Back to a New Normal: In Search of Stability in an Era of Pandemic Disruption - Insight from Practitioners and Academics

This book aims at exploring the profound effects of Covid-19 on people’s ways of life at home and at work, and offers strategies and expert advice for ‘survival’ as the world finds itself in a new reality that has formed by the pandemic. At the very core of Back to a New Normal is the premise that the virus, which continues to infect more than 137 million individuals worldwide and has caused millions of deaths, has also triggered radical changes within individual and organizational levels.

At the same time, it opened opportunities that ignited human ingenuity and tested human adaptation. Taming the pandemic is urgent and essential but it is just the first step. Just as critical, is the need to be better prepared for future pandemics that are sure to occur. Focusing primarily on the latter, the book’s chapters follow a how to approach by exposing the severity of Covid-19’s impact on the behaviors of people and organizations, and effective ways for managing the pandemic’s unfolding consequences with an eye on the future.

For that purpose, we asked a group of experts from the academia and practitioners from various fields to share their know how and experience dealing with the consequences of the pandemic, and offer strategies for coping with its harmful effects. This book follows in that vein.

Acknowledgments.
Preface.
Part I. Workforce And Workplace Challenges And Opportunities.
Chapter 1. Invisible Heroes: The Mission Critical Role of HR During the COVID-19 Pandemic; Teresa Daniel.
Chapter 2. Supply Chain Under Pandemic Pressure: How to Build a More Resilient Supply Chain; Lathan C. Austin.
Chapter 3. Healthcare and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Caring for Those Who Care For Us; Rebecca D. Carpenter.
Chapter 4. The Pandemic and the Long-Term Unemployed: A Road Map for Job Search Turnaround; S. Charles Malka and Robert H. Tiell.
Chapter 5. Monetizing Compassion: The Case for a New-Age Currency; R. Brayton Bowen.
Chapter 6. From Disruption to Connection: How Mindful Conflict Management Builds Bridges During the Pandemic and Beyond; LaVena Wilkin.
Chapter 7. Big Problems, Big Data: The Critical Role of IT During an Era of Pandemic Disruption; Michael Hart.
Chapter 8. Networking Postpandemic Just Got Easier AND Harder; Clay Morgan.
Chapter 9. Pandering to Pandemics: Framing Choices for Success—Insight for CEOs; Lathan C. Austin.
Chapter 10. Job Search for the Long-Term Unemployed: A Practical Approach for Practitioners; Robert H. Tiell and S. Charles Malka.
Chapter 11. Business Sustainability During a Pandemic: Practical Steps to Succession Planning; Orville Blackman.
Part II. Remote Working Challenges And Strategies.
Chapter 12. How to Thrive While Working From Home; Terry Kibiloski.
Chapter 13. A Whole New Ball Game: Motivating and Managing a Remote Work Force; Helen Maclennan.
Chapter 14. Measuring Success During a Pandemic: Time Management, Mindfulness, and Staying Positive; Kimberly Castle.
Part III. Remote Learning Challenges And Considerations.
Chapter 15. Asynchronous and Synchronous Online Learning During a Pandemic; Anthony Piña.
Chapter 16. The Mechanics of Remote Learning and Remote Working: A Logistics Perspective; Tom Javarinis.
Chapter 17. Academic Challenges of Virtual Classes During the Pandemic: Elementary ESL Teacher's Perspective; Joanne Rodriguez Addarich.
Chapter 18. Resetting the Norm: Leveraging the Pandemic to Increase Equity in Education; J. Claudette Howard.
Epilogue.
About the Contributors.