American Journal of Economic and

Management Business

e-ISSN: 2835-5199

Vol. 2 No. 3 March 2023

CHANGES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE WITHIN THE

COMPANY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Monika S. Claudia, Fadila Hardika P., Naufal Ibrahim

Pembangunan Jaya University, Indonesia

Email: [email protected],[email protected],

[email protected]

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in various sectors of human life

and triggered significant and rapid cultural changes within organizations. Because the

virus has caused a long-lasting pandemic, many companies have had to change their

strategies and culture within their organization. The type of research taken is a qualitative

descriptive approach with conceptual data types, and the data source used is secondary

data based on previous research results or notes. The results of this research show that the

organizational culture changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic include the

implementation of remote work, emphasis on employee health and safety, changes in

leadership style, increased internal and external communication, as well as innovation

and digitization. Although these changes pose challenges for organizations, they also

present opportunities to improve and strengthen organizations in the future.

Keywords: Pandemic, Corporate Culture, Organizational Culture.

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

International

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on organizations around

the world, forcing them to adapt quickly and shift to remote work arrangements. In

organizational culture it has become a very important element for organizations to be

able to navigate the challenges faced by the pandemic and maintain employee

productivity and well-being. By understanding the role organizations play in dealing with

the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations can take more effective steps to sustain their

future success and face challenges not seen before.

Organizational culture is the shared values, norms, and beliefs held by the

employees of an organization. A good and healthy organizational culture can improve

organizational performance and employee satisfaction (Mariani Shoshana Giantara,

2015). However, during the pandemic, organizationsmust adapt to uncertain and difficult

circumstances.

Some of the organizational culture changes that emerged during the Covid-19

pandemic include increased openness and communication, changes in priorities and

focus, increased flexibility and cooperation , and increased concern for employee

welfare. However, not all organizations manage to change their culture well, and many

American Journal of Economic and Management Business

Vol. 2 No. 3 March 2023

still have difficulty dealing with these changes. Changes in organizational culture during

the COVID-19 pandemic have affected various aspects of organizational life, ranging

from productivity levels, employee welfare, to business sustainability.

In this uncertain situation , organizations need to change their culture to be

more adaptive and responsive to change. They must increase flexibility and develop the

ability to work effectively in uncertain and dynamic situations.

In a company, of course, there isan organization that has its own culture. Corporate

culture is a belief, value, normal and shared trust that becomes a characteristic of the

company that must be followed by all members of the company (Mariani Shoshana

Giantara, 2015). Culture in a company can be used to interpret events within the scope

of that company. Corporate culture can be an important reference in the main success or

failure of a company's target (Asbari et al., 2020).

Organizational norms andnorms spread to everyone within the organization and

became customary ways for people to interact and stakeholders outside the organization.

New members must adjust to a long time to adapt to the culture in the company

(Santoso &; Purwanti, 2013). How long it takes for a new member to adjust and learn

the new cultural environment makes it easier for the new member to synergize with the

new member.

RESEARCH METHODS

The research design aims to provide direction ranging from providing data,

analyzing data, to presenting the results of data analysis as answers to questions asked in

the study. Everything is done in order to ensure that the data provided, the analysis carried

out and the results of the analysis presented really answer the questions asked as research

problems (Research, 2003).

The type of research taken is a qualitative descriptive approach, qualitative research

is research that intends to understand phenomena about what is experienced by research

subjects such as behavior, perception, motivation, action, etc. holistically, and by means

of description in the form of words and language (Saleh, 2021). Descriptive itself is a

research method used to clarify all social symptoms that guide researchers in depth

(Saleh, 2021).

Based on the type of data, this study used a conceptual research design. Research

that uses conceptual is research that focuses on understanding certain concepts or theories.

In conceptual research, researchers use conceptual understanding to analyze a topic or

phenomenon. This research aims to develop or clarify the understanding of existing

concepts or theories (PRATIWI, 2022).

Conceptual research usually involves reviewing literature or analyzing existing

concepts, to identify differences and similarities in concepts and their relationship to the

phenomenon being studied. The results of conceptual research are usually in the form of

a conceptual or theoretical framework that can be used as a foundation for further research

(Utami, 2015).

Thus, overall this qualitative research design is operationally a study that uses

descriptive analysis for its purpose, using conceptual to provide data. From this design is

part of one of the characteristics of qualitative research design that is flexible with the

type of data is secondary which refers to information collected from pre-existing data or

sources. Secondary data sources are records or documentation that has been made

previously by researchers either from government publications, websites, and so on

(Moshinsky, 1959).

Monika S. Claudia, Fadila Hardika P., Naufal Ibrahim

The source of data research used by researchers is existing documents or research,

which is related to a particular event or activity related to the purpose of this study. The

document is in the form of data or heritage journals related to the event being studied.

This source is data that supports further research for the purposes of adding related data,

literature and reading.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

In December 2019, a previously unknown case of pneumonia was reported in

Wuhan, China. Although the origin of this virus is still not known with certainty, it is

often associated with fish markets in Wuhan because cases first appeared in the area.

Although the origin of the virus is still a mystery, it is often associated with a seafood

market in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The virus was named 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-

nCoV) and later renamed Coronavirus Disease by WHO (Organization, 2020).

The virus can be transmitted from human to human through droplets coming from

infected patients and can occur when patients cough, sneeze, or talk. The Covid-19 virus

was first reported in Indonesia in March 2020 with 2 cases. People who have close contact

with patients are particularly at risk for infection, including people who care for those

patients. Your t and common symptoms of the early stages of Covid-19 disease are

respiratory disorders such as shortness of breath, coughing, and so on. This virus has an

average incubation period of 5-6 days and can cause symptoms such as coughing,

sneezing, and for serious cases it can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and even death

(Achmad Yurianto, 2020).

According to the Minister of Economic Affairs (Hartanto, 2022), theCovid-19

epidemic has resulted in changes in all sectors of human life such as the economy, socio-

culture, and education. All people in the world are required to adopt a new lifestyle or

"new normal" during this pandemic, such as implementing a healthy lifestyle, doing

sports, tightening health protocols such as using masks, washing hands, and maintaining

distance.

According to Oemar (2021), changes in organizational culture that occurred during

the COVID-19 pandemic were very significant and quickly occurred because

organizations had to adapt to uncertain and dynamic conditions. Some of the

organizational culture changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic are:

1. Remote work from home

Lockdown policies and social distancing have forced many organizations to

implement remote work. This requires adjustments in terms of technology,

communication, and time management in order to remain productive and effective.

2. Emphasis on employee health and safety

Organizations must prioritize the health and safety of employees to avoid

spreading the virus. This includes the implementation of health protocols in the

workplace, such as checking body temperature, wearing masks, providing hand

sanitizers, and others.

3. Changes in leadership style

An effective leadership style during a pandemic is one that is more flexible,

adaptive, and responsive. Leadership that is inclusive, empathetic, and oriented

towards employee well-being is also becoming more important.

4. Improved internal and external communication

American Journal of Economic and Management Business

Vol. 2 No. 3 March 2023

Good communication is key during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations

must communicate more frequently with employees and customers about changes in

policies, health protocols, and others.

5. Innovation and digitalization

Organizations must better innovate and adopt technology to survive during the

pandemic. For example, organizations should better leverage digital technology to sell

products and services online and facilitate contactless payments.

Changes in organizational culture that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic

are not only an adjustment to new conditions, but also an opportunity to improve and

strengthen the organization in the future.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in major changes in various sectors of human

life such as economy, socio-culture, and education. During the pandemic, people around

the world are required to adopt a new lifestyle or "new normal" such as implementing a

healthy lifestyle, doing sports, tightening health protocols, and maintaining distance. On

the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has also triggered significant and rapid

organizational culture changes. Some of the organizational culture changes that occurred

during the COVID-19 pandemic were the implementation of remote working, emphasis

on employee health and safety, changes in leadership styles, improved internal and

external communication, and innovation and digitalization. Although this change is a

challenge for the organization, it is also an opportunity to improve and strengthen the

organization in the future. Therefore, organizations must be able to adapt and benefit from

changes in organizational culture to be able to survive and thrive in the midst of uncertain

and dynamic conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Monika S. Claudia, Fadila Hardika P., Naufal Ibrahim (2023)

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