Case Study: New Normal In The COVID Pandemic

Case Study: New Normal: COVID Pandemic

The chosen case study was "New Normal: COVID pandemic. The expert selected for the interview to explore more about the case is a physician who specializes in infectious diseases. The interviewee is accessed and interviewed through a referral. The interview was about the emergence of the pandemic and their response as physicians. It was an informative session and helped me to know some hidden challenges associated with the pandemic.

The chosen case tells the whole story about the pandemic, but how it impacted physicians and their mental health is not highlighted in the case (Collins & Kanashiro, 2021). All in all, the COVID pandemic was a challenge for everyone, whether physicians or common people. However, the role of physicians in dealing with the pandemic cannot be undermined. Physicians, as frontline workers, fought with the crisis and saved the whole world. I asked about his experience during the pandemic outbreak, and there was sadness on his face.

He said it was a black period of his profession. Despite having confidence in who I am, I failed to convince myself to keep hope during that time. We witnessed the deaths of millions of people that were hard to digest. We worked for long shifts without having rest to ensure comfort for communities. There was no way back because our motive was to treat every patient regardless of who they were and from where they came.

Even though we, being physicians and experts, put our 100% still, the death toll was increasing every day, leaving us in grief and hopelessness. The emergence of the pandemic was a challenge for the whole world, and the response of everyone differs based on the severity of outcomes them. Businesses, regardless of size and industry, suffered heavily under the covid wave. The majority of companies survived during the pandemic, but some small businesses, due to continuous closure, failed to maintain their existence. Legally, businesses have the right to operate, but ethically, they should not operate under severe circumstances created due to the pandemic.

Despite having the right to operate, the majority of businesses decided not to operate and follow safety guidelines. Under the enormous pressure of governments, businesses remained closed throughout the pandemic, and those who followed government orders showed their commitment to ethical business practices and care for humanity. Business decision-making during COVID-19 highlights their commitment to ethics and ethical business practices. Covid-19 was perceived as a crisis, and crises happen unexpectedly. The response of firms during these crises helps us to understand their business focus.

Although every firm is operating to earn a profit, thinking about profit when communities are suffering through hard times is an unethical business practice. There are companies who prioritized their stakeholders more than profit during the COVID crisis, but there are those who use strategies to earn profit out of these crises. These business activities negatively affect their public perception and challenge their existence after a crisis (Zubielqui & Harris, 2023). Moreover, some companies, due to not running a supply chain, furlough most of their employees. Some companies limited their facilities and wages to balance the needs of the company and the need to retain employees.

Although it was an unethical decision to furlough employees at such a critical time, there was no other way (Kooli et al., 2022). Companies were facing a continuous decline in demand, productions were closed, and, in such situations, managing employees' salaries was a challenge. Millions of employees lost their employment during the pandemic and are still suffering because of the long-lasting impact on economies. Despite furloughs, some companies still faced challenges, and then they refused to pay rent to landlords. There is a lesson for landlords and tenants for future dealings.

There should be flexibility in lease agreements to ensure that customers communicate their concerns openly and do not make such decisions. Open and transparent communication should also be practised to address such issues in rental payments. Landlords and tenants should make changes in the way they confirm contracts to minimize loss during a crisis. There should be strategies in place to adjust lease agreements according to the need of time. For example, a contingency plan would be helpful for landlords and tenants to deal with customers in severe situations like COVID.

Due to lockdown and closures, people were not moving out of their homes, posing threats to businesses such as restaurants and vocational places. In contrast, there were some companies like PepsiCo who decided to bear the cost of the pandemic themselves and keep the stakeholders first. They continued to pay employees working from home and those who were unable to work from home for about 12 weeks (Collins & Kanashiro, 2021). Such responses highlight the ethical responsibilities of companies and their willingness to bring realistic change. Some companies like Nike donated their specially designed shoes for care providers to keep them motivated and fighting at the frontline.

The case highlights challenges faced by frontline workers like physicians, and the interview response from the expert physician in infectious diseases shows that healthcare providers play a central role in dealing with COVID-19 and its threats. Their role in providing treatments and guidance to communities cannot be ignored. They worked day and night to ensure that everyone had access to care facilities and they were being treated. COVID-19 was a deadly virus, and because of not having a preplanned vaccine for it, millions of people lost their lives. During the tough times, both the positive and negative roles of individuals and organizations will be remembered.

It was a nightmare that has passed but leaves numerous lessons for businesses and organizations. Businesses could have used their experiences to improve their performance in the present and future. The emergence of COVID-19 and the survival of businesses through it should be used to develop future business strategies. Events like COVID-19 are uncertain and could happen unexpectedly; thus, having preparations and strategies in place would enable businesses to strike and survive. Advanced technology and economic processes serve as important tools to navigate through such hard times.

For example, integration of technology and advancement to transfer physical businesses online is the strategy that could save businesses from unexpected happenings. During the pandemic, physical companies suffered the most. Thus, the business model should be resilient to every tough situation. Having an online presence would enable businesses to operate even during closures and shutdowns. Similarly, if an internet breakdown happens, having a physical outlet could preserve the company's performance and keep operations running.

Thus, having both physical and online presence is crucial to deal with uncertain events. Moreover, there should be a backup plan. No one knows what is happening in the next moment; thus, businesses, regardless of size and industry, should have a backup plan. For example, during COVID-19, companies that introduced remote working at their organizations were more likely to continue their operations compared to those who had to design and set up remote work during an ongoing crisis. Remote working culture served as a backup plan for those who have invested in it (Leyes, 2020).

Real competition occurs under tough circumstances; thus, it is important for companies to stay one step ahead of time. Planning and strategies should be focused and long-term. Different companies had different experiences during COVID-19. Thus, they should know how to avoid these negative experiences next time. They should have a plan for the challenges they encounter.

To conclude, the pandemic was a nightmare for everyone. It disrupts everything around us. The case study explores detailed information about the pandemic. Along with the case study, an interview with the field expert helped me to understand it properly. The behaviour of businesses and companies during the pandemic revealed the focus of their business strategies.

It was a hard time for businesses, regardless of size and industry. The majority of businesses, due to their ethical decision-making, maintain their survival, while most small businesses fail to maintain their existence. It is recommended that businesses should learn from their experiences during the pandemic and prepare strategies to avoid such challenges for the next time. Such crises could happen unexpectedly; thus, having a strategy in place would enable businesses to stand strong and fight.

References

• Collins, D., & Kanashiro, P. (2021). Business Ethics. SAGE Publications, Inc; Third edition.
• Kooli, C., Son, M. L., & Beloufa, I. (2022). Business ethics in the era of COVID-19: How to protect jobs and employment rights through innovation. QSCIENCE.
• Leyes, K. (2020). How Businesses Can Adapt To An Uncertain Future. Forbes.
• Zubielqui, G. C., & Harris, H. (2023). Why the COVID-19 Crisis Is an Ethical Issue for Business: Evidence from the Australian JobKeeper Initiative. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.1007/s