Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Essay Example for Free

Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Essay When an unforeseen tragedy comes into a small community, the devastation can cause havoc. The members of the Chilean society found themselves with more questions than answers when word spread there had been a collapse in a local mine. The families of the trapped mine workers and employees affected were in need of guidance. When communicating the messages to Chilean people, awareness of the audience played an important role in ensuring all measures were being taken to save the miners lives. Trapped Miners in San Jose Mine During the summer of 2010, the San Jose, Chile copper mine collapsed trapping 33 miners inside. The employees of the mine, owned by Minera San Esteban Primera, were informed that the miners were trapped at a depth of approximately 300 meters with little to no food, water and oxygen. In the days that followed the initial collapse, a second collapse occurred leaving both rescuers and spectators wondering if the miners were even alive. (Weik, 2010). Considering the Audience It is important to remember the current state of shock, travesty and unawareness of the receivers within the Chilean community following the mines collapse. The families of the victims as well as the employees of the mine are in desperate need of answers and reassurance that rescuers are doing everything in their power to save the trapped miners. The messages relayed to these individuals need to be calm and collective while providing them with the information and details that are attainable at the current time. Government and mine officials also need to prepare to communicate to the employees and public future actions to be taken to prevent reoccurrence of this disaster. Families Potential Needs At the time of this catastrophe, the families of the trapped miners are in need of the most important thing in their lives at that moment, their trapped loved one. The families will need to be provided with a basic understanding of the factors involved with the collapse and what potential outcomes may occur. They will be in need of reassurance and comfort that all actions are being taken to confirm that a positive result will conclude this horrible misfortune. Lastly, it is important to provide the families with a plan in which rescuers are following and explain how the family member’s roles in saving the trapped miners are clarified. Employees Potential Needs Much like the families potential needs, the employees of the Chilean mine also need reassurance and guidance. It is likely that although the employees are concerned about how this collapse is going to affect them in the future, in the present moment they are concerned about the survival of their coworkers. A clear message will need to be presented to the employees indicating what role they can take in providing the rescuers with details they may need to help assist in the retrieval of the trapped miners. They also may be in need of counseling and other types of treatment as a result of experiencing such horrible events. Necessary Actions Prior to the messages being given, it is vital that the communicator has been provided with as many details as possible. This is important to know information that is both provided and withheld from the public for their safety. The message needs to be reviewed by both the mine company as well as any government officials involved in the incident. After a message has been communicated to the families and employees involved in the mine collapse, the most important actions to be taken is verification and understanding of the message. The communicator can provide these individuals with resources to assist them during this time such as crisis counselors. It will also be beneficial to make available written communication points that the families and employees can reference back to with questions and concerns. Lastly, a plan for continued communication is vital is supporting these individuals. It is important for a communicator to be aware of their audience, especially following a tragedy such as the Chilean mine collapse, when giving the message to the families and employees involved. The proper approach to relaying this message will provide the necessary support to instill the much needed sense of safety and security. Understanding the position of the receiver and their potential needs will assist in communicating the message intended. References Weik, J. (2010). Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean copper mine collapse. Metal Bulletin Daily, (224), 65.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. :: Essays Papers

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was born November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of, Kurt Vonnegut, Sr., a successful architect, and Edith Sophia Vonnegut. He had two older siblings, a brother Bernard, and a sister Alice. He attended Short ridge high school. This is where he first realized his talent for writing. He was the editor of the school newspaper. Kurt graduated in 1940, and after high school, attended Cornell University and studied bio-chemistry, and was also a columnist and editor of the Cornell daily sun. However, because of bad grades, Kurt found himself almost flunking out of Cornell University. He saved himself from expulsion by joining the army in 1942. While in the army, several devastating experiences happened to Kurt. First in 1944, he received the news that his mother had committed suicide. A few months later Kurt was captured by the German Army. He was forced to produce a vitamin enriched malt for pregnant women. While doing this he happened to survive the firebombing of Dresden. His book Slaughterhouse-five is partially about the bombing of Dresden. After being rescued by the Soviets, Vonnegut returned home. He was working as a Police Reporter for the Chicago News Bureau and studying anthropology at the University of Chicago. He later moved to Schenectedy, New York. Here he worked in Press Relations for the General Electric Plant. This experience that led to the creation of his first novel Player Piano, . It was after the publication of this novel that he moved to Rhode Island, while in addition to writing short stories, he taught High School English and opened the first Saab dealership in the United States. After realizing the shrinking of the Short Story market, he began concentrating entirely on

Does It Pay Off

Compare/ assess HSBC and Citi-corps IT strategies. Do they invest in IT primarily as a way of cutting costs and improving their operational efficiencies, or do they invest strategically with a view to entrench their competitive positions? As noted in the conclusion of the article written by the Asia Case Research Center and the University of Hong Kong HCBC and Citigroup have both developed into global financial institutions.Both organizations have heavily invested in Information Technology and, as is self-reported in both companies’ financial statements, both are committed to using IT to gain a competitive advantage. That is where the similarities end. When we examine the details it is obvious that although both firms have heavily invested in IT advancements the types of projects and overall approach are very different. Let us first look at HSBC. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was founded by Thomas Southerland in 1865 with branches in London Shanghai, and San F rancisco.By the year 2007 the company had grown to have 9500 offices, 200,000 shareholders, 310,000 employees and over 125 million customers spanning 76 countries. HSBC built their business based on the philosophy of managing for value from 1998 through 2003 with the objective of providing a satisfactory return on shareholder capital. One of the primary ways HSBC attempted to accomplish this strategy was through its approach to leveraging technology.An example of the company’s technology strategy is found in a statement which was part of the company’s 1996 annual report. In this report the company described its IT policy as a strategy based on harnessing the power of new technology to provide new and better services for their customers while simultaneously improving the banks operational efficiencies. Then stated the challenge they saw as a global financial services organization factored highly around their ability to link different parts of the group more closely toge ther.As one progress’s further into the details of HSBC’s information technology approach numerous examples of this 1996 strategy are apparent in the organizations approach to the use of information technology. HSBC’s history appears dotted with instances of the development of ground breaking Independent systems, outsourcing to save costs, and acquisitions of emerging technologies. Despite the hefty price tag the company remained focused on providing innovate value added products and services to both current and prospective customers. Outsourcing is one key to the operational efficiency approach mentioned in its 1996 annual report.HSBC opened its first offshore processing center in China in 1996 and by 2007 had more than 18,000 employees across Asia spanning ten (10) Asian countries. HSBC estimated that by transferring its back office processing to India and China it saved the organization approximately 30 million U. S dollars annually. Further savings were real ized in 2003 when the bank merged and consolidated HSBC and HSBC Finance’s technology service teams later leading to the offshoring of the HSBC Group Service Center creating another 67 million in annual savings.In total HSBC claims that offshoring provides the bank an estimated cost savings of over 100 million U. S dollars annually. Meanwhile HSBC took on more IT staff to support service improvement projects and online banking. Heavily investing in platforms and applications designed to extend or streamline the online process HSBC fully embraced ecommerce. Beginning in 1998 with their successful Y2K testing and implementation HSBC heavily invested in the internet as a means of reaching new customers and deepening current customer relationships.Some of the projects were internally innovated however, most were a product of strategic acquisitions and/or partnerships with other organizations HSBC is very focused on innovation the company has used its innovative focus to successfu lly leverage the power of the internet to reach customers around the world. To create the world’s most inclusive efficient internet portal the company has worked with several different organizations that could assist in furthering its digital capabilities Some examples of these partnerships are:.Working with Compaq to design an internet payment gateway, partnering with HTK to enable merchants to set up online store fronts, working with MasterCard to develop and launch Asia’s first electronic wallet, cooperating with IBM to develop multichannel banking services, teaming up with Sky digital satellite to launch the UK’s first television banking system, and finally a joint venture with Merrill Lynch to introduce online brokerage services. At the same time the bank was partnering with multiple organizations developing several technology offerings things were also being innovated internally.HSBC developed and delivered many value added products and services like launc hing mobile banking and secure net payments for merchants in 1999, the creation of Ibusinesscorporation. com and HSBC. com. HSBC. com which was designed to create a common presentation of all HSBC’s services at any time anywhere to any of its customers was the crown jewel of the technology strategy. Overall the company dedicated a large percentage of its IT budget time and focus on the development, expansion, functionality and inclusiveness of creating a comprehensive online presence.HSBC spent 164 million dollars on the website hsbc. com in 2001 alone. The internet strategy seemed to pay off for HSBC creating large gains in number of customers and transactions. Overall gains were seen in commercial and consumer banking with increases in customer numbers in both divisions. Overall the bank saw its customer number increase 24% with online transactions increasing a whopping 116%. however this massive push online left the company with 26 websites and over 1. 1 billion dollars in expenses.In contrast to the HSBC’s strategies for utilization of IT recourses Citicorp followed the diversified financial services model built on the belief that different financial service products should be conglomerated to balance earnings and to create less earnings volatility. The company believed it was more cost effective to cross sell financial products in one go than to sell them separately. Different than the wide corporate structure found within HSBC Citicorp only consists of three major business groups all primarily supported by standard corporate infrastructure. While both banks focused on lobal growth HSBC focused on innovation and leveraging the internet to reach current and potential customers Citi corps approach was that of growth, commonality, and local control. Unlike HSBC, Citigroup took an integrated approach to its IT governance worldwide. By using a combination of packaged and customized software to develop group wide platforms Citigroup enhanced the s trength of its extensive international branch network to facilitate knowledge exchange across borders. Since IT projects at Citi were often initiated with a local business unit typically they were designed with local solutions in mind.The only truly global requirement placed on the innovating branch were that the local system be capable of effectively and efficiently being linked with Citi groups existing system and that security arrangements could be made. The key for Citi was the consistent platform and the ability to share knowledge across space not necessarily that it was internet driven and deployable to the whole world. Also in stark contrast to the HSBC strategy of cost savings through outsourcing, Citigroup pursued IT outsourcing only in a very limited way and not for strategic initiatives.While HSBC was building strategic initiatives with numerous external companies Citigroup took on projects like the 750 million dollar project in the 90’s to integrate the banks 60,0 00 personal computer and 2,000 LAN’s worldwide into a common global network and system infrastructure. The power of its integrated technology platform would later be demonstrated by the rapid integration of the 750 branch CitiFinancial system By 2000 Citigroup had leveraged its strong common technology platform and its international branch presence to launch its own online presence, Citi on the net.Directly related to their standard technology and growth platforms by the end of the year 2000 Citigroup had over 800 million online accounts in an effort to deliver convenience and value to its clients. Citigroup created new internet units including e-commerce, e-business, and e-capital markets to empower the existing business lines while simultaneously creating an internet operating group to drive the corporate internet strategy and again use it to coordinate efforts across divisions. By 2002 Citi on the net had been replaced by â€Å"my citi. om† providing the platform ne cessary to allow the bank the ability to make online banking available in over 90 countries ultimately leading to processing over 39 million transactions around the world in rout to being named â€Å"best of the web 2003† The banking giants internally driven internet strategy seemed to culminate with the launch of Citibank direct in 2006 and nearly 10 billion dollars in deposits. Overall in my perception of the IT strategies of both Citi and HSBC their direction of IT investment does not appear to fit into one black or white strategy however appears more likely to exist on a continuum.I believe there are examples of both HSBC and CITI investing in IT as a way of cutting costs and improving their operational efficiencies. With HSBC one example of this is outsourcing. With regard to Citi one example is the focus on standard systems providing local solutions. Additionally, I believe both organizations also used technology effectively as strategies to entrench their competitive p ositions. HSBC as a platform to cost effectively expand its global reach without the costly build-out of constructing an extensive global brick and mortar branch network through the use of the internet.In contrast, for CITI to be able to provide local solutions by leveraging its global knowledge, services, and offerings to provide value added products and services to current and prospective clients. In closing not addressed directly in the article but appears to be relevant as I look at the different IT approaches taken by both Citi and HSBC is where they started. Both companies come from different backgrounds created in different environments for the purpose of serving different clients.Although eventually their worlds collided their roots seems quite different. I can’t help but wonder, to what degree were the different approach to types and amounts of investment in IT between the two global banking giants has to be attributed to (1) Different business strategy’s with each company recognizing its own path of least resistance to accomplish their organizations goals. (2) The best way to leverage the current asset base of each individual organization. 2. In your assessment, which one of the companies do you think was cleverer in its IT investments?Both organizations appear to have shown the ability to differentiate one’s organization through the use of technology when technology that can complement their overall business strategy comes available. For Citibank this availability arose through an increase in recourses by the organization; conversely, for HSBC through technological advancements made in the market place. My perception is that both companies utilized IT investments like a vehicle, to get from where they were to where they wanted to be.The numbers provided in the back of this report show the companies are strikingly similar in many ways despite their very different beginnings and historical decisions regarding investment in IT. Fiv e factors compared n the report are compiled below that both demonstrate their striking similarity but also provide clues to who at least for now is winning the battle for global banking clients. Category(2006)| Citi-Bank| HSBC| Leader| #of Employees| 325,000| 312,000| Citi-Bank| IT expenditures| 3762| 4810| Citibank| Net-Profit| 21538| 16358| Citi-Bank| Total Assets| 1,884,318| 1,712,627| Citi-Bank|Market Capitalization| 269. 1| 212| Citi-Bank| | ROA| 1. 14%| 0. 96%| By doing some basic calculations using the numbers above it is easy to see that as of the time of this report the company with the best history of performance was clearly Citi-Bank. Although total assets and number of employees are strikingly similar the difference in the organizations is clearly found in three areas. Net profit, IT expenditure’s, and market capitalization. ROA for HSBC is . 96% which signifies it is destroying shareholder capital by losing 4 cents for every dollar invested.Conversely, Citi-Bank with an ROA of 1. 14% is creating value by transforming every 1$ invested in the company into 1. 14 cents providing a 14% return annually. Another metric not common in finance but appears pertinent here would be an employee to IT expenditure’s ratio where HSBC spent $15,416. 67 per employee and Citi-Bank spent $11,575. 38. The second ratio that appears to point to an adjusted IT strategy for HSBC is a total asset to IT expenditure ratio in which again HSBC spends 28% of its total assets on. IT where Citibank again has a better ratio at 20% of its total assets.Neither of these last two ratios is very common but both appear to be where HSBC could attempt to close the Gap in financial performance between the two companies. Finally of note needs to be the difference in market cap Assuming both companies have a fairly equal amount of issued common equity the fact that Citi-Banks market cap is 57 billion dollars higher that HSBC demonstrates to me that when the marginal investor c ompares the perceived future performance comparing both companies current business plan investors believe with more confidence that Citi-Bank will generate I higher return on investment and stronger cash flows than will HSBC.Despite HSBC’s efforts to cut costs be on the forefront of banking innovation Citicorp clearly was able to leverage its vast global network of fixed assets in a standardized approach more successfully than HSBC was able to leverage the internet to increase its profitability through global expansion. In closing I again wonder if part of the increased performance Citicorp sees beyond that which is seen by HSBC is related to cultural bias Simple current consumer preference in the majority of the cultures in which both firms operate.In conclusion, the writer would like to briefly mention potential factors that came to mind while reading this article. Thinking outside the numbers part of me believes that although trends are less prevalent than they have been f or generations past, several groups of people, are particularly fond of being able to bank at a physical location. Some don’t believe in banking at all. Like the trail that amazon is blazing in the online retail market place online banking platforms are different than most people are used to.Change is often strange and sometimes difficult but if HSBC’s IT strategy is ever to pay off it must hope like amazon that as time passes if more people become comfortable with the idea of online banking their model may thrive. However, until that time unless it were to drastically change its business model and begin to invest in a global network of physical bank branches HSBC’s best strategy may be to stay the course of investing in driving customers more towards the feeling of convenience than perceived safety.

Othello An Aristotelian Tragedy And Tragic Hero

Othello, an Aristotelian Tragedy and Tragic Hero When reading a story, specifically a tragedy, what stands out? Tragedy often enables its audience to reflect on personal values that might be in conflict with civil ideas, on the claims of minorities that it neglected or excluded from public life, on its on irrational prejudices toward the foreign of the unknown (Kennedy Gioia, 2103, p. 857). Readers feel sympathy for the characters, especially the tragic hero. Othello, the Moor of Venice is a prime example of a great tragic story which follows the example Aristotle brings to light in his Poetics (guidelines to drama). The Aristotelian definition of a tragedy and a tragic hero have certain requirements; these requirements are met in Othello, the Moor of Venice, as a story of imitation, incorporating pity, fear, perpeteia, anagnorisis, and catharsis, Othello is also seen as an Aristotelian tragic hero as someone that is good, appropriate, lifelike, of noble birth, is of high charact er, and who has a tragic flaw which meets the Aristotelian definition. The requirements for a work in drama to be considered an Aristotelian tragedy are explained in Aristotle’s Poetics. These requirements make it difficult to signify a drama as a tragedy. â€Å"Aristotle’s Poetics is a powerful, insightful, and informative document concerning the nature of art, but very few works have been written, Greek, Elizabethan, or modern, that conform to is standards for achieving the essential natureShow MoreRelatedOthello: The Tragedy of an Aristotelian Tragic Hero Essay1531 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeares play, â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice,† is a powerful example of a tragedy and it’s main character, Othello, is an excellent illustration of what Aristotle constitutes as a tragic hero. The play imitates life through basic human emotions such as jealousy and rage. In addition, Othello is far from being a perfect character - another quality that meets A ristotles requirements. Othello also matches Aristotles ideas of tragic hero because our Othello realizes the error of his ways, causingRead MoreEssay The Tragedy of Othello1292 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare masterfully crafted Othello, the Moor of Venice as an Aristotelian tragedy play. The main protagonist of the play, Othello, is the perfect example of a tragic hero. Shakespeare was influenced by Aristotle’s concept of a tragic hero and used Aristotle’s principles to create Othello. William Shakespeare attempted to create an Aristotelian tragedy play with a tragic hero and succeeded in Othello, the Moor of Venice by weaving in pity and fear into each line and action. The powerRead MoreShakespeare s Othello As A Tragic Hero1517 Words   |  7 Pageswonder, who is Aristotle and why does he label Shakespeare’s play, Othello, as a tragedy? Aristotle is a famous Greek philosopher who defines Shakespeare’s character, Othello, as a tragic hero. Many parts in Othello tell the readers that the play is a tragedy, such as jealousy, arguing, and death, which makes the play famous and delightful to read. Aristotle has identified many common traits or characteristics that a tragic hero requires. In Shakespeare s play, Aristotle defines many featuresRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello, The Moor Of Venice1776 Words   |  8 PagesA tragedy is typically explained as a type of drama that displays pain and suffering, and where the main character, the protagonist, experiences a life changing event that alters his fortune from good too bad. William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the Moor of Venice is classified as an Aristotelian classical tragedy based on the guidelines Aristotle sets when examining a tragedy. Othello is a general in the Venetian army, and the husband of Desdemona, and well respected by society. The play describesRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Shakespeare s Othello1613 Words   |  7 Pages A tragedy is one of the most captivating forms of drama as it truly grasps the attention of its audience. It unleashes hidden emotions and allows the viewers to escape their own realities. In Aristotle’s, Poetics, he analyzes the theory of a tragedy and explains that the essential criteria of an ideal tragedy consists of the plot, character, thought, diction, spectacle, and song (Aristotle, 169). According to Aristotle, tragedies also often focus on a tragic hero who possesses a flaw which ultimatelyRead MoreA Scrutiny of Othellos Character as a Tragic Hero2197 Words   |  9 PagesIn Othello, the Moor of Venice, the titular character, Othello, is the protagonist and subject to scrutiny as to whether or not he is a tragic hero in the conventional Aristotelian definition of the term. Aristotle believed a tragedy served to exercise the mature citizens moral sensibilities (Ferrari, 1999, p. 181). There are several different components of Aristotles definition of a tragic hero, which essentially s erve as a set of criteria to determine whether or not Othello truly is a tragicRead MoreOthello is Not a Tragic Hero Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesOthello has been described as one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays because the play focuses on its themes of good and evil, military, politics, love and marriage, religion, racial prejudice, gender conflict, and sexuality; but the controversy and debate surrounding Othello is â€Å"Why is Othello a qualification for a tragedy?† Most readers are aware of the many famous deaths or acts of death within the Shakespearean plays. And when the main characters die in Shakespeare’s plays, indeedRead More Othello, The Moor of Venice Essay examples1319 Words   |  6 PagesOthello, the Moor of Venice is one of the major tragedies written by William Shakespeare that follows the main character, Othello through his trials and tribulations. Othello, the Moor of Venice is similar to William Shakespeare’s other tragedies and follows a set of specific rules of drama. The requirements include, following the definition of a tragedy, definition of tragic hero, containing a reversal of fortune, and a descent from happiness. William Shakespeare fulfills Aristotle’s requirementsRead MoreCharacteristics Of A Tragic Hero1295 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Aristotle, a Tragic Hero is described as a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her destruction. Aristotle once sa id that A man doesnt become a hero until he can see the root of his downfall. An Aristotelian tragic hero must possess specific characteristics, five of which are below: 1)Flaw or error of judgment (hamartia) Note the role of justice and revenge in the judgments. 2) A reversal of fortune (peripeteia) brought about because of the herosRead MoreAn Aristotelian Analysis of Othello1922 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Hansen Jiang Ms. Prendi ENG3U1 July 19, 2014 An Aristotelian Analysis of Othello A tragedy is an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress. Considering Aristotelian beliefs, a tragic hero is a great character whose character flaws eventually lead to their fall. Aristotle’s writing is indicative of what he believed to be a tragic hero, and the character Othello possesses each quality, meaning he is a successfully written tragic hero. He is of high status and nobility, both in position