A Multilevel Perspective on Norm Formation and Organisational Culture During Times of Uncertainty

Abstract

While a record number of employees work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations are faced with a new demand for human resources (HR) policies and procedures in light of this emerging ‘new normal’. It is common for organisations to promote certain behaviours and norms as their cultures develop; however, this can often be significantly more challenging in times of uncertainty. As a result, the strategic and operational focus of HR managers can make a critical contribution to organisational effectiveness in times of crisis, especially when pre-existing policies and procedures are challenged by employees attempting to cope in an evolving reality. In this chapter, we seek to explain how the needs of the organisation, policy enforcement and changes by HR managers, and the behaviours of employees conflict and complement each other in an internal three-way tug of war among these actors. Organisational culture, strategic HR management, and self-determination theories are utilised to discuss implications for norm formation and culture from the top management team, HR managers, and employees during times of uncertainty. Recommendations for practice and additional avenues for research are presented to examine the cultural implications for organisations in the future.

Citation

Deeg, M.D., Henck, A.F. and Matthes, D. (2021), "A Multilevel Perspective on Norm Formation and Organisational Culture During Times of Uncertainty", Kumar, P., Agrawal, A. and Budhwar, P. (Ed.) Work from Home: Multi-level Perspectives on the New Normal, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 165-181. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-661-220210010