Find out English or Russian equivalents for the words and word-groups given below:

 

криминальные действия; расширить подготовку; --------------- предкризисный этап; --------------- --------------- --------------- усилие по оздоровлению; ощущение безопасности; --------------- репутация компании; -------------- открытие;

---------- ---------- continuous process; ---------- for this reason; on the other hand; ineffectual strategies ---------- ---------- in turn; ----------- destructive potency; -----------

6.1.5 Match the words and their definitions (one item has been done for you):

 

1) strategy; 2) to anticipate; 3) event; 4) simultaneously; 5)criminal; 6) to cause; 7) to survive; 8) human; 9) upcoming.	a) to expect sth to happen;
b) related to actions against the law;
c) sth important that has happened;
d) to remain alive after a dangerous situation;
e) of man or mankind;
f) general plan of action;
g) to make sth happen;
h) at the same time;
i) happening soon.

 

6.1.6 Give degrees of comparison of the following adjectives and adverbs:

 

- sharp;

- little;

- often;

- bad;

- systematically;

- important;

- capable;

- strong;

- much/many;

- fast;

- effective;

- good.

6.1.7 Comment on the meaning of the verb «do» in the following sentence: which is emphatic and which is notional

 

- Organizations that do broaden their preparations for man-made crises most often do it only for normal disasters.

Translate the sentence into Russian.

 

6.1.8 Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to the functions of the Gerund

 

- Humans are charged with the responsibility of redesigning recovery efforts.

- The experience gained from training establishes the company’s reputation for being prepared.

- Avoiding crises is one of the primary aims of crisis preparedness.

- One of the important aspects of management in pre-crisis stage is testing and training.

- This leads to continuous process of planning for the inevitable.