Workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: insights from strategic human resource management in Mainland China

ABSTRACT

We show the relevance of strategic human resource management (SHRM) to addressing the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to the workplace in the context of Mainland China. In particular, we discuss the insights of prevalent areas of SHRM for navigating the pandemic at the organizational and individual levels. We explore the contextual factors that have affected the relationship between human resource (HR) practices and work outcomes in organizations and the development of HR practices during the pandemic. Looking forward to a future with uncertainties and other possible crises, we discuss research directions for SHRM in the post-pandemic reality. These include resilience-oriented high-performance work systems (HPWSs), contextualized SHRM, and the horizontal fit of SHRM in the ‘new normal’.

KEYWORDS:

• Strategic human resource management
• contextual factors
• new normal
• crisis
• Mainland China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Considering space limits, we mainly discuss the organizations in Mainland China.

2. An HPWS is defined as a series of HR practices, such as employee selection, training and development, job security, incentive rewards, and employee participation, that contribute to individual and organizational performance (Huselid 1995; Delery and Doty 1996).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yujie Cai

Yujie Cai is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at SKEMA Business School. He obtained his PhD degree in Management from Peking University (IPhD), jointly developed at Cornell University sponsored by Fulbright Scholarship. Dr. Cai used to work in Swansea University, University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. His research interests include high-performance work systems, work-life balance, workforce diversity and occupational safety, and has published in key academic and professional journals as well as book chapters.

Chris Rowley

Chris Rowley is Visiting Fellow of Kellogg College, University of Oxford, and Professor Emeritus of Human Resource Management at Bayes Business School, City, University of London. He is a leading scholar in the study of employment and human resource management and Asia business and management, and has been awarded several international grants and evaluated grants internationally. He has extensive experience of working in a wide range of industries and jobs, and over 30 years of experience in many university systems in the UK, Europe and Asia. Professor Rowley is a respected author and has published over 700 articles, books, book chapters and practitioner pieces.

Mengyi Xu

Mengyi Xu is a Lecturer in Human Resource Management, Course Director of MSc in Management and Human Resource Management at Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University. Mengyi obtained her PhD in Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations from Keele University. She lectures and researches in the areas of HRM and employment relations, with a strong focus on work-life balance in emerging economies, work-life boundary management in hybrid working, and AI application in HRM. Mengyi has published in key academic journals and professional magazines.