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Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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A special issue of Challenges (ISSN 2078-1547). This special issue belongs to the section "Trends".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2022) | Viewed by 74081

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Satu Kalliola

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Kalevantie 4, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Interests: development of work organizations; issues of labor policy; action research; learning at work
Satu Kalliola (DrSocSc, social psychology) is Professor Emerita in Social Policy at Tampere University. She has studied the development of municipal work organizations in Action Research projects since the early 1990s and expanded her research towards evaluation research and learning at work. Her other research interests include human resource management, labor-management cooperation and the role of trade unions in the issues of working life development. Her publications include “Dialogue in working life research and development in Finland” (Eds. Jarmo Lehtonen and Satu Kalliola, Peter Lang) and “Evaluation as a tool for research, learning and making things better” (Ed. Satu Kalliola, Cambridge Scholars Publishing).

Dr. Tuula Heiskanen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Kalevantie 4, 33014 Tampere, Finland
Interests: work psychology; work sociology; learning at work; gender issues at work
Tuula Heiskanen, PhD (psychology) is Docent at Tampere University. Her research experience relates to studies in public and private organizations from the perspectives of work psychology and -sociology. The subjects of her studies deal with effects of technology, issues of learning, gender at work, commitment and practices of knowledge in work organizations. Her publications include "Gendered practices in working life" (Eds. Liisa Rantalaiho and Tuula Heiskanen, MacMillan) and "Information society and the workplace" (Eds. Tuula Heiskanen & Jeff Hearn, Routledge).

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues for a second consecutive year, a number of prevention measures are in place to secure lives and health. Although the rollout of vaccines is still underway, societies still need restrictions to reduce contact between people (lockdowns, social distancing, limitations on gatherings, etc.), which are in conflict with the economy. Alongside various compensation and support schemes to aid business costs, both work organizations and employees have striven to change their operations to meet the challenges put forward by the pressure of simultaneous health and economic issues. For the present and future recovery actions, it is important to find out what type of initiatives have been made this far and how they are working. This Special Issue aims to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the changes in the domains of work and employment as a basis for further research and new practices, which will potentially be relevant also in the long run after the acute crisis.

Original research articles, communications, comprehensive reviews and any other types of submissions relating to the theme of the Special Issue, are welcomed. The topics of the researches may cover but are not limited to the impact of COVID-19 prevention measures on:

Job security and employment status;
Working hours at the workplace and working from home (teleworking);
Quality of working life, including national- and workplace-level employment relations, workplace culture, leadership, management and supervision styles, trust and control, gender-based work practices, etc.;
Reconciliation of work and family;
Professional work practices traditionally characterized by close contacts with clients or students (social work, teaching and education, learning of vocational skills);
Workplace development and workplace learning.

The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). For all submissions to this Special Issue before the deadline (15 March 2022), the APC will be waived after acceptance.

Prof. Dr. Satu Kalliola
Dr. Tuula Heiskanen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Challenges is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

impact of preventive measures against pandemic in working life
simultaneous pressures of health security and economy
means of adaptation and new modes of operation in work organizations amidst the pandemic
working life initiatives focusing beyond the acute crisis

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 174 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Satu Kalliola and Tuula Heiskanen

Challenges 2022, 13(2), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13020059 - 14 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3460

Abstract

Since 2019, we have been living and working in close connection with the threat of an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experiences of Relatedness during Enforced Remote Work among Employees in Higher Education

by Annukka Tapani, Merja Sinkkonen, Kirsi Sjöblom, Katrien Vangrieken and Anne Mäkikangas

Challenges 2022, 13(2), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13020055 - 26 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3970

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate experiences of relatedness among higher education staff during enforced remote work caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Experiences were investigated both at the earliest stages of enforced remote work (April 2020) and in November/December 2021. Remote work experiences were analysed through the lens of Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, especially through the concept of relatedness. Within this framework, relatedness is described as one of three basic psychological needs affecting health, well-being, and productivity. The main research focus includes ascertaining which factors affect experiences of relatedness among employees in higher education at work at the beginning of enforced remote work and at the end of it. The study uses qualitative data collected from Finnish university employees, analysed using theory-driven content analysis. The analysis of the two datasets enabled us to identify three categories of relatedness: (1) interaction among co-workers, (2) feelings of care and (3) experiences of connectedness. The results showed that the experience of relatedness was severely challenged during the enforced work period. In the future, the need for relatedness needs to be addressed more deliberately in multi-locational work conditions because remote work is especially affecting the experiences of relatedness. Positive experiences of relatedness can be achieved even in remote work conditions with deliberate and thought-out actions, for example by developing good remote interaction practices within the team and remote leadership practices that convey care for the employees. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

14 pages, 599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Status of Women Engineers in Education and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Seema Singh

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010027 - 15 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3276

Abstract

Engineering is traditionally considered a male domain with lower female participation despite various affirmative actions taken in recent decades. There is evidence of greater gender equality as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and precautionary lockdown measures. With this in mind, this paper investigates whether women engineers in India were more adversely affected than their male counterparts by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such an impact may be explained by ‘intersectional stigma’, expanded upon in the literature on discrimination. The impact of such stigma varies in different countries based on socio-cultural factors. Through the use of ethnographic and statistical research methods on secondary and primary data from a sample of 384 engineers, this paper shows that the impact of COVID-19 is not significantly different between genders in engineering education and employment. This may be due to the high demand for digital engineering skills, and strong family support in Indian society. Engineering branch may play a relatively more important role than gender in terms of impact. This finding has repercussions for continuing engineering education (CEE) programs and regulatory bodies in India in terms of enhancing course content and the results may be used in developing affirmative programs in other regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

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18 pages, 1602 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experiences of Academics Working from Home during COVID-19: A Qualitative View from Selected South African Universities

by Chux Gervase Iwu, Obianuju E. Okeke-Uzodike, Emem Anwana, Charmaine Helena Iwu and Emmanuel Ekale Esambe

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010016 - 16 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 8218

Abstract

The continuing crisis caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has raised significant challenges for the higher education community globally. In South Africa, the government-forced lockdown measures and social distancing containment policy changed working arrangements across sectors and organisations. As a result, academics were forced to work from home (WFH), a task for which they were hardly prepared. Several researchers have engaged the WFH situation of academics to understand the relationship between WFH and productivity. As far as we know, very few studies have tried to describe academics’ WFH experiences in relation to the challenges, including determining possible ways of improving their satisfaction with working from home. We examine in this article the experiences of academics working from home across selected universities in South Africa. Using a qualitative approach and applying Atlas.ti for data analysis, our findings show that working from home in academia is a daunting task requiring extensive organisational, personal, and social adjustments. The population comprised all academics irrespective of any demographic or personality characteristic within the management faculty of the participating universities to secure the anonymity of the respondents. Five themes—inability to adapt, lack of a home office, loneliness and isolation, inability to balance family and work, and improving satisfaction with work from home—were identified as significant variables from the participants’ responses. Our analysis suggests that organisations need to customise approaches to engage with the experiences of academics who work from home during COVID-19 and to develop fit-for-purpose support for these academics. The study contributes to the growing research exploring the relationship between COVID-19 lockdown and work in higher education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

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16 pages, 1252 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Importance of Self-Leadership Strategies and Psychological Safety for Well-Being in the Context of Enforced Remote Work

by Kirsi Sjöblom, Soile Juutinen and Anne Mäkikangas

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010014 - 4 Apr 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 12421

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between self-leadership strategies and occupational well-being and whether psychological safety has moderated these relationships in the context of enforced remote work caused by COVID-19. Altogether, 2493 higher education employees, most of whom were working entirely remotely due to the pandemic, responded to an electronic survey in May 2021. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted as the main method of analysis. The results showed that goal-oriented and well-being-related self-leadership strategies as well as psychological safety were positively related to meaningfulness of work and negatively to job burnout. Psychological safety moderated the relation between goal-oriented self-leadership strategies and meaningfulness of work. The study presents much-needed novel knowledge about self-leadership and psychological safety in the context of remote work and sheds light on the interrelatedness between self-leadership strategies, psychological safety, and occupational well-being. It presents a novel category of well-being-related self-leadership strategies and contributes to the measurement of both self-leadership and psychological safety. In order to both enable sufficient well-being and facilitate flourishing at work, it is imperative to support employees in learning and applying diverse self-leadership strategies as well as ensure psychological safety at workplace, especially in post-pandemic multi-locational work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

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13 pages, 242 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Worker Agency versus Wellbeing in the Enforced Work-From-Home Arrangement during COVID-19: A Labour Process Analysis

by Sheldon M. Bromfield

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010011 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3972

Abstract

This article offers a theorization based on selected literature focused on problematizing the work-from-home phenomenon. It incorporates labour process theory and the work-from-home literature to dissect the impact of enforced working from home procedures during COVID-19. The article presents the advantages to working from home from the existing work-from-home literature and draws on labour process theory to challenge these advantages. The disadvantages discussed in this article include constant availability, enhanced productivity with unpaid labour, loss of worker subjectivity, identity conflicts, and extracting productivity while downloading costs of production to workers. While the advantages include enhanced autonomy, reduction in unproductive time and increased affordances in participation, empowerment and worker agency, the article weighs the potential, parallel impacts of worker control and reduction in personal wellbeing. Although it seems that the work-from-home arrangement is, predominantly, here to stay, I argue that workers consent to their demise, as the dark side of enforced work-from-home arrangements detract from the benefits of in-person social relations of work and learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

20 pages, 338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by Johanna Lilja, Silje Fladmark, Sanna Nuutinen, Laura Bordi, Riitta-Liisa Larjovuori, Siw Tone Innstrand, Marit Christensen and Kirsi Heikkilä-Tammi

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010010 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5620

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how COVID-19-related job demands and resources have been associated with employee well-being in Nordic countries across specific occupational groups. The study investigated four occupational groups: (1) professional, scientific, and technical occupations in Norway (n = 301); (2) teachers in Finland (n = 315); (3) health and social service occupations in Norway (n = 267); and (4) geriatric nurses in Finland (n = 105). Hypotheses were tested using two-step hierarchical regression analysis. Work–home imbalance in Groups 1, 2, and 3, workload increase in Groups 1 and 3, and fear of infection in Groups 2 and 3 were positively related with exhaustion. A positive attitude towards digital solutions was positively related to work engagement in Groups 2 and 3. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between COVID-19-related organizational support and work engagement in Groups 2, 3, and 4, and a negative relationship with exhaustion in Group 2. In conclusion, pandemic-related job demands and resources were differently associated with employee well-being across different occupational groups and countries. Further, organizational support may act as a supportive element for sustaining employee well-being during pandemics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

13 pages, 264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silenced Coffee Rooms—The Changes in Social Capital within Social Workers’ Work Communities during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Sanna Saraniemi, Timo Harrikari, Vera Fiorentino, Marjo Romakkaniemi and Laura Tiitinen

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010008 - 1 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4372

Abstract

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing restrictive measures to combat infections led to a significant change in working life and social work within working communities. Workers had to switch to telecommuting quickly, which also affected the interactions between co-workers. In this research, we examined Finnish social workers’ experiences of their work communities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored (1) how the restrictive measures affected social workers’ work communities and (2) what types of factors promoted and challenged the cohesion of social networks and mutual trust between colleagues. The conceptual framework was based on social capital theory, in which social relations are seen as a resource of a community. The data utilised in the study were social workers’ diaries (n = 33) written from mid-March until the end of May 2020. The data were analysed by a qualitative content analysis. The results highlight how the multilocation of work, fear of viral infection and varying attitudes towards the viral outbreak affected the interactions between colleagues in the early stages of the pandemic, increasing tensions and feelings of social distance between co-workers. The common professional value and knowledge base of social work, as well as remote work practices developed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, supported interactions between colleagues. Although remote interaction options were developed, they could not, however, fully replace the advantages of face-to-face interactions and everyday informal encounters between colleagues, the importance of which is essential for developing and maintaining the social capital of work communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

13 pages, 227 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Professionals’ Views on Challenges in Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment during COVID-19 Pandemic in Finland

by Eeva Ekqvist, Tuija Karsimus, Arja Ruisniemi and Katja Kuusisto

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010006 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3812

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 (an acute respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus) has had harmful effects on people in need of special support. People with problematic substance use are recognized as such a group. The pandemic has raised the need for sufficient treatment and services during these unpredictable conditions. At the same time, it poses severe challenges to their production and provision. The purpose of the study was to use content analysis to qualitatively examine Finnish professionals’ (N = 22) views on (1) the challenges posed by COVID-19 in working in inpatient substance abuse treatment, (2) how these challenges have been addressed, and (3) what the consequences of the challenges and the solutions to them are. The findings confirmed that COVID-19 has caused drastic changes in the organization of treatment and daily practices. Professionals experience challenges in preventing infection from spreading into and within treatment units. They also describe difficulties in applying social distancing in treatment that is based on therapeutic communities. The pandemic has also challenged communication and co-worker support among professionals. These challenges have led to practical solutions that, in turn, have their own consequences for treatment practices. We conclude that the quality of treatment has to some extent been impaired because of the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

16 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Time, Space and Agency in the Finnish Cultural Sector at the Time of COVID-19

by Arja Haapakorpi, Minna Leinonen and Katri Otonkorpi-Lehtoranta

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010004 - 31 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3145

Abstract

The organization of working times and workplaces has typically been diverse and hybrid for people working in culture. Work is characterized by precarious conditions such as short-term contracts and seasonal employment. The impact of COVID-19 has shown the vulnerability and uniqueness of the employment conditions in this sector. We collected personal written texts from people working in the cultural sector in spring 2020, when in Finland the first wave of COVID-19 was subsiding and nobody knew when the next wave would come. We analyzed the ways cultural workers constructed agency on temporal and relational dimensions as regards work and non-work. The content analytic approach highlighted two main types of situational agencies, the normative employment agency and the precarious work agency, both of which were shaped by the uncertain conditions of the cultural sector. Due to the differing employment conditions, both intensification of work and small agency were present in work of the cultural sector and posed challenges to the management of time and the future. However, the terms and conditions for agency construction varied, even under similar circumstances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

24 pages, 4949 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remote and Technology-Based Dialogic Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Positive and Negative Experiences, Challenges, and Learnings

by Sirpa Syvänen and Kaija Loppela

Challenges 2022, 13(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010002 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5389

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the challenges, learning experiences, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in a social, healthcare, and special education development project financed by the European Social Fund. The theoretical framework of the project relied on the theories of dialogic development and leadership. The method was participatory action research using data collected from various assessments and a questionnaire. Reports of neutral, negative, and positive experiences among two participant groups of the project—the implementers and pilot organizations—in remote work, devices and applications, and remote and technology-based development processes, were recorded. Both participant groups reported increased pressure at work, social isolation, professional loneliness, and improved work control and efficiency. The pilots have learned the development method, and development has been able to continue by utilizing technology despite the pandemic. Development through technology was more difficult, and new dialogic interaction tools have been created. The project was most effective with regard to leadership, teams, renewal, and information flow. There is a need for wide-ranging dialogues with various working life actors when outlining the ways in which future work will be carried out and to reflect on how remote work, technology, and digitalization affect well-being at work, social relations, and leadership. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in Work and Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic)

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