Emerging social and business trends associated with the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to identify, classify and study emerging social and business trends associated with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach By adopting the meta-synthesis method, the study scrutinizes, synthesizes and interprets the findings from a pool of publications. This approach results in identifying 53 key ideas that are classified under nine dominant trends. Findings The study identifies and examines nine major trends caused and intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, i.e. the rise of authoritarianism, the new era of corporate welfare, deep imbalances in public finances, exacerbated inequalities, higher risks of poverty and famine, the dominance of giant corporations, the increasing influence of big tech, the accelerated innovation and the fluidity of work and organizations. The paper suggests that these trends are the continuation of the past three decades’ transformations, are contributing to the rising concentration of power and wealth and are leading to a new type of globalization marked by high connectivity and low tangibility. Originality/value The originality of this paper resides in adopting a multidisciplinary approach to analyzing various social and business dimensions of a complex phenomenon. While the study should not be viewed as a comprehensive investigation, it offers a groundwork for further research on Covid-19.