Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 9

Final - Essay Example For example, when the British and USA drones are physically present in Afghanistan, control is through satellite from USAF base outside Las Vegas, Nevada. When launched in the conflict zone, controllers carry out the operation on video screens in specially designed trailers stationed at Nevada desert. One controller ‘flies’ the drone, another operates the sensors, cameras and monitors just like a video game while the third person is in contact with the ground troops and commanders in the war zone. The CIA has been using drones in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq to assassinate terrorist leaders, most notably the Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. At least 36 American armed UAVS are present over Afghanistan and Iraq airspaces at any particular time. Many people have confused the non-flying robots for drones thereby further confusing their benefits and liabilities. Drones have several benefits among them Safety; they have greatly reduced military casualties since they carry no one. They are also significantly cheaper to purchase, fuel, operate and maintain than regular airplanes. Drones carry less risk to the military hardware since they are smaller and can fly much lower than the traditional airplanes. They have longer operational hours without fatigue since they have no human pilots. Besides, drone pilots or operators can easily hand off drone controls without any operational downtime (Collard, 2013). They are very accurate with pinpoint accuracy over great distances thus reducing collateral damage to infrastructure and civilians. Drones are also very lethal to enemy combats than regular airplanes. They have greatly increased surveillance process, reconnaissance, and general military intelligence through spying. Lastly, they a re easier and faster to deploy than most of the military alternatives. Some of the liabilities of drones include limited abilities since they cannot communicate with civilians for detailed

Crisis Management and Communication Research Paper

Crisis Management and Communication - Research Paper Example It is the moment of uncertainty that best describes a crisis situation. The severity of such crisis varies significantly, with less moderate to severe. The most common aspect of uncertainty pertains to the ethical and moral implications of the organization’s communication strategy during the crisis. The most common aspect of this is who is to be held responsible. Often, organizations fail to address crisis effectively because they have the tendency to engage in blame game which should ideally be the no-go area for organizations during crisis situations. The purpose of communication, or more so â€Å"strategic† communication during times like these, is to mitigate to some extent this form of uncertainty associated with the crisis. The higher the uncertainty associated with finding a solution for the crisis the greater the severity of the crisis (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). It is often useful to classify crisis as an event caused by either external factors such as opportunities and threats as well as internal dynamics of the company including strengths and weaknesses. Crisis puts the company’s immediate survival at stake. ... Furthermore, researchers have also delineated on the steps in crisis management and communication, keeping in mind the procedural nature of a crisis situation. In the first stage, the organization gets signs and warning signals pertaining to an upcoming disaster (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). In the next stage, organizations often engage in preparation and prevention exercises such as team-building measures as well as employing training measures to deal effectively with the crisis (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). In the third phase, the damage is potentially â€Å"contained† or limited by several measures, the most important of which is communication, in order to avert the spillover of damage to other parts of the organization (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). In the final phase, the organization recovers from the mishap, which is followed by essential learning in order to avoid the possibility of such a crisis in future (Stephens, Malone, & Bailey, 2005). Communicat ion during crisis situations, therefore, is fundamental to reaching the recovery phase sooner and more safely. The ultimate aim of communication during crisis situation is to frame appropriate public perceptions about the company and to maintain a favorable image of the company in the minds of stakeholders. Communication during these times also serves the purpose of informing, convincing or even motivating stakeholders towards a desired form of action. Another aim of crisis communication is to ensure that the damage is controlled and that the negative impact of the crisis on various environmental elements is minimized. Companies often use this as an opportunity to reinforce and communicate existing values, culture, vision and mission associated with the organizations to the public. As is the