Crisis demands leadership, so does our research

Abstract

(2020) highlights a range of research topics that are ripe for study in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Since the time of writing, however, the pandemic in the United States has grown more severe, there have been significant accompanying economic disruptions (including large-scale unemployment and underemployment, with many organizations closing permanently), federal troops are being deployed in some cities, and a national movement spurred by the murder of George Floyd has prompted the country to again consider its legacy of race relations and racism. [...]the situation Rudolph etal. wrote about is even more chaotic today than they envisioned. [...]many employees in lower wage jobs may be experiencing cumulative stress due to many factors including physical illness, mental distress, and adverse impact. In line with the focal article, we believe that a discussion on the occupational health and safety for different employees, including those on the frontlines (i.e., nurses);those transitioning to working from home;and those experiencing furloughs, layoffs, and reduced hours, is necessary. [...]research should be conducted to determine the extent to which leaders have the ability to influence work stressors during a crisis (i.e., high workloads, hazardous work environments, building team cohesion and social support, enhancing communication strategies, fears of getting infected, negative emotions, and low perceived organizational support).