Essential Work in the U.S. during COVID-19: Navigating Vulnerability–Sustainability Tensions
| Autor: | Astrid M. Villamil, Suzy D'Enbeau |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
media_common.quotation_subject
Geography Planning and Development Vulnerability TJ807-830 essential work Management Monitoring Policy and Law Burnout TD194-195 Renewable energy sources workplace dignity Dignity medicine GE1-350 Sociology emotional communication media_common tensions Environmental effects of industries and plants Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment business.industry organizational sustainability COVID-19 Emotion work Public relations Environmental sciences Work (electrical) Sustainability Anxiety medicine.symptom business Qualitative research |
| Zdroj: | Sustainability, Vol 13, Iss 10665, p 10665 (2021) Sustainability Volume 13 Issue 19 |
| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| Popis: | The COVID-19 pandemic affected every functioning system in the United States. Workers deemed “essential” faced multiple threats to their well-being that quickly led to acute symptoms of anxiety, depression, burnout, and overall exhaustion, and organizations were challenged to devise employee protocols to maintain sustainability. This qualitative study takes a tension-centered approach to discern how “essential workers” in the United States navigated this tenuous work landscape, particularly with regard to emotional work and workplace dignity. We conducted 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews with essential workers during COVID-19. Our constant comparative analysis of the data identified a macro-tension between vulnerability and sustainability that was revealed through two micro-tensions: (a) essential work as instrumental and disposable, and (b) workplace dignity as recognized and transgressed. We unpack the emotional responses enmeshed in these micro-tensions and situate our findings at the intersection of organizational sustainability, emotional work and workplace dignity. We offer theoretical and practical implications for essential workers and organizations. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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