Research Log 3

Research Log 2

Issue: Leadership and Management of Companies during the Covid 19 Pandemic

The Covid 19 crisis took the world by surprise in late 2019, with many large and small companies embracing the new reality with great optimism. However, there had to be changes in how the firms handled their businesses. Many companies switched to working remotely, while others decided to cut down the number of employees they had. Leadership and management skills were crucial constructs that kept things running, especially in remote work. This worksheet will attempt to find credible sources of how leadership and management skills were essential in managing some companies in the United States.

Current Research Question

How did companies adjust their leadership and management skills to ensure smooth working during the Covid 19 pandemic?

Source 1

Bibliographic Information:

Apple Statement. (2020, March 13). Apple’s COVID-19 response. Apple Newsroom (Kenya). https://nr.apple.com/d2i8z689x0

Where the Article was found

The article was accessed from the internet by searching through the Google search engine.

Key Words Used in the Search

How major firms responded to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Exigence the Article Addresses

The article is a press statement from the Apple Company on how they responded to the rising cases of the Covid 19 pandemic. The article highlights giving back to the community by giving donations amounting to about $15 million by the time the statement was being released (Apple Statement, 2020). It also addresses the order of operations in their stores and services. It also addresses the users and customers of its brand and urges them to stay safe from the virus by observing the health guidelines recommended by health agencies. This is a press statement by the CEO, Tim Cook, guiding the employees, customers, partners, and the general public on how to carry themselves during the pandemic. It reflects the role of a leader during a pandemic.

New Key Terms Learnt

Adapting, Responding, Giving back, Pandemic.

Important Quotes

The CEO is grateful and shows qualities of appreciating employees for good work done. He says, “I also want to thank our operations team and partners for their remarkable efforts…” (Apple Statement, 2020). In another instance, he points out, “I want to thank our extraordinary Retail teams for their dedication…” (Apple Statement, 2020). The CEO also shows resilience and determination in dealing with the issue when he says, “Apple has chosen to meet big challenges. And it’s how we’ll rise to meet this one, too” (Apple Statement, 2020).

Connection to other Sources

The press statement shows the role of leaders when there is a crisis. It shows that leaders should always remain optimistic and reassure their customers and employees.

Source 2

Bibliographic Information:

McKinsey & Company. (2020, March 16). Leadership in a crisis: Responding to the coronavirus outbreak and future challenges. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/leadership-in-a-crisis-responding-to-the-coronavirus-outbreak-and-future-challenges

Where the Source was retrieved from

The article was retrieved from the website of McKinsey & Company’s website, accessed through searching the Google search engine.

Key Words Used in the Search

Leadership and Management of Firms during the Covid 19 Pandemic

Exigence addressed by the Source

The consultancy company assesses the main strategies it used to manage the Covid 19 pandemic. It notes that it used five main strategies that proved to be successful in dealing with the crisis, strategies that can also be used in future challenges. They include effective communication, empathy, wise decision-making during uncertainties, optimistic and calm leaders, and organizing a network of teams to respond to a particular sort of crisis.

Key Terms Learnt

Networking, uncertainty, jamais vu.

Important Quotes

This source has various quotes that can be used to educate leaders on how to deal with a crisis. For instance, the author says, “Pause to assess and anticipate, then act,” a quote that explains how to manage a situation. It also recognizes the importance of prioritizing employee safety during a crisis when the author writes: “Deal with the human tragedy as a first priority…” (McKinsey & Company, 2020).

How this Source is connected to Other Sources

The article explains strategic ways of dealing with business crises. It champions formal leadership qualities and managerial skills.

Source 3

Bibliographic Information:

World Economic Forum. (2021, October 4). 5 ways the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the role of leaders. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/5-ways-the-pandemic-is-changing-the-role-of-leaders/

How the Source was retrieved

The Source was accessed through the website of the World Economic Forum, which was retrieved through the Google Search engine.

Key words Used in Searching the Source

The role of leaders and managers of companies during the Covid 19 pandemic

Exigence Addressed by the Source

The source addresses how the pandemic has sparked a change in perspective in how institutions are perceived as well as the employees, specifically the managers and leaders. After assessing how competent leaders and managers handled challenges during the pandemic, the article provides insights on how such leaders can reframe their role in organizations to deal with challenges in the future. The article highlights strategies such as viewing an individual employee as a whole and not part of a larger workforce as every individual has a specific role in the company, leaders assuming the role of sociologists, promoting motivation, well-being, and psychological safety, ensuring equitable experiences among employees and lastly, providing insight over collected data.

Key Words Learnt

Corporate governance, hierarchal assessment, agile governance and performance assessment.

Important Quotes from the Source

The statement that "The role of leadership is to create psychologically safe spaces for employees to be able to speak freely and bring their whole selves to work," shows the functions of the leaders and managers in an institution to promote a healthy environment in the workplace to enable the employees to work effectively at all times (World Economic Forum, 2021). The source notes that leaders should always consider that other factors beyond their work environments greatly influence the employees. This is seen when the author states, "Leaders must shift their mindset to acknowledge that employees' experience goes beyond work" (World Economic Forum, 2021).

How the Source Connects to the Others

Just like the previous source, the article explains strategies that can be used to manage crises such as Covid 19 pandemic. It advocates for proper leadership skills.

Source 4

Bibliographic Information

BMJ. (2021, May 13). COVID-19: Global response was too slow and leadership absent, report finds. The BMJ. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1234

How the Source was found

The source was accessed through the internet by searching using the Google search engine.

Key Words Used in the Search

How Poor Leadership and Management Worsened the Covid 19 Crisis

Exigence the source addresses

The source is a report conducted by a health advocacy group, BMJ. The report seeks to establish why the Covid 19 crisis spread quickly and affected many people within a short period of time. The report demonstrates that the health agencies and other agencies responsible for addressing the issue lacked proper leadership qualities, contributing to the worsening situation.

New Key Word

Stark assessment

Important Quotes from the Source

The reports show that weak leadership led to the crisis of the Covid 19 pandemic becoming worse more quickly and affecting the whole world. The report makes critical conclusions such as: “A crisis can expose weak leaders” and “The COVID-19 disaster is a crisis of mismanagement and bad leadership…” which would be very key in researching the topic chosen (BMJ, 2021).

How it connects with the Other Sources

The source provides crucial information on why the Covid 19 pandemic effect was heavy. It also reflects on the implications of bad leadership in organizations.

Reflection

Key Words and how they vary with Source

Empathy is addressed in sources 1 and 3. However, while source 1 is used as a motivating tool for the employees, in the 3 it is used as a tool meant to understand the employees and their needs during challenges and crises.

Type of genres used

Source 1 is a press statement, sources 2 and 3 are blogs, and the last source is a report. All the sources address how Covid 19 affected the management of major businesses in the US.

Similar or different Perspectives

All the sources agree that leaders and managers need to work swiftly and diligently during a crisis so as to overcome them. In source 4, the report shows the negative consequence of poor leadership.

Audiences addressed

Source 1 addressed a mixed audience as it is a press statement; the employees and the public. As sources 2 and 3 are blogs, they are meant for the public, especially those in business administration. The last source is a report presented to the public and the relevant agencies, unearthing why the Covid 19 pandemic almost went out of hand.

How the Topic is connected to Field of Study

The Covid 19 pandemic affected many businesses, leading to significant losses and the closure of some companies. This is just an example of a crisis that may affect how businesses are conducted. Learning how to manage such a crisis effectively is crucial in business administration.

References

Apple Statement. (2020, March 13). Apple’s COVID-19 response. Apple Newsroom (Kenya). https://nr.apple.com/d2i8z689x0

BMJ. (2021, May 13). COVID-19: Global response was too slow and leadership absent, report finds. The BMJ. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1234

World Economic Forum. (2021, October 4). 5 ways the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the role of leaders. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/5-ways-the-pandemic-is-changing-the-role-of-leaders/