A systematic review on the impacts of Covid‐19 on work: Contributions and a path forward from the perspectives of ergonomics and psychodynamics of work

• Published in: Human factors and ergonomics in manufacturing & service industries Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 375 - 388
• Main Authors: Sigahi, Tiago F. A. C., Kawasaki, Bruno C., Bolis, Ivan, Morioka, Sandra N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.07.2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: COVID-19; Economic sectors; Empirical analysis; Ergonomics; management; Medical personnel; Occupational health; Organizations; Pandemics; psychodynamics of work; Qualitative analysis; Review; Reviews; Systematic review; work; Workers; Working conditions; Covid‐19; psychodynamics of work; management; ergonomics; work
• ISSN: 1090-8471; 1520-6564
• DOI: 10.1002/hfm.20889

Work is a major issue in the discussions on the Covid‐19 pandemic, whose consequences impair the capacities of workers at all organizational levels and impose unexpected challenges on managers. Nevertheless, the scientific literature still lacks an overview of how researchers have been covering the issue. This article presents a systematic review to investigate the impact of Covid‐19 on work and workers of all occupations, reveal research gaps, and help managers to adapt to organizations amid the pandemic. This review is based on a sample of 258 papers from Web of Science and Scopus databases. Quantitative and qualitative analysis indicated a vast majority of studies focused on frontline healthcare workers and a lack of empirical investigation on managers' work. We show how literature has been addressing different aspects of work (e.g., workers' health, working conditions, procedures, protection equipment, remote working, etc.) in the various economic sectors. We discuss the results in light of ergonomics and psychodynamics of work, two disciplines that conceive work and organization as intimately connected, and that can assist managers in meeting the difficulties brought by the pandemic. We highlight that considering the construction of health, interindividual variability, subjective relation to work, supportive workplace environment, and organizational and individual capabilities can play a key role in successfully adapting and transforming organizations in the current scenario.