Elevating Employee Morale in Times of Crisis: A Novel Exploration of Unique Strategies

During the Pandemic

A Concept Paper and Review of Related Literature Matrix Presented To

Prof. Junnell E. Guia
Of the Philippine Christian University

In partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements in

Research and Statistics

Submitted by:

Eracho, Mark Kim

Kunz, Kelvin
Mejia, Lea Marie A.
Palmones, Henry Jr., B.

January 2024

Eracho, Mark Kim

Proposed Research Title:
"Elevating Employee Morale in Times of Crisis: A Novel Exploration of Unique Strategies
During the Pandemic"

Brief Description of the Research:

This research aims to investigate and propose innovative approaches to maintain and enhance
employee morale during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study will delve into unique strategies
beyond conventional methods to understand their effectiveness in diverse organizational settings.

Background of the Study:

a. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted employees' morale worldwide due to
remote work, social isolation, and economic uncertainties. Statistics reveal a substantial increase in
reported stress levels and declining job satisfaction(Kumar and Mokashi, 2020).

b. While existing literature discusses traditional morale-boosting methods, there is a research gap
in exploring unconventional strategies tailored to the specific challenges posed by the pandemic. Citing
studies on the current state of employee morale will establish the urgency and importance of addressing
this gap.

c. It is crucial to undertake this research to provide organizations with evidence-based insights

into effective strategies for sustaining positive morale during crises. The study will benefit employees by
contributing to their mental well-being and employers by fostering a more productive and resilient
workforce.

Research Problem/Objective:
a. The research aims to identify, analyze, and propose innovative strategies to boost employee
morale during the pandemic, focusing on their applicability in different organizational contexts.

b. Key questions include:

● What unique strategies have organizations employed to maintain employee morale during
the pandemic?
● Who benefits the most from these strategies, and under what circumstances?
● When are these strategies most applicable in enhancing morale?

Expected Output:
a. The research is expected to produce a set of practical recommendations and insights into
morale-boosting strategies during the pandemic. The output could be a model for sustaining positive
morale, providing valuable guidance to organizations navigating the challenges of the pandemic.

How do you plan to do your research:

a. Data Gathering:
1. Target Group: Employees across diverse industries, with a focus on those facing remote
work challenges.
 2. Resource Persons: HR professionals, organizational leaders, and employees with
experience in morale-boosting initiatives.
3. Data Sources: Surveys, interviews, and case studies will be utilized for primary data.
Existing literature will be sourced for secondary data.

b. Variables:
1. Morale indicators, types of unique interventions, organizational characteristics.
2. Data Translation: Variables will be operationalized to measure morale, effectiveness of
interventions, and organizational context.

c. Data Collection:
1. Innovative Methods: Use of gamification in surveys, virtual reality simulations, and
participatory action research.
2. Data Sources: Primary data collected through surveys and interviews; secondary data
gathered from existing studies.

d. Data Processing and Analysis:

1. Tools: Statistical software for quantitative analysis; qualitative analysis tools for
open-ended responses.
2. Timeline: The research will be conducted over 12 months, with specific milestones for
data collection, analysis, and report writing.

References:

Kumar, R. & Mokashi. U. M. (2020). COVID-19 and Work-Life Balance: What about Supervisor Support
and Employee Proactiveness?. Annals of Contemporary Developments in Management and HR, Vol. 2 No.
4, pp. 1-9
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346705991_COVID-19_and_Work-Life_Balance_What_about_
Supervisor_Support_and_Employee_Proactiveness
Anjum, N. & Saidu Rahamnan, Md. (2022). HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BEHAVIORAL IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PRACTITIONERS.
Journal of Advanced Research in Economics and Administrative Sciences, Volume 3, Issue 1, Article 6
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357658400_Human_Resource_Management_amidst_COVID-1
9_Pandemic_Behavioral_Implications_for_HR_Practitioners
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE MATRIX

JOURNAL AREAS FOR

ARTICLE AND SUMMARY OF METHODOLO MANAGEMENT FUTURE
DATE FINDINGS GY USED IMPLICATIONS RESEARCH
COVID-19 and The study The research The findings An area for
Work-Life found a significant link utilized a emphasize the future research
Balance: between supervisor quantitative importance of should focus on
Whatabout support and proactive approach and supervisory deep diving into
Supervisor work behavior with applied structural assistance, understanding
Support and work-life balance. equation troubleshooting, and moderation of
EmployeeProactiv However, the study could modeling to recognition during proactive work
eness? not find any statistical analyze data critical times in behavior
Received: 14th support for the collected from enabling employees
August 2020; moderation of proactive employees in a to maintain a on the supervisor
Accepted: 19th work behavior higher education balance between support and
October 2020; on the supervisor support institution in the work and personal work-life balance
Published: 1st and work-life balance UK. life. The association as the
November 2020 association. implications for study couldnt
management include find statistical
the encouragement support on this.
of proactive work
behavior and the
recognition of the
significant
contribution of
supervisor support
in guiding
employees to
balance their
professional and
personal
responsibilities.
Business The study found that The research The study Future research
management financial, human employed a emphasizes the could explore the
governance: Its resource, operational, quantitative importance of long-term impact
effect on and marketing approach with strong financial of the
improving the management data collected management, COVID-19
performance of significantly affected the through a survey human resource pandemic on
small and medium performance of SMIs in method using a quality, effective SMIs in Jambi
industries (SMIs) the region during the questionnaire. operatinal and Province,
during the pandemic, which means The research marketing considering
COVID-19 that the better the population management for changes in
pandemic financial, human included all SMI SMIs. Management market
Received: resource, operational, business actors in needs to avoid dynamics,
and Jambi Province, mixing personal and consumer
11.10.2021 marketing management with a sample business finances, behavior, and
of the business, the more size of 400 invest in training industry trends.
Revised: it will improve its selected using the and development of They might want
business performance. Slovin formula. human resources to explore as
11.07.2022 Variables related and adopt effective well in
to financial, operational strategy researching
Accepted: human resource, and marketing impact of
operational, and tactics. technology
06.08.2022 marketing adoption to smal
management and medium
Published: were measured industries
using a Likert (SMIs).
31.10.2022 scale. Multiple
linear regression
and SWOT
analysis were
applied for data
analysis.
HUMAN HR management is The study is a The importance of Future research
RESOURCE facing some invisible general review this study lies in its
could focus on
MANAGEMENT challenges that are not that attempts to implications on exploring
CHALLENGES new, explore effective ways to
AMIDST but during COVID-19, organizations to deal with the HR
COVID-19 these were multiplied and the impact of develop appropriate challenges
PANDEMIC: reached the peaks. COVID-19 on behavioral strategies mentioned in the
BEHAVIORAL Employee human resource to adapt the human study, i.e.
IMPLICATIONS health, safety, and mental management. Employee
FOR HR well-being; employee Between resources to the new
PRACTITIONER maintenance, December reality. HR health, safety,
S engagement, and practitioners can use and mental
Received: 25 flexibility; employee 2019 and July the findings of this well-being;
December 2021 skill and talent 2021, the study to employee
Revised: 15 management and researchers did a maintenance,
February 2022 motivation are the most manual search for create effective engagement, and
Accepted: 18 common challenges the papers that interventions for
February 2022 dealing with their flexibility;
have been human resources in employee skill
published in any and talent
Scopus, Google management and
Scholar, JSTOR, uncertain situation motivation.
and Semantic like COVID-19.
Scholar

databases along
with many
websites. The
researcher
included the
articles based

on the scope,
area, and
variable, where
biomedical and
epidemiological
research

has been
excluded.
Post-Pandemic - COVID-19 outbreak The article Need to focus on - Impact of the
Human Resource elevated the importance provides a developing pandemic on
Management: of digitization. - HR qualitative organizational organizational
Challenges and managers faced analysis and culture. - Emphasize culture and
Opportunities by challenges and obstacles synthesis of competency social dynamics.
Dr. Neeraj Kumar during the pandemic. - perspectives from development and - Evaluation of
Sharma, March New issues and business individual integrity. the effectiveness
2022 workplace patterns executives and - Adoption of a of hybrid
emerged post-pandemic. experts globally systemic and working models.
- Importance of regarding the procedural approach - Strategies for
organizational culture, future of work to leadership. - managing a
competency post-COVID-19. Recognize the remote
development, and importance of trust, workforce
individual integrity respect, and human effectively. -
highlighted. - Systemic values for Exploration of
and procedural approach post-pandemic the long-term
needed for leadership, recovery. effects on the
staff involvement, and workforce and
customer-centric attitude. workplace
- Emphasis on trust, dynamics.
respect, solidarity, and
human values for
post-pandemic recovery.
Effects of Corona The study assesses the Design: Survey Employee E-HRM
Virus Pandemic impact of COVID-19 on design. Sample: Recruitment: Adoption:
(COVID-19) on various HR management 250 human Organizations may Further research
Selected Human practices, including resources need to strategize on the adoption
Resource employee recruitment practitioners. and possibly opt for and effectiveness
Management and selection, training, Data Collection: alternatives to of e-HRM in
Practices in performance Telephone traditional minimizing
Tanzania Author: management, and interviews and an recruitment physical
Kelvin M Mwita compensation online survey methods. Employee interactions.
Journal: East management. Key conducted from Training: Adoption Employee
African Journal of findings include:1. April 6, 2020, to of e-learning is Engagement in
Social and Drastic decrease in May 10, 2020. recommended, but Crisis
Applied Sciences employee recruitment Data Analysis: concerns about Management:
Publication Date: and selection activities.2. Content and effectiveness should Explore how
October 20, 2020 Cancellation of employee descriptive be addressed. employees can
training programs due to analysis. Performance actively engage
the outbreak.3. Management: in crisis
Challenges in Organizations must management
performance find effective ways strategies during
management, with to monitor and pandemics. HR
 employees struggling to manage employee Policies Review:
achieve set goals.4. performance during Research on the
Difficulties in monitoring remote work adaptation and
employee performance situations. effectiveness of
for organizations Compensation HR policies
implementing Management: during times of
work-from-home Strategies for crisis like
practices.5. Financial meeting financial COVID-19.
obligations, including obligations and
employee benefits, not employee benefits
being met by need to be reviewed.
organizations due to the
pandemic.
Boost Morale, Loneliness epidemic The article Encourage Explore the
Productivity with heightened by remote doesn't explicitly managers to engage long-term effects
Actual work and limited detail a specific in verbal of remote work
Conversations in-person interactions, research communication to and increased
Author: Claudine exacerbated by methodology. boost morale and technology use
McCarthy. technology addiction. Instead, it relies profit margins. on social
Journal: College on insights and interactions and
Athletics and the perspectives mental health.
Law Date: Vol. shared by Celeste
17, Iss. 6, 2020 Headlee, an
award-winning
journalist,
professional
speaker, and
author, during a
webinar hosted
by NASPA.
Leveraging The main findings are Training frontline The authors do
Employee related to understanding managers to provide not explicitly
Experience during employee experience and the proper support suggest lines of
Crisis Situation its drivers during a crisis, The methodology to employees, future research,
for Higher particularly in the used in the study exploiting all but they
performance- hospitality industry in involved a communication acknowledge the
Special Reference India. The study cross-sectional channels to keep limited literature
to COVID-19 identified key drivers of design with employees regularly available on the
pandemic. Gupta, employee experience primary data updated, and drivers of
N., & Pandla, K. during a crisis, such as collected through focusing on factors employee
(2021). Scholedge role clarity, awareness a self-report such as role clarity, experience
International about strategic questionnaire awareness about during a crisis,
Journal of objectives, virtual from 287 strategic objectives, indicating a need
Management & meetings, work from respondents in the virtual meetings, for further
Development home, communication, hospitality work from home, research in this
ISSN 2394-3378. supervisor and industry in India. communication, area. They also
organisational support, The questionnaire supervisor and suggest that
and work-life balance. included organizational organizational
Communication and measures of support, and factors may not
organisational & Organisational work-life balance to impact employee
supervisor support were Factors, enhance employee experience
found to be major drivers Communication, happiness and significantly
for employee experience Organisational & ultimately during a crisis,
during the pandemic, Supervisor performance. which could be
contributing to a positive Support, an area for future
employee experience in Work-life investigation.
an environment of panic Balance, and Additionally, the
and fear, ultimately Employee study's findings
leading to enhanced Experience. A can be used to
performance. questionnaire was guide future
prepared based on research on
the drivers drawn factors like
from literature communication,
and expert work-life
opinions. The balance, and
measures organizational
demonstrated support in
excellent levels of creating a
internal positive
reliabilities employee
(Cronbach's experience
alpha= .927). during a crisis.
Reinventing The main findings of the The methodology The policy The authors
employee morale paper are related to the involved an recommendations suggest
during Covid influence of empirical include building integrating HRM
Pandemic: Study psychological contract research design, employee morale, practices and the
of psychological and job satisfaction on structured refining HRM psychological
contract and job employee morale during questionnaire, policies, contract,
satisfaction of crisis conditions, as well random understanding the researching the
healthcare as the impact of probability psychological relationship
professionals. demographic factors on sampling, contract, and between HR
Tabasum, F., & psychological contract semi-structured encouraging open practices and job
Ghosh, N. (2021). and job satisfaction. interviews, data communication. The satisfaction,
International analysis using study also calls for identifying
Journal of SPSS and EFA, future research to organizational
Financial, reliability integrate HRM barriers that limit
Accounting, and assessment using practices and the the adoption of
Management. Cronbach's alpha, psychological job satisfaction,
and measurement contract, examine discussing the
on a five-point the relationship strategic role of
Likert scale. between HR HRM in
practices and job managing the
satisfaction, and psychological
identify contract,
organizational examining
barriers limiting the transitional and
adoption of job balanced
satisfaction. psychological
contracts, and
focusing on
topics
concerning the
morale of
healthcare
professionals for
future research.
Employee - Employee engagement The methodology Emphasizing local The paper
Engagement in is crucial during times of used in the study engagement, giving suggests
Times of Crisis. crisis and is directly involves the employees potential future
Patil, M.R. (2021). related to a strong collection of autonomy, listening research areas in
Bioscience company culture. primary data to employees' understanding
Biotechnology - Organizations need to through a concerns, the effectiveness
Research empathize with their well-structured introducing of upskilling
Communications. employees and questionnaire and upskilling programs, programs and
understand their concerns the review of focusing on initiatives on
 in order to maintain secondary data empathy, and employee
engagement. about the current developing effective engagement
- Engagement efforts crisis situation platforms for during crisis
need to be localized and and employee engagement times, the role of
capture the head, heart, engagement. The programs. empathy and
and souls of employees questionnaire was digital
to instill a desire and administered via technologies in
passion towards work. Google Forms to enhancing
randomly employee
selected full-time engagement
employees during crises,
working from and long-term
home in Mumbai. strategies for
(confidence: 90) maintaining
employee
engagement in
crisis situations.
- HPWPs positively The methodology Redesigning The authors
influence the outcomes involved using a workforce suggest future
Re-Engineering of employees, including quantitative strategies, creating research in other
the Human EIRP and ETP. survey method an atmosphere that occupational
Resource - OBSE mediates the for data values employee areas beyond
Strategies Amid relationship between collection, with a participation, banking,
and HPWPs and EIRP and response rate of arranging replication of
Post-Pandemic ETP. 52.75%. Data workshops for skill findings in
Crisis: Probing - PPC moderates the were collected development, and different cultural
into the positive relationship through social paying attention to contexts, and
Moderated between HPWPs and contacts and the physical and exploration of
Mediation Model OBSE. personal visits, psychological health other potential
of the and a temporal of the workforce. moderators and
High-Performance separation mediators
Work Practices method was used between HPWPs
and Employee's to mitigate and outcomes of
Outcomes. common method employees.
Zhiqiang, M., bias. All
Khan, H.S., measures in the
Chughtai, M.S., & study were
Mingxing, L. assessed on a
(2021). Frontiers 5-point Likert
in Psychology, 12. scale.
Strategic Human The article highlights the
Resource significant impact of the
Management and COVID-19 pandemic on
COVID‐19: the role of HR leaders,
Emerging emphasizing their central
Challenges and role in global
Research organizational responses.
Opportunities It critiques traditional
David G. Collings, Strategic Human
John McMackin, Resource Management
Anthony J. research for its narrow
Nyberg, Patrick focus and argues for a
M. Wright more comprehensive
Published: March understanding of HRM,
18, 2021 especially in terms of
work context,
stakeholder perspectives,
and the integration of
strategic and tactical
responses. The pandemic
has brought about a
paradigm shift for HR
leaders, turning them into
key players in navigating
the challenges of the
current landscape.
How HR Leaders This article talks about
can adapt to how HR leaders are
uncertain times dealing with a bunch of
Sue Bingham; challenges because of the
Harvard Business whole COVID-19
Review Published: situation. Instead of
August 4, 2020 using complicated
methods to solve
problems, the article says
they need to switch to a
different mindset – call it
a "complexity mindset."
Basically, it means being
flexible, working
together, and adapting to
whatever comes their
way.
The article takes The article discusses The article
a commentary the tension between suggests the need
approach, lacking the traditional for research to
mention of a employee-focused investigate how
specific research role of HR and its HR manages its
methodology or strategic business dual role as an
empirical study. It partner role. It advocate for
draws insights highlights that the employees and a
from the pandemic has strategic business
COVID-19 brought attention to partner. This is
pandemic to the necessity of particularly
reflect on the reevaluating the crucial in the
changing role of discourse on the context of the
HR leaders and tactical versus ever-changing
critiques existing strategic aspects of and
HRM research for HR. Emphasis is unpredictable
its limitations in placed on the strategies
addressing the importance of required during
challenges posed achieving a balance the pandemic.
by the pandemic. between operational
competencies and
strategic influence
in HR functions.
The article Shift from The article offers
doesn't dive into complicated to practical advice
research methods complex thinking, for HR leaders
or studies. Tap into collective dealing with the
Instead, it shares intelligence, Put current crisis but
insights from the humanity back into doesn't suggest
author's 15 years human resources, future research
at HPWP Group, Foster a trust culture areas. However,
a company deeply and Make company potential
engaged in values foundational. research could
discussions about explore the
the future of effectiveness of
work. It's more collective
like a chat, where intelligence in
the author, addressing
drawing from complex HR
their HR challenges, the
experience, gives influence of a
a commentary trust culture on
and perspective employee
on the topic satisfaction and
performance in
crises, and the
role of
organizational
values in
decision-making
and crisis
management.