Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox
Purpose – Covid-19 has caused many businesses to rethink their short- and potentially long-term workforce operations. The use of lateral flow serology can provide a clinically convenient approach for the assessment of prior infection with Covid-19. However, its widespread adoption in organisations s...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Emerald Publishing
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Work-Applied Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JWAM-11-2020-0052/full/pdf?title=dialectics-and-dilemmas-arising-from-covid-19-immunity-testing-presenting-a-workforce-management-paradox |
| _version_ | 1797996764642410496 |
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| author | Steven Davies Gareth Reginald Terrence White Anthony Samuel Helen Martin |
| author_facet | Steven Davies Gareth Reginald Terrence White Anthony Samuel Helen Martin |
| author_sort | Steven Davies |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – Covid-19 has caused many businesses to rethink their short- and potentially long-term workforce operations. The use of lateral flow serology can provide a clinically convenient approach for the assessment of prior infection with Covid-19. However, its widespread adoption in organisations seeking to use it to test for workforce immunity is controversial and confusing. This paper aims to explore the paradoxical dilemmas and dialectics immunity workforce testing creates. Design/methodology/approach – This study involved capturing the ethnographical participation of a chief executive officer (CEO) dealing with the experience of managing the outcomes of Covid-19 workforce immunity testing. The aim was to take a snapshot in time of the CEO's empirical world, capturing their lived experiences to explore how management actions resulting from Covid-19 immunity testing can played out. Findings – Providing staff with immunity tests at first glance appears sensible, decent and a caring action to take. Nevertheless, once such knowledge is personalised by employees, they can, through dialectic dialogue, feel disadvantaged and harbour feelings of unfairness. Subsequently, this paper suggests that immunity testing may only serve to raise awareness and deepen the original management dilemma of whether testing is a worthwhile activity. Originality/value – This paper aims to be amongst the first works to empirically explore the workforce management challenges that arise within small businesses within the service sector following the completion of Covid-19 immunity testing of their staff. It seeks to achieve this via utilising the robust theoretical framework of the paradox theory to examine Covid-19's impact upon small business workforce management thinking and practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:22:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-540077319046417a88518c4e41a7ae50 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2205-2062 2205-149X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:22:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Work-Applied Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-540077319046417a88518c4e41a7ae502022-12-22T04:29:41ZengEmerald PublishingJournal of Work-Applied Management2205-20622205-149X2021-09-0113222724010.1108/JWAM-11-2020-0052660778Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradoxSteven Davies0Gareth Reginald Terrence White1Anthony Samuel2Helen Martin3Cardiff University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKUniversity of South Wales, Pontypridd, UKBusiness School, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKPolice Sciences and Security, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, UKPurpose – Covid-19 has caused many businesses to rethink their short- and potentially long-term workforce operations. The use of lateral flow serology can provide a clinically convenient approach for the assessment of prior infection with Covid-19. However, its widespread adoption in organisations seeking to use it to test for workforce immunity is controversial and confusing. This paper aims to explore the paradoxical dilemmas and dialectics immunity workforce testing creates. Design/methodology/approach – This study involved capturing the ethnographical participation of a chief executive officer (CEO) dealing with the experience of managing the outcomes of Covid-19 workforce immunity testing. The aim was to take a snapshot in time of the CEO's empirical world, capturing their lived experiences to explore how management actions resulting from Covid-19 immunity testing can played out. Findings – Providing staff with immunity tests at first glance appears sensible, decent and a caring action to take. Nevertheless, once such knowledge is personalised by employees, they can, through dialectic dialogue, feel disadvantaged and harbour feelings of unfairness. Subsequently, this paper suggests that immunity testing may only serve to raise awareness and deepen the original management dilemma of whether testing is a worthwhile activity. Originality/value – This paper aims to be amongst the first works to empirically explore the workforce management challenges that arise within small businesses within the service sector following the completion of Covid-19 immunity testing of their staff. It seeks to achieve this via utilising the robust theoretical framework of the paradox theory to examine Covid-19's impact upon small business workforce management thinking and practice.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JWAM-11-2020-0052/full/pdf?title=dialectics-and-dilemmas-arising-from-covid-19-immunity-testing-presenting-a-workforce-management-paradoxcovid-19paradoxdilemmadialectichealth careimmunity testinglateral flow serologymanagementleadershipworking practices |
| spellingShingle | Steven Davies Gareth Reginald Terrence White Anthony Samuel Helen Martin Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox Journal of Work-Applied Management covid-19 paradox dilemma dialectic health care immunity testing lateral flow serology management leadership working practices |
| title | Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox |
| title_full | Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox |
| title_fullStr | Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox |
| title_short | Dialectics and dilemmas arising from Covid-19 immunity testing: presenting a workforce management paradox |
| title_sort | dialectics and dilemmas arising from covid 19 immunity testing presenting a workforce management paradox |
| topic | covid-19 paradox dilemma dialectic health care immunity testing lateral flow serology management leadership working practices |
| url | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JWAM-11-2020-0052/full/pdf?title=dialectics-and-dilemmas-arising-from-covid-19-immunity-testing-presenting-a-workforce-management-paradox |
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