Old Normal, New Normal, or Renewed Normal: How COVID-19 Changed Human Resource Development

This chapter wants to shed light on the consequences that the COVID-19 pandemic had for human resource development (HRD) in organizations and in the labour market. We intend to compare three situations: Old Normal (before February 2020), New Normal (between March 2022 and October 2021), and Renewed Normal (since October 2021). Crucially, in organizations, work was mostly face to face in the Old Normal, remote in the New Normal, and there is a tendency for some hybrid form to be installed in the Renewed Normal. We compare the three phases in terms of four aspects of HRD and within virtual development relations, namely: work environment, competences, training, and skills. The chapter presents results from a literature review in SCOPUS database. We conclude that COVID-19 changed HRD, because technology changed the environment and, therefore, new competences were required. Therefore, a new form of training was also required, which, when in practice, originated new skills. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Heart rate variability (HRV) training leads to improvements in measures of employee mental and physical health during COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for theory building and HRD

Data indicated that work-related stress could cost organizations financially, with losses associated with decreased productivity, healthcare costs and organizational dysfunction. Excessive stress in the workplace can cause significant costs to the employee as measured by declines in psychological and physiological health. Stress induced health symptoms and corresponding costs to the organization may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. These disruptions can affect organizational functioning as well the system's ability to dynamically respond to opportunities, challenges and organizational goals all of which can further increase employee stress and associated health outcomes. Human resource development professionals are in a position to offer interventions to help employees and organizational systems adjust to these new demands. Heart rate variability (HRV) training as a workplace wellness intervention to reduce stress for impacted employees has emerged as a promising line of research and applied work, with data supporting improved physical/mental health, learning and development and organizational outcomes.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a HRV training intervention on measures of employee health and organizational outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical data collection for this inquiry was operationalized with a quantitative, between-groups, experimental research design to test the effects of a HRV self-regulation training on participants who were randomly assigned to active treatment groups and non-participant groups (wait-list control). Participants were assessed on psychological and physiological health and organizational outcomes by analyzing results of the POQA-R4 survey. The study population (N = 147) consisted of employees at a large, multi-national, independent public company in the multi-utilities industry. Data analyses concluded that three of this study's five hypotheses were upheld. Hypotheses related to emotional stress (moderate effect size), physical stress (moderate effect size) and emotional vitality (borderline moderate effect size) were upheld. The findings associated with mental and physical stress were consistent with previous literature, while organizational results were more ambiguous. Based on these findings, recommendations for future research, application, theory building and implications for HRD were offered. Specific recommendations included further refinement of conceptual/theoretical frames, measurement variables and assessment tools. Recommendations for practice focused on providing evidenced based wellness interventions (such as HRV self-regulation training), and reinforcing the organizational culture to support a range of wellness needs and to strengthen social systems, which serve as protective and mediating factors in times of stress. These recommendations may position HRD professionals as agile and dynamic leaders who implement organizational wellness to both support business objectives while reinforcing a culture of care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of the Corona pandemic on the financial performance of companies listed on the Iraqi Stock Exchange

This research aims to demonstrate the nature and concept of the Corona pandemic, its implications for the global economy, and the management and performance of companies in particular. Additionally, the research intends to measure the impact of the Corona pandemic on companies' financial performance. Listed on the Iraqi Stock Exchange, which has finished compiling its year-end financial statements for 2019-2020. The investigation arrived at several findings, the most significant of which was that most businesses were not prepared for such a crisis technologically or to develop human resources to deal with this pandemic. In addition, most companies experienced a decrease in their financial performance as a direct result of the Corona pandemic, as indicated by the findings of the investigated financial performance indicators. Finally, the research resulted in several recommendations, the most important of which is that businesses should invest more in technology and the development of human resources to prepare for such crises in the future and that the government should provide support for companies that were impacted by the pandemic by waiving taxes, removing customs duties, and providing banking facilities from the Central Bank. © 2022, Association Res Militaris. All rights reserved.

Heart rate variability (HRV) training leads to improvements in measures of employee mental and physical health during COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for theory building and HRD

Data indicated that work-related stress could cost organizations financially, with losses associated with decreased productivity, healthcare costs and organizational dysfunction. Excessive stress in the workplace can cause significant costs to the employee as measured by declines in psychological and physiological health. Stress induced health symptoms and corresponding costs to the organization may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. These disruptions can affect organizational functioning as well the system's ability to dynamically respond to opportunities, challenges and organizational goals all of which can further increase employee stress and associated health outcomes. Human resource development professionals are in a position to offer interventions to help employees and organizational systems adjust to these new demands. Heart rate variability (HRV) training as a workplace wellness intervention to reduce stress for impacted employees has emerged as a promising line of research and applied work, with data supporting improved physical/mental health, learning and development and organizational outcomes.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a HRV training intervention on measures of employee health and organizational outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical data collection for this inquiry was operationalized with a quantitative, between-groups, experimental research design to test the effects of a HRV self-regulation training on participants who were randomly assigned to active treatment groups and non-participant groups (wait-list control). Participants were assessed on psychological and physiological health and organizational outcomes by analyzing results of the POQA-R4 survey. The study population (N = 147) consisted of employees at a large, multi-national, independent public company in the multi-utilities industry. Data analyses concluded that three of this study's five hypotheses were upheld. Hypotheses related to emotional stress (moderate effect size), physical stress (moderate effect size) and emotional vitality (borderline moderate effect size) were upheld. The findings associated with mental and physical stress were consistent with previous literature, while organizational results were more ambiguous. Based on these findings, recommendations for future research, application, theory building and implications for HRD were offered. Specific recommendations included further refinement of conceptual/theoretical frames, measurement variables and assessment tools. Recommendations for practice focused on providing evidenced based wellness interventions (such as HRV self-regulation training), and reinforcing the organizational culture to support a range of wellness needs and to strengthen social systems, which serve as protective and mediating factors in times of stress. These recommendations may position HRD professionals as agile and dynamic leaders who implement organizational wellness to both support business objectives while reinforcing a culture of care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

HR Practices Highlights during Covid: Discussion Based on News Paper Articles

COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way of working for countries, communities and business. It has set new normal for the world of business. This study is an attempt to understand how the global pandemic, COVID-19 has brought unprecedented changes to the Human Resources Development function of the organizations. It is also imperative that business-critical functions of the organizations are highly affected during a crisis. The present paper is based upon newspaper articles printed and published in over past few months. Themes have been analysed based on these articles.

Designing An Attendance System Model for Work from Home (WFH) Employees Based on User-Centered

Attendance system has evolved along with the industrial revolution that now has reached a new era. Furthermore, nowadays with the struck of COVID-19, the government issued a prohibition policy towards companies to urge their employees to work from home (WFH). Several issues have come across the Human Resources Development (HRD) manager regarding this policy. Employees' taking vacation when they are obliged to work from home and employees' faking their attendance are two of many problems regarding this policy. Hence, this study aims to design a relevant attendance system model that will overcome these problems with the integration of face recognition and geolocation through mobile platform. The study built the proposed attendance system with the approach of User-Centered Design (UCD) methodology. The findings within the study shows that above 80% of participants are satisfied with the proposed model and are ready to implement the designed system in their organizations respectively. © 2021 IEEE.

Efficiency Analysis of Graduate Alumni Insertion into the Labor Market as a Sustainable Development Goal

The assumption that greater education levels of a given population leads to better employability levels thanks to higher education institutions (HEI) is widely known. However, most of the research related to HEI is focused on the determination of efficiency levels from an eminently academic perspective. The objective of this research is to carry out a comparative analysis of the efficiency degree of Latin American universities in terms of labor insertion for their graduate alumni, in order to evaluate the Sustainable Development Goal 8 related to decent work and economic growth. The data enveloping analysis (DEA) methodology was implemented. Main results showed different levels of labor efficiency among the studied institutions that were classified into eight groups of universities. Likewise, it was noted that Latin American university students showed employment levels above those of workers with lower levels of education and training.

Indian government E-learning initiatives in response to COVID-19 crisis: A case study on online learning in Indian higher education system.

Recently, the whole world has faced the deadliest and dangerous consequences due to the transmission of infectious novel coronavirus (nCov). With the outbreak of COVID-19, the education learners, practitioners, and other stakeholders were at the sake of a loss, as it causes the suspension of physical classes and physical interaction of the learners. In these circumstances, Electronic learning (E-learning), Online learning, and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools came in handy. It helped the learners in the dissemination of ideas, conducting online classes, making online discussion forums, and taking online examinations. Like the government of each country, the Indian government was also caught off-guard but the existing E-learning infrastructure was able to leverage on while devising plans to tailor them to new situations and launching new ones. The initiatives at the forefront of this noble battle launched by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) includes Diksha, Swayam Prabha Channel, Shiksha Van, E-Pathshala, and National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER). It worth noting that apart from the Indian central government efforts, each state has various online education initiatives that are tailored to their needs. This research evaluated each of these initiatives commenced by central and state governments and present a detailed analysis of most of the relevant initiatives. Additionally, a survey is conducted to get insights of learners in concern to online learning. Despite the issues raised in this learning, the outcomes come to be satisfactorily favoring online learning.