DURBAN - One of the ultimate silver linings of the Coronavirus pandemic has been the improvement of workplace culture, a new study found.
As many people moved to remote working, many companies have gone the extra mile to help their employees cope with levels of crisis most have never experienced in their lifetimes and frequent communication.
study
from Quartz and Qualtrics found that the impact on culture in workplaces around the world hasn’t been all that detrimental. In fact, more people said their workplace culture had gotten better in the pandemic than said it had deteriorated.
According to the study among the 2,100 people who took part in the study, 37 percent said their workplace culture had improved since the start of the pandemic, compared to 15 percent who said it had deteriorated. Respondents were all employed adults in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the US.
Another survey conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, titled “
Corporate Culture During the Pandemic
,” found that the pandemic had positively affected company culture. However, with layoffs, furloughs and failing businesses, and unemployment at an all-time high, there are certainly organizations where culture has been negatively affected.
“The myth that things just take a long time was shattered, many companies surprised themselves at how quickly they can put changes into place when necessary. Confidence in our resiliency has only grown. People see that we can adapt and pivot very quickly. That showcased the new attitude organizations are adopting,” said Kevin Oakes CEO of the Institute for Corporate Productivity.
Telus International
, which polled more than 1,000 working Americans, found half feel less connected to their company culture while they’ve been working from home. About 47 percent believe their current employer values company culture and is committed to enhancing it virtually.
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