Strategic flexibility analysis of HRD research and practice post COVID-19 pandemic

Robert Yawson

doi:10.1080/13678868.2020.1779169

Abstract

ABSTRACT While governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-profits, corporations are all aware that disruptions through pandemics and other natural bio-disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic can happen, barely are we proactive about them. Instead, we are always reactive. In a virtual Town Hall meeting of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) held on 9 April 2020, on the theme ‘How is the pandemic a game-changer for HRD?,’ the President of AHRD, Laura Bierema, challenged HRD scholars to determine the possible futures of HRD scholarship post-COVID-19 Pandemic. This article proposes the use of the Strategic Flexibility Framework (SFF) to determine the possible futures of HRD post-COVID-19 pandemic. I first discuss the SFF as a scenario planning and analysis tool. I then developed four scenarios of possible futures for HRD Research and Practice post-COVID-19 pandemic. These scenarios include the ‘Meaning of work,’ ‘Leadership,’ ‘Contactless Commerce & Education,’ and ‘Volunteerism.’ I conclude by discussing the important opportunities that can serve as intervention points for post-COVID-19 HRD theory, research, and practice.

Highlights

An outbreak of what is clinically referred to as febrile respiratory illness of unknown cause was first reported in the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province of China in December 2019 (Hui et al 2020; Tesarik 2020)
In a virtual Town Hall meeting of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) held on 9 April 2020, on the theme ‘How is the pandemic a game-changer for HRD?,’ the President of AHRD, Laura Bierema, challenged HRD scholars to determine the possible futures of HRD scholarship post-COVID-19 Pandemic
In a vision document prepared for the State of Minnesota, of which I was a co-author, we developed possible futures of disruption of Minnesota’s Food Industry using the Strategic Flexibility Framework (SFF)

Summary

Introduction

An outbreak of what is clinically referred to as febrile respiratory illness of unknown cause was first reported in the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province of China in December 2019 (Hui et al 2020; Tesarik 2020). This article proposes the use of the Strategic Flexibility Framework (SFF) to determine the possible futures of HRD post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

Conclusion