Ancillo, A., Núñez, M., & Gavrila, S. (2020). Workplace change within the COVID-19 context: A grounded theory approach. Economic Research, 1(2), 1-20. Web.
The researchers’ main purpose is to explore the changes in the workplace that have been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. They hope to observe how companies have responded, including cultural changes and effects. Grounded theory methodology was used, which requires the use of data to create theories. A case study design has been used, whose main aim is to make case comparisons. The sample size and sampling techniques are not outlined because the study largely uses secondary data collected from published documents. However, surveys and interviews are used where primary data is needed. Regarding the corporate culture, the main finding was that companies have been forced to rethink their values and cultures as a response to the changing workplace. For example, new processes for a digital workplace have been developed, which include remote working.
Several themes have emerged in the study, including workflows and workplaces, as well as corporate culture. The researchers have also remarked on how the pandemic has exposed many weaknesses in companies, which have prompted immediate responses and adjustments. The main strength is the fact that the authors have clearly articulated the effects of Covid-19 o the pandemic. It can be argued that a major weakness is the limited empirical evidence. Future research can use primary data from real-life experiences of employees and companies.
Athar, H. (2020). The influence of organizational culture on organizational commitment post pandemic Covid-19. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 7(5), 148-157. Web.
The purpose of the study is to explore the changes caused by the pandemic on the relationship between organizational culture and organizational commitment. The authors hope to observe how the pandemic affected corporate culture and any influence it has on employees’ commitment. A quantitative approach seeking to examine causal relationships between variables was used in testing hypotheses. A case study design can be inferred from the fact that one organization has been the focus of the research. A probability sampling technique was used and a sample size of no less than 59 people was obtained. Data collection tools include questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. The man finding was that as a result of Covid-19, the culture of the company had a greater influence on organizational commitment. Further remarks include that a culture of responsiveness and skill also influences commitment.
The strengths of the research include that it successfully explores the influence of the pandemic on certain aspects of the corporate culture. However, it has a major weakness in that very small sample size was used, which would make it difficult to generalize across larger populations. Future research may focus on an empirical examination of large samples distributed across multiple organizations and countries. Additionally, more cultural components can be examined to offer the readers a clearer view of the real effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the corporate culture.
Bae, K., El Ghoul, S., Gong, Z., & Guedhami, O. (2021). Does CSR matter in times of crisis? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Corporate Finance, 67(3), 1-18. Web.
The purpose of this study is to explore how crises, including Covid-19, affect various components of the corporate culture. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is linked with corporate culture, which explains why this study is included in this research. The authors hope to observe how Covid-19 affects CSR, with corporate culture as a key determinant of the responses to the pandemic. A sample size of 1750 firms in the United States was used, and convenience sampling can be inferred from the procedures used. However, the research design and methodology are not clarified as the researchers only explain the processes they followed. The empirical findings indicate that firms with strong corporate cultures show resilience during pandemics.
The main themes emerging from the research include corporate culture, CSR, and stakeholder engagement. The strengths of the research include that it successfully shows the relationship between pandemics and certain elements of the corporate culture. Additionally, a large sample has been used, which makes generalizations easier. The main weakness is that the study does not directly address the topic of how Covid-19 affects corporate culture, which means that only inferences are possible. Assumptions are not outlines, and the limitations include that only one country has been targeted. For future research, a clear expression of the relationship between CSR as a component of corporate culture and Covid-19 should be made. In addition, the actual changes in corporate culture as a result of the pandemic could be outlined.
Biddlestone, M., Green, R., & Douglas, K. (2020). Cultural orientation, power, belief in conspiracy theories, and intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. British Journal of Social Psychology, 59, 663-673. Web.
The purpose of this study is to examine how corporate culture affects the intentions to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace. A quantitative research method and a correlational study design were used. The sample size was 724 people, and the targeted population included the users of social media (n=413), Reddit (n=311). After the exclusion criteria, 704 participants remained, which comprise 376 women, 306 men, 2 transgender, 10 would rather not say, and 10 non-binary. The sampling strategy is not highlighted, but questionnaires were used to collect data. The authors were hoping to discover the relationship between corporate culture and the intentions to reduce the spread of Covid-19. In other words, the research sought to show how cultures responded to the pandemic. The results indicated that individualistic and collectivist cultures responded differently, with the individualists showing lower intentions to engage in the prescribed practices. The researchers also highlighted other such cultural aspects as personal power and belief in conspiracy theories as key determinants of compliance.
The strengths of the study include that it manages to highlight how Covid-19 affected the cultural responses of organizations. Corporate cultures may not necessarily change during a crisis but they can influence how a firm reacts and responds. The main weakness is that the authors do not consider directly answering the question of how the pandemic affected the culture of organizations. Future research may consider how the collectivist and individualist cultures are affected by the pandemic.
Hu, S., & Zhang, Y. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic and firm performance: Cross-country evidence. International Review of Economics and Finance, 74, 365-372. Web.
The main purpose of this research is to explore how Covid-19 affects performance. The authors hope to observe how different cultures are influenced and respond to the pandemic. The research methods, sample size, and sampling strategy are not outlined. However, secondary data is collected on websites and quantitative empirical methods can be inferred. The main finding is that some cultures are inclined towards uncertainty avoidance or aversion. While the effects of the pandemic on the culture are observed in terms of the cultural responses, the researchers have successfully explained that Covid-19 influences various cultural aspects of a company.
Uncertainty aversion or avoidance cultures are among the main themes observed in the study. A key strength of the research is that it has expressed the effects of a pandemic on corporate culture. However, an assumption is made that the responses of different cultures reflect how the pandemic influenced them, which can be a major weakness. A limitation is that the research methods are not clearly outlined, which makes it difficult to discern the methods and designs used. However, a regression analysis has been stated as a key part of the research methodology. Future research should have a better focus on the potential changes in corporate culture as a result of the pandemic. The argument is that only inferences can be made from the current research regarding the corporate culture and the pandemic.
Ismael, G., & Sağsan, M. (2021). The mediation effects of organizational culture between knowledge management process and creative thinking: A case of COVID-19 healthcare workers in Northern Iraq. Argentine Journal of Psychological Clinic, 30(1), 658-667. Web.
The purpose of this study is to explore how corporate culture is affected by crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic. The researchers hope to discover whether the pandemic results in the organizational culture playing a mediating role between knowledge management and creative thinking. Qualitative analysis methods were used in the study, where a case study design focusing on healthcare workers in Northern Iran is deployed. A sample of 400 front line employees was used, which was obtained using a simple random sampling technique. The sample comprises 214 males and 186 female workers of different ages and years of experience. The data collection tools deployed were questionnaires and responses were measured using a Likert scale. The outcome of the study was the confirmation that the pandemic positively affected the corporate culture and helped it boost the relationship between knowledge management and creativity.
The key remarks from the authors were that knowledge management tends to change the perception towards certain experiences and that knowledge management positively affects organizational culture. Creativity, corporate culture, and knowledge management are the primary themes of the study. The key strength of the study is that it successful explores how the pandemic affected corporate cultures. The weakness was the small sample size and the use of only one country and three organizations makes it difficult to generalize the findings across all populations.
Kniffin, K., Narayanan, J., Anseel, F., Antonakis, J., Ashford, S., Bakker, A., Bamberger, P., Bapuji, H., Bhave, D., Choi, V., Creary, S., Demerouti, E., Flynn, F., Gelfand, M., Greer, L., Johns, G., Kesebir, S., Klein, P., Lee, S., Ozcelik, H.,… Vugt, M. (2021). (2021). COVID-19 and the workplace: Implications, issues, and insights for future research and action. American Psychologist, 76(1), 63-77. Web.
The main purpose of the research was to make sense of the basic questions raised by Covid-19, including those related to corporate culture and organizational performance. The researchers hoped to observe as many effects as possible of the pandemic on the workplace. The research methods and design, as well as sample size and sampling strategies, are not outlined. However, the research states that a diverse virtual team of researchers was gathered to answer the Covid-19 questions. Several results were obtained from the research, including several associated with corporate culture. The main observation was that, after a loose categorization of corporate culture and collectivist and individualist, many changes were observed regarding how members of a workplace reorganized themselves as a result of the pandemic. Most importantly, cultural flexibility was observed, which means that cultures can change and adapt in response to Covid-19.
The main strength of the research was the broad scope of issues covered, which helped answer many questions regarding Covid-19. Additionally, those issues surrounding the corporate culture were effectively articulated. The main weakness is the inability to decipher the research methods and designs. Additionally, the lack of empirical evidence may raise challenges with the validation of the arguments. A key limitation is the inability to apply the results for specific settings due to the broad scope. Therefore, future research should have a narrower focus, which uses empirical data.
Sapta, K., Muafi, M., & Setini, N. (2021). The role of technology, organizational culture, and job satisfaction in improving employee performance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(1), 495-505. Web.
The researchers’ main purpose is to explore how the Covid-19 affects the role of technology, organizational culture and job satisfaction on the performance of workers. The authors hope to discover all organizational changes caused by pandemic touching certain organizational aspects, including culture. Quantitative methods are used, including structural equation modelling. An exploratory design can be inferred from the description of the research procedure. A sample of 350 employees was used, where a non-random sampling is illustrated by the fact all respondents had to meet set criteria. The main data collection tool used was a questionnaire, which was administered using Google Forms. The main finding was that the three elements positively affected employee performance, with some doubts raised regarding the corporate culture.
The key themes in the research include corporate culture, job satisfaction, technology, employee performance. Additionally, the authors also remarked on employee motivation and its relationship with these variables. The main strength is that the research articulates the issues well, including their relationships in the face of the pandemic. However, the main weaknesses is that clear links with the pandemic are outlined despite the title and purpose of the study hinting that this should have been the case. A key limitation emerges in that the true effects of Covid-19 on the corporate culture of how the pandemic affects the role of corporate culture are not effectively understood. Therefore, future efforts should clarify these issues and bridge this research gap, especially regarding how corporate cultures are affected by Covid-19.
Spicer, A. (2020). Organizational Culture and COVID-19. Journal of Management Studies, 57(8), 1737-1740. Web.
The study’s main purpose is to explore the cultural changes caused by the onset of Covid-19. The researcher hopes to observe how corporate cultures are affected by the pandemic and the challenges managers face. The research is in the form of a literature review or a commentary on a subject, which means that research methods, sample sizes, and sampling strategies do not apply. Using evidence from previous studies, the authors find that several corporate practices comprising their culture have changed as a result of the pandemic. Examples include that water cooler charts have been replaced by zoom calls. Additionally, such values as exploration have been replaced by creativity as companies seek to respond and achieve resilience.
The main assumption that can be inferred from the paper is that the behavioral changes observed reflect broader cultural modifications, which is the first attempt at directly exploring the effects of Covid-19 on corporate culture. The main strength is that the paper successfully outlined how several cultural elements are affected, something which many studies have failed to do. However, a major weakness is that the arguments lack empirical evidence based on real-life data. Even so, it can be argued that many of the studies used to back the arguments are empirical and peer-reviewed, which should justify the position taken by the author. The main limitation the study offers simple explanations of the relationship between Covid-19 and corporate culture. For future research, empirical evidence will be desirable as it offers a better view of the research subject.
Tang, M., Hofreiter, S., Reiter-Palmon, R., Bai, X., & Murugavel, V. (2021). Creativity as a means to well-being in times of COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a cross-cultural study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-16. Web.
The purpose of this research was to examine how the Covid-19 affected the creative cultures within corporations. In other words, the scholars hoped to observe how creative cultures responded to the pandemic or were used as means of achieving wellbeing during the crisis. A quantitative research method using multivariate analysis was used. Additionally, the design adopted was a case study as evidenced by the use of China, Germany and the United States as the three cases for reference. A sample size of 1420 employees was used, which comprise 489 Chinese, 599 German, and 332 Americans. An experience sampling strategy was used, in addition to survey data collection tools, specifically questionnaires. The authors hoped to find out whether the pandemic triggers certain corporate cultures, including creativity. The multivariate analysis of the data confirmed that Covid-19 mobilized innate creative resources in both individualistic and collectivist cultures.
The major theme of the study was creativity and how it helped in responding to Covid-19. Additionally, the authors have commented on the cross-cultural nature of the research and its importance. The main strength was the ability to examine multiple basic corporate cultures and the inclusion of creativity as a key ingredient to these cultures. In other words, the study successfully shows how the pandemic affected corporate culture to make them more creative. The major weakness is that only three countries are used, which would make it difficult to generalize across all nations in the world.
References
Ancillo, A., Núñez, M., & Gavrila, S. (2020). Workplace change within the COVID-19 context: A grounded theory approach. Economic Research, 1(2), 1-20. Web.
Athar, H. (2020). The influence of organizational culture on organizational commitment post pandemic Covid-19. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 7(5), 148-157. Web.
Bae, K., El Ghoul, S., Gong, Z., & Guedhami, O. (2021). Does CSR matter in times of crisis? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Corporate Finance, 67(3), 1-18. Web.
Biddlestone, M., Green, R., & Douglas, K. (2020). Cultural orientation, power, belief in conspiracy theories, and intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. British Journal of Social Psychology, 59, 663-673. Web.
Hu, S., & Zhang, Y. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic and firm performance: Cross-country evidence. International Review of Economics and Finance, 74, 365-372. Web.
Ismael, G., & Sağsan, M. (2021). The mediation effects of organizational culture between knowledge management process and creative thinking: A case of COVID-19 healthcare workers in Northern Iraq. Argentine Journal of Psychological Clinic, 30(1), 658-667. Web.
Kniffin, K., Narayanan, J., Anseel, F., Antonakis, J., Ashford, S., Bakker, A., Bamberger, P., Bapuji, H., Bhave, D. P., Choi, V. K., Creary, S. J., Demerouti, E., Flynn, F. J., Gelfand, M. J., Greer, L. L., Johns, G., Kesebir, S., Klein, P. G., Lee, S. Y., Ozcelik, H.,… Vugt, M. v. (2021). (2021). COVID-19 and the workplace: Implications, issues, and insights for future research and action. American Psychologist, 76(1), 63-77. Web.
Sapta, K., Muafi, M., & Setini, N. (2021). The role of technology, organizational culture, and job satisfaction in improving employee performance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(1), 495-505. Web.
Spicer, A. (2020). Organizational Culture and COVID-19. Journal of Management Studies, 57(8), 1737-1740. Web.
Tang, M., Hofreiter, S., Reiter-Palmon, R., Bai, X., & Murugavel, V. (2021). Creativity as a means to well-being in times of COVID-19 pandemic: Results of a cross-cultural study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-16. Web.