Our article discusses the challenges and benefits that have arisen due to the unprecedented remote working environment created by COVID-19. We will discuss the issues concerning productivity and effectiveness that come from training both new and existing employees remotely and how management can best combat these issues.

A Self-Efficacy Theory Explanation for the Management of Remote Workers in Virtual Organizations. (1999). Organization Science, 10(6), 758-776.

This study looks at the results of specific remote training techniques and managements on an employee’s impression of their self-efficacy in relation to their ability to complete ‘good work’ from home. The study found that an employee’s assessment of their self-efficacy makes a large difference in their effectiveness, productivity, and job satisfaction. They found these feelings were impacted by the amount of remote training they had, management skills in remote work, their own computer anxiety, and the IT systems they had available to them.

The study is fairly large, with a sample size of 370 workers surveyed. The workers were given a survey to assess both their self-efficacy as well as their opinions on their training and managerial actions surrounding remote work. The study was completed in 1999, however the findings are not based on technologies that are no longer in use and thus it can be assumed that the behavioral aspects found in the study are still applicable in the situation we find ourselves in today.

This study is extremely relevant to our discussion of proper training and work during the COVID-19 pandemic because it gives managers and employees an understanding of how to build confidence and productivity through remote work. Understanding how an employee’s work performance can be increased directly through specific management techniques provides a way for companies to continue to produce good work and grow even while working in a new environment.

Barsness, Z., Diekmann, K., & Seidel, M. (2005). Motivation and Opportunity: The Role of Remote Work, Demographic Dissimilarity, and Social Network Centrality in Impression Management. The Academy of Management Journal, 48(3), 401- 419.

This study focused management tactics and relationships that are used when engaging in remote work, demographic dissimilarity, and social network centrality. They focused on the use of impression management behaviors in these situations and the impact these environments have on working relationships. The study found that people will engage in more impression management behaviors when they are working remotely with a strong social networking centrality but removing the centrality will decrease this trend. The findings suggest that if people are not given many opportunities to engage in impression management, they will put less effort into creating those self-images.

The study this article relies on is small, conducted within one organization, with a sample size of only about 100 respondents. The study was based on survey responses from both workers and managers. The researchers took note and accounted for gender and minority voices included in the workforce. The study is from 2005, and technology capabilities have significantly changed since then, however for the purposes of this paper it is being assumed that the tendency to engage in these impression management behaviors has remained relatively the same.

This study supports our topic of exploring the new difficulties around work and training during the COVID-19 pandemic by giving an insight into how organizational and worker behavior changes when forced to work remotely. The article helps explain not only some issues that may arise, such as too much impression management, but also discusses the ways this can be limited or used in an organization through carefully designing the social networking tools used.

Bell, B. S., Kanar, A. M., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2008). Current issues and future directions in simulation-based training in North America. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(8), 1416–1434.

This article explores some of the more pressing advantages and disadvantages of simulation-based training, using other studies and statistics to back up its claims. Technological advances in the world today have led to an increased use of computer-based simulations in training employees. The content of these simulations is becoming richer with information, incorporating a variety of multimedia tools to engage the trainee. They are becoming more and more immersive, and although the level of interactivity varies with each program, many programs use highly interactive simulated games to train and grow an employee’s skill in a specific field. Another benefit of computer-based training is that the trainers can see the trainees progress in real time and offer feedback and guidance. Disadvantages of simulation-based training include development costs involved in creating these types of training, differences in levels of learner control, individual differences, and social differences.

This relates to our topic because we focus on the challenges that the workforce is facing in training new hires during the Coronavirus pandemic. The article goes in depth on issues that arise as a result of using technology to train employees. It shows disadvantages that companies face as a result of using computer-based simulations, but also the challenges that employees face, which directly relates to our topic.

Home workers denied development opportunities. (2003). Journal of European Industrial Training, 27(7), 382-383.

According to the work foundation research, many companies are not offering opportunities for development within the company. They have looked into companies in the UK where most people that are working remotely are less likely to get the same type of resources that will help them to develop new opportunities. When the survey was done it said that most of the companies will offer the same opportunity for growth development but only 55% of them will offer the same amount of coaching for support.  This study goes into depth about the different types of support that each company does or does not offer for each of their employees, as well as provides percentages relating to how these companies are failing to support their remote workers. Instead they just want to help those that are physically working in the company. Evidence shows that when the company is willing to help out their employees then the employees are going to give the same amount of work back into the company.

This is relevant to our topic because of the importance in being aware of biases possible in a company’s management. Because of the unprecedented amount of people now being forced to work from home, it is important that management is aware of how that distance can impact the opportunities they provide to their employees and work to overcome that bias.

Hudecheck, M., Sirén, C., Grichnik, D., & Wincent, J. (2020, March 9).  How Companies Can Respond to the Coronavirus. Retrieved April 23, 2020, from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-companies-can-respond-to-the-coronavirus/Home workers denied development opportunities. (2003). Journal of European Industrial Training, 27(7), 382-383.

This article talks about the effect that the coronavirus can have on the economy and the globe trade market because of the quarantine. The research shows how China is managing their companies and it also shares with other companies how they could cope with the situation as well. The way that China is taking remote Telecommuting into action is that they will use this to have regular business functions instead of just shutting down part of the company. They also state many ways that companies can help people that are working remotely to grow and to help them to have better results. The company should also be prepared to deal with issues that might occur.

Kinnunen-Amoroso, M., & Liira, J. (2014). Work-related stress management by Finnish enterprises. Industrial Health, 52(3), 216-224.

This article looks into the effects of work-related stress, and cost-effective ways to help prevent, and handle it. It gave the results of a study conducted on various workers, the study was conducted through in person interviews, and various questionnaires that were all overseen by 10 physicians and 8 nurses. The goal of the study was to find each individual’s experience in their workplace in regard to behavioral, normative, and control beliefs. The study showed that all participants experienced a similar level of workplace stress, and there was no differentiation between backgrounds, fields of work, or company size. This article is a good source because it is based on a factual study that was conducted with practicing physicians there able to clarify and refine the results of the study. This is relevant to our topic because many people are going to be dealing with work-related stress with the way COVID-19 is affecting the workplace and the way work will be conducted from now on.

Sandy Staples. (1997). An Investigation of Information Technology- Enabled Remote Management and Remote Work Issues. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 4(2), Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 01 May 1997, Vol.4(2).

This study focuses on the inequalities that individuals might face when it comes to information technology (IT). It suggests that employees that work in companies where technology is their main product or services have a harder time working remotely. This is a key enabler of having effective management for their remote workers. This may be the case because those companies do not have the infrastructure and the lack of technical equipment and support that it takes for their employees to have effective training from home. With the lack of technical equipment and support, employees will not be able to complete their work, but also if they need technical support, they will not be able to receive it. This support is important because without it, employees will not understand how to solve problems that they are facing.

One idea that is explored in this article is an issue of performance management. This is an issue because to be able to effectively manage the employees there needs to be a relationship between the managers and the employees. It is critical to have these relationships; without them it is difficult to develop the management style that works best in your organization. Even though this research was conducted in May of 1997, it is currently relevant during this COVID-19 pandemic because many employees and managers are not working at the same location, so they will not be able to interact with each other in a way that will help improve their relationship.

Schindler, E. (2016). The remote worker’s survival guide: Get beyond the challenges to reap benefits (First ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media.

This article highlights many challenges that someone may face when they are working from home and the perception that people might have of those who work from home. Some of these challenges may be, becoming distracted, managing their own time, structure, and coping with isolation. These are just some of the challenges that an individual might face when working from home. Working from home also comes with perceptions that people have about working from home are that those who work from home are lazy and that they are not getting their work done. This article is based on anecdotal evidence, but it gives solutions to common problems that may be faced when working from home.

3 tips from Adobe on moving employee training online in response to the coronavirus. Fortune.Com, N.PAG.

In this article, Danielle Clark, the senior director of global talent development, offers a few tips on online training during the Coronavirus pandemic. Adobe quickly, and successfully moved most of their classes online. Some of her tips are that less content is better, as online attention spans are shorter than in person, make 50% of the training interactive, and use an outside online coaching platform. In our blog, we will write about challenges that employees are facing regarding training, but also want to mention some solutions to these problems. While this article is mainly opinion based, these tips did work for Adobe and may work for other companies as well.

Vincent DeArmond, Miguel Hernandez Cortez, Khloe Kendall, Kiana Voigt, Mason Waller