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On June 24, 1998, Edward Leonard, of Creston, BC, a diamond driller workin for Terramundo Drilling, was kidnapped by members of the Revolutionary Armed orces of Colombia (FARC) in northeastern Colombia. Leonard’s captors wanted to negotiate a deal for gold mining shares with Greystar Resources., a gold mini company from Vancouver and the owner of claims in Colombia’s Santander proy. ince for which Terramundo and Leonard were contracted to drill core samples Leonard’s boss, Terramundo’s Norbert Reinhart, wanted to purchase his emplov ee’s freedom by paying $100 000 to the FARC guerrillas. On October 6, 1998, in a meeting with the guerrillas, Reinhart and the ransom money were exchanged with Leonard. While Reinhart was hoping to walk away with Leonard after the money exchange, the FARC realized that Reinhart was the president of Terramundo and thought that in him they had an even better hostage. After 94 days of captivity and complex negotiations between the FARC, local contacts, and Canadian gov ernmental and company officials, Reinhart was released on January 8, 1999 The case shows the dangers of frontier mining (which has had a strong tradi tion in Canada) and illustrates some of the potential challenges for employees on international assignments. At the same time, the case has started a strong debate about the responsibilities of companies operating in industries and geographic regions dangerous to their employees, and the necessity for precau support structures protecting international assignees. (In the same year in which Reinhart was taken hostage, more than 2100 people were kidnapped in Colombia, including at least 43 foreigners.) Source: T. Fennell and S. Timmins, “Homecoming for a Hero,” Maclean’s (January 25, Vol.112, Issue 4, p.26-29, 1999). tious actions and QUESTIONS 1. Was it the right decision in the first place for Terramundo to operate 2. Did Reinhart do the right thing to get involved in the way described and 3. What can companies operating in industries such as the mining or oi 4. When sending your employees into remote and dangerous geograph in a region well known for being controlled by FARC guerrillas, and in which kidnapping was a very common way to fund FARC activities? help his employee? What were Reinhart’s alternatives and options? business do to protect their international assignees? What should be the role of the HRM function? regions, should all employees (i.e., both home- and host-country employees) get the same employment support and workplace safety an security support?Does reality reflect your response