Resilience in Times of Global Pandemic: Steering Recovery and Thriving Trajectories

Abstract

Disasters, including earthquakes, wildfires, terrorist attacks, and infectious disease outbreaks, are catastrophic events that expose individuals to stress, disrupt community routines and dynamics, undermine infrastructure and businesses, and result in economic losses for a significant period (Bader, Schuster, & Dickmann, 2019; Bakić, 2019). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic in the early months of 2020 and classed it as a major disaster. This pandemic is unique, one of few catastrophic events in recent history to affect the entire global population, and its severity and long-term consequences will test individuals, organisations, communities, and nations in unprecedented ways. The COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies an acute extraorganisational stressor, and it differs from chronic workplace stressors such as role overload or work-life conflict in terms of its magnitude, scope, and impact on personal, social, and organisational resources (Biggs, Brough, & Barbour, 2014). Acute stressors pose double-edged swords in occupational settings: on the one hand, they can be trauma-inducing and destabilise individuals and workplaces for an extended period; on the other hand, the stress responses these acute stressors trigger are often catalysts to positive adaptation and growth, that is, resilience (Liu, Ein, Gervasio, & Vickers, 2019). At the individual level, disaster resilience encompasses the range of positive and negative human reactions to the heightened stress caused by a significant adverse event, and is reflected on distinct trajectories (Fisher, Ragsdale, & Fisher, 2019; Tedeschi, Calhoun, Shakespeare-Finch, & Taku, 2018). A survival trajectory signals a stress response characterised by impaired cognitive and affective functioning in the immediate aftermath of exposure to an acute stressor. Over time and with adequate resources, this course may evolve to an upward recovery trajectory, or, in the absence of support, slip into decline (survival-to-decline). Recovery indicates a resilience trajectory wherein individuals restore regular psychosocial functioning following a temporary phase of impairment immediately after the disaster. Thriving, also labelled post-traumatic growth, is a resilience trajectory that may ensue from recovery, and reflects the capacity to rely upon and further develop personal and social resources in the aftermath of a disaster, resulting in positive adaptation. The latter trajectory occurs when individuals frame the crisis as an opportunity to generate new resources and grow, rather than as a threat to wellbeing which they must overcome and emotionally recover from (Fisher et al., 2019; Shakespeare-Finch, Bowen-Salter, Cashin, Badawi, Wells, Rosenbaum, & Steel, 2020; Tedeschi et al., 2018). Scholars have defined resilience as the ability to bounce back from crises and to modify goals and behaviours to cope with changes in the environment, emphasising the adaptive principles underlying a recovery trajectory (e.g., Sutcliffe & Vogus, 2003). Others explored how organisations can support a thriving trajectory and identified the proactive and transformational keystones of resilience that enable individuals to continually develop resources (e.g., Nilakant et al., 2016). Resilience in the workplace is, therefore, a multifaceted and multilevel construct that signifies: a protective factor evolving from a set of personal attributes that allows individuals to restore a state of wellbeing following exposure to adversity (Bonanno, 2004; Southwick, Bonanno, Masten, Panter-Brick, & Yehuda, 2014); a dynamic cognitive-emotional process of utilising personal, social, and environmental resources to adapt to chronic and acute stressors (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2013; Shaw, McLean, Taylor, & Swartout, 2016); and the capability to proactively develop resources as preparedness factors to effectively cope with and even thrive in the face of adversity (e.g., Kuntz, Malinen, & Näswall, 2017; Vanhove, Herian, Perez, Harms, & Lester, 2016). Irrespective of their predominantly restorative/adaptive or futureproofing/proactive precepts, contemporary perspectives of resilience consistently underline its part in human functioning and recuperation in the aftermath of a disaster (Bakić, 2019; Shakespeare-Finch et al., 2020). The immediate and protracted effects of disasters on workers’ stress and health, with the role of resilience as a personal that their negative effects also post-traumatic growth, have significant in the (e.g., 2020; Tedeschi et al., Malinen, Näswall, & Kuntz, 2020). have that even with to their personal resources, and stress responses when to a disaster, individual resilience trajectories to workplaces time & Nilakant et al., 2016). This that an may recovery or thriving trajectories by psychosocial and resources and or to support upward resilience trajectories and to its significant the and factors to distinct resilience trajectories following a major disaster, and the of these factors disaster The of this is to of for workplace resilience and to of and psychosocial and factors that resilience trajectories in that the the of on resilience and disaster response with the COVID-19 pandemic to the and of the is an of the factors that for in stress and resilience trajectories following exposure to an acute stressor, the role of organisations in psychosocial and it the from a in a of in the early months of the COVID-19 of stressors and of organisational crisis are with the psychosocial and support factors identified in the resilience and disaster to the and that are to a disease and how they resilience The of the these with resilience and recent of psychosocial with the COVID-19 pandemic to that recovery and thriving resilience it is that organisations can resilience in the aftermath of a major disaster by stressors and stress to the disaster, and with or further develop organisational resources to these acute stressors such as disasters the recovery trajectories that are on of the and of the resources to cope with Scholars have that individual of an acute and its impact are and the of personal, social, and factors et al., 2019; et al., 2019; et al., 2020; & 2019). an individual may a global crisis as a of personal to an or a disease and to with or even on one of these events to the and opportunity to disasters may also and personal or be as the the of personal and the social and organisational in which individuals are of a disaster, from of and threat level, to its as an to wellbeing or as an opportunity to the of a or a of individual resilience and a for resilience trajectories following exposure to an acute & 2019; Ein, et al., 2019). The the of personal factors that to individual stress following exposure to and the organisational factors that also these and and early are in the as individual factors that of adversity and responses to (e.g., Harms, Vanhove, & Herian, 2017; & 2020; et al., to and and a of have to responses following or stress exposure & 2019). stress and of are to stress ability of and with heightened these responses changes to the to negative of and resilience & 2019). This allows individuals to stress which in in events as rather than and in adaptive individual resilience factor that recovery following exposure to adverse is with a of in with the of adaptive and proactive and the ability to social support as et al., 2020; & 2019). positive affect and the of positive personal resources with the capacity to and of adaptive and wellbeing (e.g., to and the capacity to on positive to frame adverse as and other personal resources to individual resilience to and of are with ability and and to major identified as a protective factor and and to capacity and of ability to cope with in the face of adversity et al., 2020; & these individual resilience factors the that acute stressors are on for recovery or thriving to of these their positive on the of is to the protracted and effects of chronic and acute as by resilience that the of resources and psychosocial in the are factors of workers’ resilience trajectories following a their impact on the positive adaptation of resilience Näswall, & Kuntz, 2019; Nilakant et al., 2016). the and after a disaster, it is for to the and of their resilience trajectory, characterised by a in of and and & 2019). disasters often exposure to an acute or to its organisations resources and support, and of individual the effects of the acute with stressors that workplaces will from that individuals to the protracted effects of a disaster and to chronic stressors cognitive and with to of and and responses for recovery from and & 2020; & responses pose for workplaces in the aftermath of a disaster, and the of factors that negative stress effects to enable recovery trajectories trajectories et al., 2020; & Bonanno, 2019). multilevel of resources, and extraorganisational of (e.g., et 2020; & 2020; et al., 2020). The resources as factors that develop capability and effectively psychosocial a in role organisational and support, and (e.g., & 2019; et al., 2017; et al., 2020). and a of the of organisations to that support of even in are with other that organisations the resources as part of their crisis preparedness to develop a and which recovery and thriving trajectories (e.g., et al., 2019; et al., 2020). is that have the of for stress and resilience in disaster This of to the of that the individual resilience and stress psychosocial and with and organisational and that to and resilience disaster (e.g., et al., 2019; & 2020). as disaster a and explored that resilience it is to and to the factors identified in the including the COVID-19 This from a of the early of the pandemic and on this to the and factors that distinct resilience following the of the COVID-19 outbreak as a its and to the a to the outbreak in the and on the effectively to the to to their immediate and to their of (e.g., and and the This of the it that to from that that other than that personal (e.g., and to rely on significant which in the on the and workplaces to and The from the immediately following the from to as part of by a of to of workers’ and This explored the impact of the pandemic on individuals and its stress the or of and the of resources et al., & and their the global including the resources and support by their from the of The in and and from and classed as as from this to and other in to their time for a a the of on their personal and identified one and that their the of the or their with including the of this with the and with in of to The organisations identified by in the in the and to and The result from the of rather than from which a significant the is one of few to the of of and the early months of the COVID-19 the with The a and the the following in the of the and in to support the The of this the a a the the of a of (e.g., workplace stressors and resources that resilience a by into of and these the and by to and & a and classed by which the the and from the the of The in the of the stressors by the and of the in which organisations and the from to individuals to their role The a of the and workers’ of the pandemic with the of in the resilience The in the for its and of the COVID-19 which for individuals and the crisis the pandemic an impact on and the of the they in the period the and the identified stressors or role support and and work-life of these to or to of the and time as role stressors and the to a a of they to and often with time and resources to a disaster and are often by and time et al., 2019). the stress response a of and and cognitive capacity to and and further stress et al., 2019; et al., 2020; & these role stressors a and role in the and The that the from to with and and time to support in which to in the in that the to with or heightened to significant time and to in to time to and the of the social with the that a significant of role to Health and that or of support from as a significant by of the of changes from of the of the and support for that and wellbeing support from a resilience to cope with the and with a major disaster, and pose a significant factor for when et al., 2019; et al., 2020). the aftermath of a disaster, it is for to their and capacity to support or in regular with et al., and the ability to resources with upward role and This by in the and of the in the that for the of these to and and often to and Health and the the and the that and from and of by (e.g., to of and support for to their stress and with role the and back to Over of the and and a of to in the to a and Over of the that they have or personal protective This is in with from in the that for a caused significant when for extended time (e.g., and with their ability to for (e.g., and the of to infectious and that the they and caused are by recent from the COVID-19 and are as and (e.g., et al., 2020; et al., 2020). in the their their capacity to and the and and that with the and social of or for an extended period can result in chronic stress, which the capacity to regular further the heightened occupational are with an that to acute or chronic stress events may this and and to trajectories (e.g., & of earthquakes, their to and the for and and recovery or resilience trajectories et al., 2019). Over a of the as a of stress in the and The stress to with and the to and new and with these are in the and (e.g., et al., 2019; & the stress and effects of a from to in and that rely on are the may the of the stress by the the stress caused by is a individuals rely on for & and in the from in the and in the and also that from or a significant of stress, one in the to and and their the and from the to adapt to new often with and support et al., 2018). and to a of and further from individuals in the organisational that in and to and of this of and of workplace are have in recent on the global pandemic (e.g., 2020; et al., 2020; & and that undermine individual resilience social a of as a of This in the this and to a and of their in the or the of a role et al., 2018). The and economic and changes caused by the global pandemic may of time and on a global The significant of on workers’ and wellbeing & Näswall, the for organisational to to this psychosocial of and as significant of in the these as and often to of capability to a crisis and to on to as a and of also that and often from conflict or and that and role the of this The resilience that the ability to a range of in response to adversity to the of and to individual and resilience & 2019; & the pandemic or to to and to signals from which may the and and of trajectories of and resources to the capacity to individual and to positive resilience and et al., 2017; & et al., A of the negative with their or as of including or and cognitive and resources et al., 2018). other major the pandemic an impact on the the and the ability to and resulting in or social the and the of and other of the community to of as the pandemic reflected on and when are dynamics, and the of and threat of the for organisations to support and their in the aftermath of a major This may a and following and on and for for to the wellbeing of and of the in the from the significant and and how that conflict signals a conflict with personal and conflict personal with & 2019). in individuals and in occupational in the pandemic social support to resilience and the negative of stress in other of including et al., the pandemic to a of time and than as a to a their ability to on social support from and the from to and in a in for to including significant for these and their et al., 2020). of conflict to a disease outbreak as by the the of a with a also from and to to the of to role (e.g., The workplace stressors the occupational with the by the and pandemic effects these in with other from disaster (e.g., et al., 2019; et al., 2014). the and of exposure to an acute stressor, such as a disaster, result in workplace of stress and stress a pandemic psychosocial occupational and with the that (e.g., workers’ psychosocial functioning is by the of other occupational the to from for extended further psychosocial such as and impaired disasters to with to the and of impact on and the of on have to and from to a global disease or to to with the aftermath of caused by or the latter to to personal may to on organisational resources and support, et al., 2014). from and on to social support, a the identified of support from their that cope with stressors and wellbeing the and support and support, the of and and of the on the of support for wellbeing and role with role and as stress The of and support on factors in crisis and recent from the the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., et al., 2020; et al., 2020). The and the of resilience and wellbeing that regular from their or a to their ability to cope with and on these to the wellbeing of their also to and the changes that as organisations and their with the pandemic response on the they to of support and their ability to the of and the and for a of and organisational and in on resilience indicates that by and role and to to develop factors with recovery trajectories et al., 2019; et al., 2020). of the on support as a to cope with pandemic support in the as a factor and is to recovery and even thriving trajectories for and wellbeing (e.g., et al., 2019; et al., (e.g., and a of and from social such as and by their or the from the on and for social and reflected on the of to and their in that or by the unprecedented et al., 2020). from the and and support, they also that this to the negative impact of of the stressors of support and role This signals that and social support in factors that the of chronic stressors and & 2019; et al., support may be to the and psychosocial that in a pandemic in the identified the and of as a factor that to the stress as a the of for is a Health and its as a of organisational and a of heightened and workplaces and that these are by their and the and positive of the workplace are to develop personal resources to recovery and the to organisational recovery et al., 2019; et al., 2020). the in the and identified the and as resources that to cope with the stressors by the global in the that the of to as a stress by to personal and role and from the that the and to and when to from how to from and to the and the to modify and of to the and of the in their wellbeing and in the crisis and resilience to and support, as an that to a of the in the face of with the to and other of to support recovery, in the aftermath of a disaster et al., et al., 2019). This of to new and is to to thriving The and to changes to cope with as stress and factors the is the that their workplaces to the psychosocial that the disaster that they to these in a are to and and to and regular wellbeing from to develop a of community with or resilience and wellbeing to and to changes as the of a to that and to the and support, with and to cope with or psychosocial decline and set the course for that organisations and are in a to to and This is with from the resilience that organisations from in preparedness factors to adaptive resilience in (e.g., Nilakant et al., 2016). The and preparedness to recovery and thriving trajectories in the aftermath of a major disaster. The resilience and disaster the psychosocial and support factors that resilience trajectories in and workplaces as that test and to resilience and including the indicates that organisations that resources that role and effectively stress and recovery and thriving resilience trajectories in the aftermath of a major disaster Malinen, Näswall, & Kuntz, 2018). The also that the of an acute and of the resources in the including and may a role in positive resilience trajectories (Fisher et al., 2019; et al., 2020). individuals disasters that with personal and as events that to wellbeing (e.g., may also for and (e.g., a to and distinct an acute are the of the by the and the resources to cope with these of which the of organisational organisations can stress and resilience and that of stress and and the of individual are also in a to resources that for which the positive adaptation of resilience to support recovery and Acute stressors to capacity and from an and in of as and & 2020). and have in the to their to cognitive functioning and adaptive The that when individuals are to their stress response as a to personal resources stress and to their stress response as a opportunity rather than a negative stress they cognitive and positive which support adaptive responses to significant stressors & 2019; & 2017; & 2020; Ein, et al., & Vickers, 2019). rely on the that cognitive of and environmental as positive or negative the of affective and that it is to these cognitive positive of stress & 2018). and individuals to of the and that from exposure to a stressor, to how stress can and growth, and to develop a stress and personal resources et al., 2019; et al., 2020). The in crisis support for this and how organisations can a which and upon and stress and the and often that & 2019; & with the of the organisations with a and to psychosocial support to their they rely on and to and in of and are and as and can be et al., 2020). their is to the of stress in to the effects of acute Ein, et that effectively stress of the to a acute such as a disaster. of the stress and wellbeing to these as of support, and a to develop personal resources early of the as a to the heightened caused by of and on to role the of to the of these in response to the protracted stress effects of a disaster further The the of workplaces by their and a major disaster. The and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster are characterised by a of et al., and may a of recovery trajectories et al., 2020). the time to stress organisations this course and the of negative in of a on resilience in indicates that to changes to and the acute impact on resilience and recovery (e.g., 2020; et al., 2020). stress or that of the and recovery trajectories that from protracted disasters such as disease & 2018). to stress and its as resources, and as of disaster organisations can also to the of a and its impact on and the that is, the stressor. This is when the in is as a positive or the (e.g., to a new and disasters a of and personal face the negative of the stressors to the they responses from the cognitive that the stressors personal and organisational resources, and that they are or organisations can the impact of an acute stressor, and support recovery and thriving resilience by and the of support and resources to these organisations can the process of to workers’ of the such as the to and personal health, and to in the of economic health, for 2020). these are the of crisis a that in the resilience et al., 2020; et al., 2016). a crisis that and in the aftermath of a disaster, and and that resilience the organisations that in in with to and the crisis as it workplaces how the crisis may affect organisational and resources and individuals with to their and and and individuals, a factor in the resilience and et al., 2020; et al., a and for the of the the of its crisis and the part that in the recovery process their and also the effects of the crisis on personal and social The and the that and crisis and to resilience crisis of and proactive role behaviours & 2019; 2020; & a organisations can of their and capacity to which of wellbeing and resilience following a disaster to recovery and thriving trajectories et al., 2019). The the to of the pandemic stressors in the the of the of the and and to support positive resilience of organisations that and how to by and to will support to their they of and the of threat with the which with decline the long-term of and is the can resilience and proactive and behaviours with thriving trajectories by how to the crisis recovery and the of the et al., 2019; et al., workers’ or the of is organisations can a of by how these with and to the and that may or other This will in and the and the impact of by to stress and their on positive adaptation & Näswall, & 2018). a of role and a crisis also that to the and The of to an a time social the to of with the of a for upward resilience can negative of and of an the for this their of to adapt to new and the of of to role and a of social from and other The of the stressors with and of the factors with recovery, it on by or organisations that have infrastructure rather than from disaster (e.g., et al., et al., 2019). the immediate and long-term effects of a to from workplaces to a global pandemic organisations can by the significant stressors underlying a to and by a support and to and adapt to a et al., & 2019). workplaces can by as an opportunity for for the and of to and a of role and et al., The stress and a to develop workplace resilience the pandemic and recovery and thriving to their stress, and resources is to to positive adaptation resilience by continually personal and the adaptive capability that recovery and thriving resilience trajectories that workplaces also the psychosocial from or by a disaster, and resources with the it et al., 2014). The that organisations a thriving trajectory they resilience and in and to are set to of and a crisis et al., 2020). organisations have preparedness factors that support recovery trajectories in the aftermath of a major disaster, and on this resilience capability to of and into thriving trajectories et al., 2016). The a of and to resilience including wellbeing and resilience et al., et al., et al., 2019; & and et al., & 2017; et al., et al., 2020; et al., 2019; and et al., 2019; et al., and infrastructure that and social et al., 2019; et al., 2020). these factors are in are to the to the crisis hand, and to develop resources that its and the recovery and thriving resilience trajectories organisations with the capability to changes and on their organisations on to or to new and resilience are from the that they can to these capability by in early of crisis organisations the psychosocial to their and for stress and stressors such as the and or develop resources to the negative impact of the pandemic on have a of for resilience and changes to organisational and to The COVID-19 global pandemic as a and test to and community The crisis to the psychosocial factors with its immediate impact and aftermath in occupational and to how organisations can support recovery and thriving resilience This the of crisis resilience with of stressors and protective factors and on the to a and to resilience for disaster