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Organizations’ Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review of Business Articles

Author

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  • Olivier Boiral

    (Department of management, Faculty of Business Administration, Laval University, Pavillon Palasis-Prince, 2325, rue de la Terrasse, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada)

  • Marie-Christine Brotherton

    (Department of management, Faculty of Business Administration, Laval University, Pavillon Palasis-Prince, 2325, rue de la Terrasse, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada)

  • Léo Rivaud

    (Department of management, Faculty of Business Administration, Laval University, Pavillon Palasis-Prince, 2325, rue de la Terrasse, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada)

  • Laurence Guillaumie

    (Faculty of Nursing, Laval University, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the early COVID-19 crisis management practices implemented in organizations based on a scoping review of relevant business articles published on this issue in newspapers and magazines between March and May 2020. In total, after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria on 2707 potentially relevant articles, 246 articles describing organizational initiatives to manage COVID-19 were selected and analyzed in detail. The results of this study highlight the opportunities and threats arising from the pandemic as well as the most innovative measures put in place, particularly in the areas of health, human resources management (HRM), work organization, social and environmental responsibility, and crisis management. The description of the main practices identified and their illustration through various examples show the importance of corporate sustainability in managing the pandemic and demonstrate the cross-cutting nature of this crisis, which affects most corporate functions simultaneously. This study also makes it possible to identify certain leaders’ approaches that can be considered exemplary or, in contrast, that should be avoided, while highlighting the paradoxes and difficulties of assessing corporate social responsibility in times of crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Boiral & Marie-Christine Brotherton & Léo Rivaud & Laurence Guillaumie, 2021. "Organizations’ Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review of Business Articles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3993-:d:529594
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Burak Eldem & Aldona Kluczek & Jan Bagiński, 2022. "The COVID-19 Impact on Supply Chain Operations of Automotive Industry: A Case Study of Sustainability 4.0 Based on Sense–Adapt–Transform Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-32, May.
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