Chaos in Cambodia 2021

It's a quiet afternoon at the office for Sareh Ahmadi. The door to her office at Simply Bergaya, Inc. is closed and her iPhone is playing happy tunes as she buries herself in the task of reading the weekly reports from her staff. A clothing retailer like Simply Bergaya (the name comes from the Indonesian word for “stylish”) relies heavily on the information contained in such reports. As Operations Manager, Sareh’s job includes responsibility for overseeing, directly or indirectly, many aspects of Simply Bergaya’s daily activities, from initiating contracts with factories to approving new marketing campaigns to hiring management staff for the company’s 236 retail outlets across the U.S. and Canada. As the sole person managing this responsibility, Sareh needs a constant flow of reliable information from her team. Sareh [[picks up the next report....|2. A phone call]]

It's a big responsibility, one that Sareh takes seriously. But right now she takes a rare break from her reading to think about the weekend ahead of her. She has promised her spouse and kids that she'll "leave the work at work" this weekend, and that they will all spend the weekend together. They'll pile into the car and drive out to the lake and go swimming. The only thing that stands between Sareh and that much-needed break is another two hours of reading reports. And then, the phone rings. Sareh sighs, plucks out her ear buds and looks at the phone. The Call Display shows Daniel Yoon, Simply Bergaya's Purchasing Manager. What does Sareh do next? [[Continue reading reports.|2a. Continue reading]] [[Answer the phone.|3. A situation at the factory]]

Sareh continues reading. Whatever it is, [[Daniel can handle it|Daniel handle it]].

Daniel seems relieved that she had picks up. "Um, hi, Sareh" he says in a grim voice. "You'd better check the news online. There's been an accident -- an explosion. At one of our factories in Cambodia." Sareh knows Daniel is simplifying for brevity. Simply Bergaya doesn't have any factories. The company does have contracts with more than two dozen suppliers in southeast Asia including Cambodia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. The suppliers own the factories and employs local workers, mostly women, to sew the mid-priced, "fashion forward" clothes sold by Simply Bergaya. It's common for staff to refer to the factories as "our" factories, and to think of them that way. What does Sareh say to Daniel? [[Tells Daniel to handle it|3a. You Handle it Daniel]] [[Asks Daniel for a briefing on the explosion|4. Briefing]] [[Checks the news online|3b. early Twitter]] [[Gives Daniel a reality check|Correct Staff]]

Sareh is taken aback. “No way Mario. You can't lay this on me. Daniel was available and he should have been perfectly qualified to handle this.” Mario’s voice goes cold. “I’m sorry Sareh. That’s just unacceptable. If you can’t see how serious this is and step up to the plate, then there’s no place for you at Simply Bergaya. I’ll expect your resignation effective immediately.” Take a minute to think about how Sareh ended up here. Then you can [[end this scenario |end]] or [[Go back to the beginning |1. A quiet afternoon at the office]] to try a different path.

Sareh replies, "Daniel, we don't have any factories in Cambodia, or anywhere else. We have contracts with suppliers, and those suppliers run factories that are external to our operations. I need you to be really clear about this. Particularly right now. We do not own any factories. They are not 'our' factories." What does Sareh say next? [[Tells Daniel to handle it.|3a. You Handle it Daniel]] [[Asks Daniel for a briefing on the explostion|4. Briefing]] [[Checks the news online.|3b. early Twitter]]

Daniel seems surprised. “Me? I sort of thought this would be a senior-management kind of thing. I’ve never done this sort of thing before. I don’t know if I can.” Sareh persists: “You’re the one with the direct relationship with the factories there. You handle it.” Sareh goes back to reading her weekly reports. At 5pm, she packs up her laptop and stuffs a few printouts into her briefcase, and [[heads home|heads home]].

Sareh opens up a browser on her laptop and checked social media. So far, the only mentions of the explosion are from the Twitter accounts of a couple of labour activists in Phnom Penh, and a “Breaking News!” tweet from a Cambodian newspaper called Kohsantepheap Daily. The headline – “Factory Explosion in Phnom Penh” – is in English. But when Sareh clicks through to the story, it is entirely in Khmer, the official language of Cambodia. What does Sareh do next? [[Tell Daniel to handle it.|3a. You Handle it Daniel]] [[Ask Daniel for a briefing on the explostion|4. Briefing]]

Daniel briefs Sareh quickly. The factory is one of three located in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. It is owned and operated by a small family firm called Kosal. The Kosal factories have long been a source of anxiety for Sareh. Reports from local inspectors hired by Simply Bergaya have frequently indicated that factory managers have been cutting corners -- one time storing toxic chemicals in a lunchroom, another time failing to maintain fire extinguishers in proper working order, allowing garbage barrels to obstruct fire exits. These kinds of shortcuts aren't usually terribly dangerous, but Sareh has worried about them. On the other hand, the Kosal factories do very good work, always meeting deadlines and producing garments of higher than average quality. Whenever Simply Bergaya has asked the factory managers to fix some safety problem found by the third-party inspectors, they always complied -- at least mostly, eventually. What does Sareh do next? [[Look up past safety reports.|4.a Look up safety reports]] [[Do a background check on the inspectors.|4.b Check background on inspectors]] [[Hit refresh on the news.|Check news 2nd time]]

Sareh opens up a folder called “Safety – Phnom Penh”. Inside are folders labeled simply “Factory 1,” “Factory 2,” each with a street address and so on. Inside each sub-folder is a series of Safety Inspection documents going back several years. She opens the most recent reports for the factory that has just collapsed. All of them have the word “PASS” stamped at the top, though each of them lists a range of minor violations. Each violation is accompanied by the words “To Be Rectified Within 60 Days.” What does Sareh do next? [[Do a background check on the inspectors.|4.b Check background on inspectors]] [[Ask Daniel for more information.|5. The explosion]]

On her personal phone, Sareh calls her friend, Ying. Ying is a friend from Sareh’s university days, and works with an organization called “Workers Rights NOW.” Ying knows more than just about anybody about the quality of safety inspections in developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia. Sareh tells Ying the names of the consulting inspectors whose signatures are at the bottom of the safety inspections documents currently on her computer screen, the ones giving the now-collapsed factory a PASS. Ying hums. “Hmmm, those guys. Yeah, they’re OK I guess. Not the most careful and diligent outfit I can think of. But I think they basically play by the rules. I don’t see any obvious red flag there.” After saying goodbye, Sareh [[Hangs up and ask Daniel for more information.|5. The explosion]]

Something has gone very, very wrong at the factory. Authorities in Phnom Penh say they suspect that the factory managers have been storing flammable cleaning fluids near an aging electrical connection box, and that a spark has led to a fire. The fire had in turn spread to the fireworks factory next door, resulting in a massive explosion. Both buildings have collapsed. Twenty-three workers in the Kosal factory have died, and several dozen others have been injured. Daniel finishes his briefing. There is an uneasy pause. What does Sareh do next? [[Start checking flights.|5c. Decide on flights]] [[Tell Daniel he has to handle it.|3a. You Handle it Daniel]] [[Wait and see. |7. Wait and see]] [[Call the boss for advice.|Call the boss for advice]]

Sareh checks online, trying Google News. “Uh-oh,” she mutters to herself. She stares at a CNN headline: “Factory Collapse in Phnom Penh – Canadian/American Connection?” Things have just become a lot more urgent. [[Look up past safety reports.|4.a Look up safety reports]] [[Do a background check on the inspectors.|4.b Check background on inspectors]] [[Tell Daniel to handle it.|3a. You Handle it Daniel]] [[Ask Daniel for more information.|5. The explosion]]

Sareh checks online for flights to Phnom Penh. They aren’t cheap. And her travel budget for the year has technically already been used up. She has serious doubts about continuing to do business in Cambodia. The media will have questions about a Canadian company like hers sourcing garments in a poor country like Cambodia, where workers are paid comparatively low wages to make fashionable clothes for affluent North Americans. The images will be all over social media very, very soon. Maybe it would be easier for Simply Bergaya to do business elsewhere, rather than have to answer questions like this. This is not turning into the relaxing weekend Sareh had planned. What does Sareh do next? [[Book a flight.|6. Book a flight]] [[Wait and see how things develop.|7. Wait and see]]

Sareh calls her boss, Mario. It rings four times, and then goes to voicemail. “Hi, you’ve reached Mario D’souza. I’m out of the country right now, and will return to the office Monday morning. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when I return.” Sareh realizes she had forgotten about Mario’s trip to Spain. He never looks at his phone when he is overseas. She can’t rely on him for advice right now. What does Sareh do next? [[Start checking flights.|5c. Decide on flights]] [[Wait and see. |7. Wait and see]]

During the ride, the brothers let Sareh know what has happened, how they have cooperated with local officials, and how the collapse has affected the community, and their own reputation. They show Sareh copies of the same inspector reports that she saw in her office, with Daniel's e-mails printed out giving them positive reviews each quarter, after they passed their inspections. Sareh makes clear to the Kosal brothers that Simply Bergaya is unhappy. The company is upset not just because of the obvious loss of life, but because the whole situation is bound to be a smear on their otherwise good reputation. She points out to them that Simply Bergaya’s current contract with them is due to end shortly, and is up for renegotiation. “I don’t need to point out to you that we have other options. There are other factories. For that matter, there are other countries that would be glad to have those contracts.” Sareh and the Kosal brothers [[arrive at the hotel|9. Son Chin]]

When Sareh lands at Phnom Penh Airport she looks on her phone for an Uber. Before she can complete the car booking, she is met by the Kosal brothers, owners of the three Kosal factories. Sareh turns to the brothers and greets them by name, “Arun, Bora! What is going on here?" The brothers frantically explain that the explosion wasn't their fault. The fireworks factory next door was widely known to have a terrible track record in terms of safety. The owners of the fireworks factory are rumoured to have paid bribes, the brothers explained, to get failed safety inspection results changed. What does Sareh do next? [[Accuse the brothers of bribery.|Bribery accusation]] [[Ask the brothers what they have done to handle the problem so far.|Ask Kosal brothers for info]] [[Ignore them and get an Uber.|Uber]]

Sareh has decided to wait. She will wait, keep an eye on the her news feeds, and make a decision Monday morning about whether she actually needs to go to Phnom Penh herself. The weekend with the family is great. Really relaxing. It's so good getting to connect with her spouse and their daughter. She has been spending too much time at the office in recent weeks. The weekend passes quickly, of course, and Sareh has almost forgotten about the trouble in Cambodia. She has taken the rare step of turning off her phone, enjoying a "fully offline" weekend, confident in the knowledge that Daniel will have the Cambodian situation under control. Monday morning, Sareh arrives at the office, to find her boss, Mario D’sousa, sitting at Sareh’s own desk. “Oh, good, you’re here. Glad to see you’re back in the game. I know I can always count on you,” Mario says sarcastically. “I literally just landed, back in town after an overnight flight back from Madrid. I just found out about the explosion. I can’t believe you just disappeared over the weekend when there’s a crisis going on -- a crisis that could kill our company. Do you have any idea what the press are going to do to us if we don’t handle this right? You’ve shown incredibly bad judgment.” What does Sareh do next? [[Apologize and start looking at flights.|6c flights]] [[Explain that Daniel should have been able to handle it.|Apologize]]

Sareh scrolls through the online list of flights. Flights to Cambodia are not cheap, but she is pretty sure that -- given the circumstances -- Mario will have no trouble signing off on the cost. She books the flight, and calls home to tell her family that she will be flying to Cambodia immediately. It is crucial for her to find out exactly what has happened. [[Next....|8. Kosal Brothers]]

Sareh is fuming as she leaves the airport in the Uber, leaving the Kosal brothers behind. She spends the 25-minute ride from the airport to her hotel lost in thought. She replays in her mind the scene at the airport, and part of her wishes she had said, “I’m afraid this incident is the last straw. I don’t care whose fault you say it is. Simply Bergaya will no longer be doing business with any of your factories.” But all in all, she is glad she didn’t say that; she knows that Simply Bergaya can't get out of this mess that easily. Maybe this country -- doing business here -- is more trouble than it is worth. Sure, the labour is cheap, and the Kosal brothers’ workers do good work. But maybe it would make sense to find other options. Sareh [[checks in at the Hotel.|9. Son Chin]]

After saying goodbye to the Kosal brothers, Sareh settles into her hotel room. Shortly after Sareh finishes unpacking, the front desk calls and says she had a visitor. It is Son Chin, a local labour activist. Sareh heads down to the lobby and greets Chin. Chin is clearly angry about the explosion, and about the deaths. But Chin also has a surprising message for Sareh. "Things have got to get better for workers here! You are a good company. I know you care about workers' safety," says Chin. Sareh nods. "I do," she says. "We do!" "Just make me one promise," Chin adds. "Promise me you won't pull your business from Cambodia. Our workers need the work very badly, and the factories you have contracts with are better employers than most. Please don't take these jobs away." Sareh looks at Chin and thinks about what to say next. What does Sareh do next? Take a minute to think about it, and then [[end this scenario |end]] or [[go back to the beginning |1. A quiet afternoon at the office]] to try other paths.

"I'm sorry," says Sareh. "But I really thought Daniel could handle this." Mario is not impressed. "This is not a 'Daniel'-level issue. This is a major crisis, worthy of senior management attention. This is certainly worthy of your precious attention, Sareh!" What does Sareh do next? [[She continues to push back.|3a1. Push back.]] [[She tells Mario she'll be on the next flight to Phnom Penh.|6b flights]]

Sareh looks the Kosal brothers, one after the other, straight in the eye. Finally, she looked straight at Bora, the eldest brother. “Look guys, I know how business works here. I know how common bribery is. I want you to level with me: do you know that the inspectors take bribes because you’ve given them bribes too?” [[Kosal brothers are offended.|Kosal brothers offended]] [[Kosal brothers offer you a ride to your hotel and will explain in the car.|Kosal brothers offended]]

"I can't believe you're asking this," said Arun, the younger Kosal brother. We've worked with you for years, always in good faith." [[Apologize and ask for the brothers' perspective. |Ask Kosal brothers for info]] [[Stay angry, and head to your Uber. |Uber]]

"I don't need to hear excuses," says Sareh. I need facts. I'm going to find them myself." With that, Sareh heads off to meet her Uber driver, and takes the [[Uber to the hotel|8b. Uber alone]].

The scenario you've just experienced is based on real events. Sareh and "Simply Bergaya" are fictional, but the factory explosion in Phnom Pehn and the choices faced following it are loosely based on real events, especially the collapse of the Rana factory in Bangladesh in 2013. Cases like this one raise issues at several levels. What are the responsibilities of western companies for safety -- or working conditions more generally -- at contractor factories in foreign countries? Should western consumers hold Canadian companies responsible always, or only when those companies know about worrisome conditions? At a more personal level, should managers feel a responsibility to the workers employed by the companies they do business with, whether in at home or abroad? [[Go back to the beginning to try the scenario again |1. A quiet afternoon at the office]] or feel free to close your browser. © Copyright Choice Point Solutions, Inc.

On Saturday her work phone rings at 7am, waking her up. It's her boss, Mario D’souza. “Oh, good, you’re awake. I know I can always count on you,” Mario said sarcastically. “I just landed. Overnight flight back from Madrid. And I just found out about the explosion. I can’t believe you dumped responsibility for taking care of that situation on Daniel. There’s no way he’s equipped for this. You should have done it yourself. You’ve shown very bad judgment. I want you on a plane to Phnom Penh today. What does Sareh do next? [[Push back at Mario.|3a1. Push back.]] [[Agree and start checking for flights.|6b flights]]

The weekend is great -- really relaxing. It was so good getting to reconnect with her spouse and their daughter. She had been spending too much time at the office in recent weeks. The weekend passed quickly. She had even turned off her phone for the weekend, taking a rare "totally offline" break. She has been working too hard for too long. She deserves it. Monday morning, she arrives at the office to find Mario D’sousa, CEO of the company, sitting at Sareh's desk with his feet up, waiting for her. “Oh, good, you’re here. Glad to see you’re back in the game. I know I can always count on you,” Mario adds sarcastically. “I literally just landed, back in town after an overnight flight back from Madrid. I just found out about the explosion. I can’t believe you just disappeared over the weekend when there’s a crisis going on -- a crisis that could kill our company. Do you have any idea what the press are going to do to us if we don’t handle this right? You’ve shown incredibly bad judgment.” Sareh is stunned. "Explosion?" she asks. "What explosion?" Mario doesn't let up: "If you'd been on the job, you would know. There was an explosion at a factory in Cambodia. There were deaths, Sareh," he adds emphatically. What does Sareh say to Mario? [[Apologizes and say she'll get right up to speed.|Apologize]] [[Explains that Daniel should have been able to handle it.|3a1. Push back.]]

This is an interactive story. It is fiction, but based on real events. Because it is an interactive story, you will be asked to make choices, and the choices you make affect how the story unfolds. But this is a story, not a test. There are no right or wrong answers -- just choices that make the story unfold in different ways. At the end, you'll be given the chance to go back to the beginning, and to see how the story unfolds if you make different choices. Go ahead and click to [[start the story....|1. A quiet afternoon at the office]] © Copyright Choice Point Solutions, Inc.

After Mario leaves, Sareh sits down at her desk, and begins scrolling through the online list of flights. Flights to Cambodia are not cheap, but she is pretty sure that -- given the circumstances -- Mario will have no trouble signing off on the cost. She books the flight, and calls home to tell her family that she will be flying to Cambodia immediately. It is crucial for her to find out exactly what has happened. [[Next....|in flight briefing]]

During her flight to Cambodia, Sareh reads an email from Daniel Yoon, Simply Bergaya's Purchasing Manager, about the factory. The factory is one of three located in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. It is owned and operated by a small family firm called Kosal. The Kosal factories have long been a source of anxiety for Sareh. Reports from local inspectors hired by Simply Bergaya have frequently indicated that factory managers have been cutting corners -- one time storing toxic chemicals in a lunchroom, another time failing to maintain fire extinguishers in proper working order, allowing garbage barrels to obstruct fire exits. These kinds of shortcuts aren't usually terribly dangerous, but Sareh has worried about them. On the other hand, the Kosal factories do very good work, always meeting deadlines and producing garments of higher than average quality. Whenever Simply Bergaya has asked the factory managers to fix some safety problem found by the third-party inspectors, they always complied -- at least mostly, eventually. [[Next....|8. Kosal Brothers]]