Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2021

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, when the disease had spread to 114 countries, infecting more than 118,000 people and killing almost 4,300.1 As of mid-February 2021, over 109 million people worldwide had been infected with the virus and over 2.4 million people had died. COVID-19 is a pandemic of epic proportions that has changed the way we live, work, and do business.

This call for papers solicited manuscripts describing and analyzing the intersection of management, COVID-19, and the workplace. The goal was to create a special issue that would inform academics and practitioners and help them emerge from the pandemic with new and effective approaches. While most of us are familiar with the term, ‘the new normal’ that describes new ways of living and working because of the pandemic, McKinsey has coined a new term called the ‘next normal.’ The next normal relates to the next phase of the pandemic in which vaccines are distributed, businesses reopen, and companies gear up for a very different competitive environment.[1] According to McKinsey, resiliency is the key to keeping organizations on top of their game and in a position to compete effectively. Each of the papers in this special issue taps into aspects of resiliency or the ability or quality of something (e.g., people and organizations) to be knocked down by adversities and come back as strong as before, if not stronger.[2] Resiliency can advance management into and beyond the ‘next normal.’

[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/the-need-for-resiliency

[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/resilience

Comments

This is the authors’ submission. The version of record is available from the publisher. Copyright © 2021 Society for Advancement of Management. All rights reserved.

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