Abstract A Malaysian human resources manager who is new to his role and new to operations in Khartoum, Sedan, is left in charge while his manager is away. During that time, an employee requires a minor medical procedure that turns tragic. The human resources manager is left to navigate a complex human disaster in a cross-cultural environment, both of which he is unprepared for. The case Ravi, one of our native Malaysian staff members with a technical background, was posted to Sudan in 1999 for three years. Ravi's tenure there began as a training supervisor with the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company. This is a joint venture between four companiesChina's CNPC (40 percent), Malaysia's PETRONAS (30 percent), Canada's Talisman (25 percent), and the National Oil Company of Sudan Sudapet (5 percent). The venture later emerged to be a major contributor to PETRONAS's overseas production and revenue. Ravi was sent to Sudan to help set up the joint venture for the human resources department. He was promoted to deputy human resource manager in October 1999 where his role primarily involved assisting the human resources manager to plan and implement company policies and processes to drive performance and productivity. He also oversaw the well-being of staff and their administrative needs during the setup of the joint venture. On a Tuesday afternoon in December 1999, Ravi was informed that a Malaysian staff member had been admitted to the local hospital in Khartoum. The human resources manager, Jamila, was away for the week, leaving Ravi in charge. He rushed to the hospital to visit the young engineer, Ahmad. He found him quite cheerful despite his complaint of a nagging pain in the lower abdomen. "The doctor said it is appendicitis and will involve only a minor operation," Ahmad told Ravi. "I would strongly advise that we get the opinion of our panel doctor in Dubai," Ravi responded. "If you could just give me a few hours to make the arrangements, I can get you on a flight to Dubai by tonight and you can have the operation as soon as we can arrange for it." Ravi's effort to persuade Ahmad to attend to his medical needs in Dubai were unsuccessful. "It's okay," said Ahmad. "I heard the doctors here are just as reputable, and I want to get it done with. I have so much work to finish that I cannot afford any more time away. There have been too many delays on this project." Looking at Ravi's worried frown, Ahmad continued with a smile. "Anyway, I am planning to go back for a long leave to Kuala Lumpur right after we complete the first phase of this project. I will have plenty of time to rest and recuperate then," Ahmad said. Even though Ravi tried to convince Ahmad to delay the surgery, it was to no avail. Ahmad went through with the procedure at the hospital in Khartoum the following day. That Wednesday, Ravi received a call from the hospital in Khartoum inform- ing him that Ahmad had died due to excessive bleeding after the surgery. Ravi was shocked. For a few hours after that, he could hardly remember what he had done. He was in a mad scramble to prepare the report for his superiors and to make the necessary arrangements. Ravi was completely unprepared for the emotional and administrative nightmare that ensued. According to Ravi, the hospital administrators seemed very uncooperative and did not see the urgency of the situation. To get the release and flown back to Kuala Lumpur involved intricate communication and negotiation techniques that Ravi had not been prepared to perform. When Ravi's boss, Jamila, returned from her trip, she realized how traumatic the situation must have been for Ravi. He was new in the position and there was no policy or procedure in place to guide him. His offshore experience called for him to be prepared for technical crises, but this kind of situation was totally new for him. It was a disaster of the human kind. It was through sheer providence that Ravi managed to coordinate the administrative matters and overcome the multi- tude of challenges, which among the most critical was making arrangements for deporting the body from Sudan to Malaysia. The human resources manager reported that the incident was a crucial learning experience for the organization. According to Jamila, "Not only did we lack the standard processes, what was particularly glaring at that time was that there was nothing in place to help someone of Ravi's level cope with the conse- quences of the distressful situation and get him back on track. Not only did he feel inadequate for not being able to persuade Ahmad to seek medical care in Dubai in the first place, but the maddening runaround and massive paperwork in Khartoum took a toll on his well-being as well. Due to the stress, he suffered, Ravi became more taciturn and was overly particular with processes and procedures in regard to health and medical matters." Ravi admitted that he became quite paranoid, wondering if there could be another crisis just around the corner. It was energy-sapping for him. Jamila observed that Ravi took some time to revert to his normal self. When he finally appeared more stable, Jamila heaved a sigh of relief. She said, "Ravi is a very valu- able team member. The organization is fortunate to have him back in shape." But the entire situation begs the question: are other organizations prepared to address these kinds of complex human disasters in cross-cultural environments?

Questions

1. How should have Ravi handled this crisis situation.
2. What resources should ravi have to have handled this situation.