HR Activities Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic across Levels of Analysis

Theoretical background: The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic heralded significant changes to existing HR activities followed by organizations and companies, trying to respond to government restrictions and new employment conditions. During these challenging times, employees are in the need of robust support by HR professionals in order to keep on performing, being motivated and thriving within their organizations and companies. Nonetheless, these modified HR activities are going through the stages of conception, actual implementation and, finally, they are experienced by employees. The intended, actual and experienced HR activities may evolve over time due to external and internal factors that are connected to pandemic. Understanding these changes is necessary for achieving effective HR management and optimal levels of organizational performance. Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to discuss the factors that affect HR activities through the framework of their internalization process. The factors that may be catalysts for changes of the HR activities on different levels: intended, actual and experienced activities over time are discussed and guidelines for future research are suggested. Research methods: The article applies literature review of possible factors that may induce changes in intended, actual and experienced HR practices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Main findings: Absence of appropriate HR activities may increase anxiety and stress levels of employees. This negative impact can be potentially augmented by the perceived gap between employee expectations and the actual experience of these HR activities. In an effort to better understand these gaps occurring during the internalization process, we suggest that HR activities at the intended level may change due to business transformation, workplace transformation and employee well-being, while line manager’s characteristics and interactions with HRM departments may be catalysts for change in the actual HR. Finally, the assessment of the outcome of HR activities, the way in which they are delivered, and their continuity could be considered as important factors at the experienced level of the internalization process.