Dear Colleagues,

The current worldwide scenario for people management is full of challenges and uncertainties. As a result of the SARS-CoV-2 public health pandemic, the forms of work organization have changed dramatically and at breakneck speed. Under the threat of the disruption of national health services, successive restrictions were witnessed across the world in general, with governments seeking a balance between public health and operability in national economies. Within the framework of government decisions aimed at protecting public health, people-management measures, restrictions on movement and individual freedoms stand out, which materialized a new reality that is felt at the personal, family and professional levels.

The whole context generated by the countries’ reactions to the pandemic may have started a new era, namely, with the issues related to the management of people in pandemic times, the maintenance of work objectives, productivity and the management of social distancing at work. It is in this context that leadership issues emerge as fundamental aspects drawing attention in research, not only in terms of the critical space they occupy in management decisions, in the performance of workers, but also in the way businesses become and remain viable. Thus, and since the medium- and long-term effects caused by the pandemic in the workplace are still to be understood, it becomes relevant to study its impact in terms of the management of organizations, the ways people in which are managed, leadership and the effects on workers’ behaviour.

This Special Issue that we propose here is intended to discuss the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on leadership and people management, looking for research contributions on the changes felt in the workplace in the areas of leadership, people’s behaviour and human resource management. We seek submissions that focus on the approaches to leadership and HRM brought about by SARS-CoV-2 in order to evaluate new and insightful perspectives regarding the existence of a new era in people management. 

Relevant theoretical perspectives might include (but are not limited to):

● The impact of COVID-19 on human resource management;

● Leadership in pandemic times;

● Human capital;

● Lay-offs;

● Relational architecture;

● Positive workplace relationships at distance;

● Telework and leadership;

● The pandemic’s effects on work relationships;

● Work–life balance in pandemic times;

● The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality;

● Well-being in the era of COVID-19;

● Supportive behaviour  during   the crisis;

● Stress and burnout in pandemic times;

● Remote/on-line management;

● New generations and their adaptation to telework.

Prof. ‪Neuza Ribeiro
Prof. Daniel Roque Gomes
Guest Editors

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• leadership
• COVID-19
• challenges
• organizational behaviour
• human resource management