Social Shifts (Asynchronous Session)
Mental Health and Wellbeing @ Work: Another Dimension of the Pandemic View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Charu Hurria
The aim of this research paper is to explore the impact of the pandemic (COVID-19) on the mental health and wellbeing of employees in the organisations. COVID-19 has taken a physical toll on lives of people with millions killed or fallen sick across the world due to the ever evolving virus. The toll on the mental health of staff working in the organisations (or not working due to loss of employment) is becoming more apparent now. This paper will use primary and secondary sources to identify what is happening in terms of mental health of employees in the organisations. Have organisations been prepared to look at mental health issues besides the physical health? What are the strategies being implemented and can we do better to ensure psychological safety becomes the norm in the fabric of organisation culture along with the physical safety? Anticipated limitations of the paper include limited primary data available through open sources to analyse.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Minority Employees and the Implications of Identity Suppression in the Workplace View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Daniel Patterson
In the wake of Covid-19, organizations find that minority workers are hesitant about returning to the office where they regularly felt overlooked, excluded, and devalued. This response has raised troubling questions about workplace inclusivity for those who identify as different. What has not been adequately addressed, is a deeper understanding of the minority experience in the workplace and why organizations have failed to respond to the needs of underrepresented employees. Using an original dataset with employees across five countries (n=2,969), this study explores minority perceptions of the employee experience, both prior to and since the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the impact these perceptions have on their desire to return to the office. While we are working with a convenience sample and are mindful not to overly generalize, findings suggest that an overwhelming percentage of minority employees work in an environment where potential bias and discrimination compels them to adopt coping strategies that suppress aspects of ethnic identity to optimize the comfort of others in exchange for fair treatment and opportunity. In this space, authenticity is a privilege enjoyed only by those of a particular color, gender, culture, or class. Employees who express their diversity are more likely to experience microaggressions, suffer from burnout, and feel a decreased commitment to the company. For organizations to successfully foster an inclusive culture, retain a diverse workforce, and advance innovation, they must actively advance inclusion programs that move beyond compliance and “assimilation” and ensure all voices are heard, valued, and respected.
Going it Alone: Primary Caregivers and the Consequences of Support Loss in the Transition to Remote Work View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nathaniel Young
The transition to remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic placed an inordinate burden on working primary caregivers. Outside institutional support (daycare services, school, in-home health care) quickly vanished, and employer support often failed to adapt to caregivers’ distinct needs. We find that these new burdens prompted primary caregivers to reexamine their roles at home and work and, consequently, their careers. Our research was guided by three central questions: 1) How did the transition to remote work influence primary caregivers’ perceptions of career advancement? 2) How did primary caregivers navigate this sudden change, and what job-related compromises did they make? 3) To what extent did this experience compel them to remain in or exit the workforce? For this exploratory study, we conducted semistructured interviews with 20 primary caregivers who were working onsite, full time in March 2020, and who subsequently transitioned to fully remote work. Five key themes emerged: 1) persistent stress due to the combined pressures of full-time work and caregiving, 2) hesitancy to take on new projects or professional development goals, 3) perceptions that promotional opportunities had been lost or pushed farther out, 4) enhanced connection with family members, and 5) a reexamination of career plans. It is imperative that researchers, practitioners, and organizations understand and attend to primary caregivers’ recent experience, as it portends a significant withdrawal from the labor market, potentially reversing pre-pandemic trends toward greater gender equity. This research raises crucial questions concerning post-pandemic career opportunities and the downstream socioeconomic effects of a reduced workforce.
Fostering Servant Employee Behaviors to Offer Superior Service in Hospitality View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Araceli Rojo Gallego-Burín, Marisel Fernández Giordano, Marta Riquelme Medina, Irene Huertas Valdivia
This study investigates the influence of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) on expression of servant leadership style in hotel settings. More specifically, it examines how this can generate positive outcomes in work engagement and extra-role behavior in a sample of Spanish hospitality workers. The study’s main purpose is to identify key organizational factors that induce positive employee outcomes in hospitality. Structural equation modelling with Amos was conducted to validate a sequential mediation model with two mediators. The results demonstrate that HPWSs create a propitious environment for managers’ servant leadership and its positive effects on work engagement. The findings highlight the important role work engagement plays in encouraging employees’ extra-role behavior. HR architecture and the manager’s participatory orientation do not suffice to motivate employees to go the extra mile; it seems essential first to influence the psychological experience of work by nurturing work engagement. Theoretical contributions and implications for hospitality are highlighted.
