Risk Management in a Pandemic Crisis at a Global Non Profit Health Care Organization

Abstract

This article categorizes the risks experienced and voiced by subject matter experts at a pandemic crises event which unfortunately claimed almost 800 lives before it could be controlled. The project was a case study design using multiple methods. Qualitative data was collected by interviewing 22 front-line multicultural crisis practitioners. The unit of analysis was the constructed meaning of the uncertainty and risk management processes experienced by the participants, while they were attempting to control the global pandemic crisis associated with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak during 2003. Several guiding constructs were researched from the literature review. NVIVO was used to analyze the interview transcripts to build a thematic model of constructed meanings. The result was a best-practice model constructed by the practitioners which they felt improved risk control during a significant global pandemic crisis event considering the lead mitigation agency was a nonprofit health care organization.