Human Resource Management During Covid-19 Pandemic: New Venues From A Systematic Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

The spread of COVID-19 made corporations face a new normal that offered different research venues for scholars. The purpose of this study is to identify human resource management (HRM) related venues in business organizations. The study applied a systematic narrative literature review to HRM published literature during the COVID-19 pandemic through two electronic databases Google Scholar and Scopus from Mars 2020 to the third quarter of the year 2021 and reviewed 28 included relevant articles. The study finds that the most important discussed HRM issues during the COVID-19 pandemic can be summarized in: (1) Challenges facing HRM are mainly challenges of employee’s organisational behaviour and personal lives, challenges for HRM tasks and roles, remote work, the need for hygiene and safety measurements. (2) HRM innovative practices were related to the changes in leadership styles, remote and virtual work, HR managers as dynamic change agents and team management (3) HRM and organisational behaviour issues were related to leadership, team management and trust, sustainable and socially responsible HRM. The study concluded that the paramount possible paths for future research in HRM seams related to the use of technology and telework and to the role of HR leaders in supporting different aspects of organisational behaviour in situations of crisis.