The Black Swan of the Coronavirus and How American Organizations Have Adapted to the New World of Remote Work



Abstract Views
1218

Downloads
994

Citations

Share

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##

Submitted Nov 16, 2021
Published Jan 6, 2022
10.24018/ejbmr.2022.7.1.1170

Abstract viewed = 1218 times

Table of Contents

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

This article presents a look at how leading-edge American companies have adapted to the very changing nature of work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article begins with an examination of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on all of us, placing the pandemic in historical context as a “Black Swan”-level disruptive, historical event. Drawing upon current research, the author examines how the pandemic induced a shift to remote work for many workers, not just in the U.S., but globally, and how that impacted both employees and organizations. Next, the findings of an examination of how major U.S. companies, across many industries, have shifted permanently to offering their employees either full or partial-time remote work options are presented. Based on this research, the author discusses how this change has - and will continue - to impact organizations into the future. The article concludes with a look at the road ahead, as management of all organizations adapts to a very new world of work and a new operating model. To assist and inform managers of how to best make this transition, the author presents an 8-step action plan for implementing remote work into organizations today.

Keywords: Careers, COVID-19, Internet, Management, Organizations, Remote Work, Technology, Work

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Akhtar, A. (2020, October 13). Dropbox will let all employees work from home permanently as it turns its offices into WeWork-like “collaborative spaces.” Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/dropbox-letting-all-employees-work-from-home-permanently-2020-10.
     Google Scholar
  2. Ardill, L. (2020, October 28). Reddit tells employees to work from anywhere in future. Silicon Republic.
     Google Scholar
  3. https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/reddit-employees-work-anywhere.
     Google Scholar
  4. Avishai, B. (2020, April 21). The pandemic isn’t a Black Swan but a portent of a more fragile global system. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-pandemic-isnt-a-black-swan-but-a-portent-of-a-more-fragile-global-system.
     Google Scholar
  5. Bernhard, A. (2020, April 30). COVID-19: What we can learn from wartime efforts. BBC.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200430-covid-19-what-we-can-learn-from-wartime-efforts.
     Google Scholar
  6. Berzon, A., Ramachandran, S. & Jones, C. (2021, March 4). OSHA’s job is workplace safety. In the COVID-19 pandemic, it often struggled. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/oshas-job-is-workplace-safety-in-the-covid-19-pandemic-it-often-struggled-11614875112.
     Google Scholar
  7. Birkinshaw, J., Cohen, J., & Stach, P. (2020, May 26). Research: Knowledge workers are more productive from home. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/08/research-knowledge-workers-are-more-productive-from-home.
     Google Scholar
  8. Booth, W., Adam, K., & Rolfe, P. (2020, March 26). In fight against coronavirus, the world gives medical heroes a standing ovation. The Washington Post.
     Google Scholar
  9. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/clap-for-carers/2020/03/26/3d05eb9c-6f66-11ea-a156-0048b62cdb51_story.html.
     Google Scholar
  10. Burke, K. (2020, August 19). The future of work at HubSpot: How we're building a hybrid company. Hubspot Careers Blog. https://www.hubspot.com/careers-blog/future-of-work-hybrid.
     Google Scholar
  11. Cerullo, M. (2021, April 16). Will employees ever safely return to the office after COVID-19? CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-return-to-work-safely-after-pandemic/.
     Google Scholar
  12. Chamings, A. (2021, May 6). Coinbase to Close San Francisco offices for good, will have no headquarters. SFGATE. https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/2021-05-coinbase-san-francisco-office-closure-tech-16157042.php.
     Google Scholar
  13. Clabaugh, J. (2021, June 29). Capital One becomes a hybrid work company. WTOP News. https://wtop.com/business-finance/2021/06/capital-one-becomes-a-hybrid-work-company/.
     Google Scholar
  14. DeVaney, J., Shimshon, G., Rascoff, M. & Maggioncalda, J. (2020, May 5). Higher ed needs a long-term plan for virtual learning. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/05/higher-ed-needs-a-long-term-plan-for-virtual-learning.
     Google Scholar
  15. Doherty, T. (2020, August 14). Health providers' scramble for staff and supplies reveals sharp disparities. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/14/coronavirus-health-care-supplies-disparities-395105.
     Google Scholar
  16. Dwoskin, E. (2020, October 1). Americans might never come back to the office, and Twitter is leading the charge. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/10/01/twitter-work-from-home/.
     Google Scholar
  17. Flessner, D. (2020, August 26). Chattanooga's U.S. Xpress may leave half of headquarters staff working from home. Chattanooga Times Free Press. https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2020/aug/26/us-xpress-may-leave-half-headquarters-staff-home/530858/.
     Google Scholar
  18. Forbes, A. W. (2021, January). COVID-19 in historical context: Creating a practical past. HEC Forum, 33(1-2): 7-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-021-09443-x.
     Google Scholar
  19. French, L. (2021, March 3). Out of office: The global shift towards remote working. World Finance. https://www.worldfinance.com/strategy/out-of-office-the-global-shift-towards-remote-working.
     Google Scholar
  20. Goodison, D. (2021, May 5). Google unveils more flexible remote work policy: The technology giant expects 20 percent of employees will work from home under the new hybrid work model. CRN. https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/google-unveils-more-flexible-remote-work-policy.
     Google Scholar
  21. Gould, E., & Kassa, M. (2020, October 14). Report: Young workers hit hard by the COVID-19 economy. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/young-workers-covid-recession/.
     Google Scholar
  22. Grzelewski, J. (2021, August 25). As pandemic iingers, Ford again delays return to office, adds new remote work option. The Detroit News. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2021/08/25/ford-again-delays-return-office-adds-new-short-term-remote-option/5578371001/.
     Google Scholar
  23. Haag, M. (2020, May 12). Manhattan faces a reckoning if working from home becomes the norm. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/12/nyregion/coronavirus-work-from-home.html.
     Google Scholar
  24. Hansen, K. (2020, May 14). Confronting the challenges of working at home. BioSpace. https://www.biospace.com/article/confronting-the-challenges-of-working-at-home/.
     Google Scholar
  25. Hartmans, A. (2021, February 9). Salesforce says “The 9-to-5 workday is Dead” and will provide 3 new ways for employees to work - including the possibility of working from home forever. Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-employees-can-work-from-home-permanently-2021-2.
     Google Scholar
  26. Haworth, D. (2021, June 10). Friday essay: A rare bird - How Europeans got the Black Swan so wrong. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-a-rare-bird-how-europeans-got-the-black-swan-so-wrong-161654.
     Google Scholar
  27. Herold, B. (2020, March 27). The scramble to move America’s schools online. EducationWeek. https://www.edweek.org/technology/the-scramble-to-move-americas-schools-online/2020/03.
     Google Scholar
  28. Hyder, B. (2021, February 9). Creating a best workplace from anywhere, for everyone. Salesforce Blog.
     Google Scholar
  29. https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/creating-a-best-workplace-from-anywhere/.
     Google Scholar
  30. Investopedia (2021, July 18). Black Swan definition. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blackswan.asp.
     Google Scholar
  31. Jaffe-Hoffman, M. (2021, August 17). Variants vs. vaccines - Is the COVID-19 race ever going to end?: How come, if there are such good vaccines, has the pandemic not ended? The Jerusalem Post. https://www.jpost.com/health-science/variants-vs-vaccines-is-the-covid-19-race-ever-going-to-end-analysis-676982.
     Google Scholar
  32. Jamali, L. (2020, July 10). Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo on his company's shift to “Remote-First.” KQED. https://www.kqed.org/news/11828168/quora-ceo-adam-dangelo-on-his-companys-shift-to-remote-first.
     Google Scholar
  33. Knoll, C. (2020, March 13). Panicked shoppers empty shelves as coronavirus anxiety rises. The New York Times.
     Google Scholar
  34. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/nyregion/coronavirus-panic-buying.html.
     Google Scholar
  35. Kumar, K. (2021, August 6). Target tells HQ employees they can work from home for rest of year. Minneapolis Star-Tribune. https://www.startribune.com/target-tells-hq-employees-they-can-work-from-home-for-rest-of-year/600085570/.
     Google Scholar
  36. Lamb, A. (2021, June 22). Is allowing staff to work from home the new key to retention? Blue Signal. https://bluesignal.com/2021/06/22/work-from-home-key-to-retention/.
     Google Scholar
  37. Lang, R. (2020, December 16). Seeing 20/20 in 2021: Envisioning the future of work. VMware Blog. https://news.vmware.com/dei/envisioning-future-of-work.
     Google Scholar
  38. Le Phan, L. (2021, March 24). Is remote working more productive?: New findings give us an answer. Ladders. https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/is-remote-working-more-productive-new-findings-give-us-an-answer.
     Google Scholar
  39. Levanon, G. (2020, November 23). Remote work: The biggest legacy of Covid-19. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/gadlevanon/2020/11/23/remote-work-the-biggest-legacy-of-covid-19/?sh=cd3cc57f590d.
     Google Scholar
  40. Long, K.A., Groover, H., & Roberts, P. (2021, June 10). Amazon shifts return-to-office stance, says remote work is OK 2 days a week. The Seattle Times.
     Google Scholar
  41. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon/amazon-says-workers-wont-need-to-spend-all-week-in-the-office/.
     Google Scholar
  42. Lustenberger, M. (2020, May 20). The corona pandemic: A White Swan, Not a Black Swan. LGT.com. https://www.lgt.com/en/magnet/investment-strategies/the-corona-pandemic-a-white-swan-not-a-black-swan/#button2.
     Google Scholar
  43. McCabe, S. (2021, October 4). PwC launches full-time remote work policy for U.S. staff members. Accounting Today. https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pwc-launches-full-time-remote-work-policy-for-u-s-staff-members.
     Google Scholar
  44. Millward, W. T. (2021, August 31). Google extends work-from-home into 2022 as COVID-19 cases rise. CRN. https://www.crn.com/news/cloud/google-extends-work-from-home-into-2022-as-covid-19-cases-rise.
     Google Scholar
  45. Morgan, K. (2021, July 1). The Great Resignation: How employers drove workers to quit. BBC.com.
     Google Scholar
  46. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit.
     Google Scholar
  47. Morse, J. (2020, June 12). Slack finally realized that Slack makes permanent remote work possible. Mashable. https://mashable.com/article/slack-remote-work-permanent-coronavirus.
     Google Scholar
  48. Pedersen, C.L., & Ritter, T. (2020, April 10). Preparing your business for a post-pandemic world. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/04/preparing-your-business-for-a-post-pandemic-world.
     Google Scholar
  49. Pishevar, S. (2021, October 5). Revolution of remotes. Medium. https://shervin.medium.com/revolution-of-remotes-d8ab1dad5ffa.
     Google Scholar
  50. Porterfield, C. (2021, June 9). Facebook will allow nearly all employees to work remotely post-pandemic. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/06/09/facebook-will-allow-nearly-all-employees-to-work-remotely-post-pandemic/?sh=2b1ce9ed26a7.
     Google Scholar
  51. Robuck, M. (2020, September 4). Verizon takes Covid WFH lessons into next stage of hiring 950 new employees. Fierce Telecom. https://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/verizon-takes-covid-wfh-home-lessons-into-next-stage-hiring-950-new-employees.
     Google Scholar
  52. Quach, K. (2021, September 9). “This is the new normal,'” Microsoft tells US workers: Work from home until further notice. The Register. https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/09/microsoft_covid_lockdown/.
     Google Scholar
  53. Schellekens, P., & Sourrouille, D. (2020, May 5). The unreal dichotomy in COVID-19 mortality between high-income and developing countries. Brookings.
     Google Scholar
  54. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2020/05/05/the-unreal-dichotomy-in-covid-19-mortality-between-high-income-and-developing-countries/.
     Google Scholar
  55. Schlosser, K. (2020, July 29). Zillow to allow 90% of employees to work from home indefinitely as pandemic ‘debunks’ old ways. GeekWire. https://www.geekwire.com/2020/zillow-allow-90-employees-work-home-indefinitely-pandemic-debunks-old-ways/.
     Google Scholar
  56. Smith, R. (2020, April 30). Nationwide announces permanent shift to work-from-home. Insurance Business.
     Google Scholar
  57. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/nationwide-announces-permanent-shift-to-workfromhome-221148.aspx.
     Google Scholar
  58. Sonnemaker, T. (2020, May 18). Square just told employees they can work from home permanently. Insider.
     Google Scholar
  59. https://www.businessinsider.com/square-employees-can-work-from-home-permanently-2020-5.
     Google Scholar
  60. Steckelberg, K. (2021, August 4). How Zoom is approaching our next phase of work. Zoom Blog. https://blog.zoom.us/how-zoom-is-approaching-our-next-phase-of-work/.
     Google Scholar
  61. Taleb, N. (2007). The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. New York: Random House.
     Google Scholar
  62. Van Kessel, P., Baronavksi, A., Scheller, A., & Smith, A. (2021, March 5). In their own words, Americans describe the struggles and silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pew Research Center Reports. https://www.pewresearch.org/2021/03/05/in-their-own-words-americans-describe-the-struggles-and-silver-linings-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/.
     Google Scholar
  63. Vasel, K. (2020, August 13). Zillow exec: Why we changed our minds on remote work. CNN Business.
     Google Scholar
  64. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/success/zillow-work-from-home/index.html.
     Google Scholar
  65. Verry, P. (2020, August 12). REI wants to sell its newly-constructed headquarters before it even moves in. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rei-wants-sell-newly-constructed-231556528.html.
     Google Scholar
  66. Vigliarolo, B. (2021, June 25). Adobe announces permanent shift to hybrid work for its employees. CXO. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/adobe-announces-permanent-shift-to-hybrid-work-for-its-employees/.
     Google Scholar
  67. Vinoski, J. (2020, March 31). Thank you, production workers, for keeping us in groceries during the coronavirus crisis. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2020/03/31/thank-you-production-workers-for-keeping-us-in-groceries-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/?sh=56a31c882a39.
     Google Scholar
  68. Wagner, W. (2020, October 28). LogMeIn’s move to a remote-centric company. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/logmeins-move-remote-centric-company-william-wagner/.
     Google Scholar
  69. Webber, T., & Hollingsworth, H. (2021, October 4). Not just a number. COVID deaths pass 700,000 in U.S. amid vaccine refusal, Delta variant. The Miami Herald.
     Google Scholar
  70. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article254704167.html.
     Google Scholar
  71. Wolfe, R., Harknett, K., & Schneider, D. (2021, June 4). Inequalities at work and the toll of COVID-19. Health Affairs. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20210428.863621/full/.
     Google Scholar
  72. Wyld, D. (2020, September 3). Zooming into an uncertain future. Data Driven Investor. https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/zooming-into-an-uncertain-future-77024545cd40.
     Google Scholar
  73. Yoon, E. (2020, May 26). 3 behavioral trends that will reshape our post-COVID world. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/05/3-behavioral-trends-that-will-reshape-our-post-covid-world.
     Google Scholar