Fostering resilience during COVID-19: a salutogenic framework for managing disruptive change

COVID-19 presented a poignant learning opportunity for managing and supporting employees' well-being in work contexts affected by disruptive change and unforeseen disaster events. The retail sector was particularly challenged to maintain a resilient workforce during this time. Employees worked on the frontline without having the training or skills like those of health workers, to cope with the psychological demands incurred by working face-to-face with the public. To glean insights into organizational and management practices that foster resilience during times of disruptive change, this study explored the experiences of retail employees who were exposed to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. The study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with 27 employees who were actively working in a South African retail organization during the country's first (May to July 2020; n = 11) and second (January to April 2021; n = 16) COVID-19 waves. Thematic analysis was informed by salutogenic theory, with resilience and sense of coherence as key guiding constructs. Addressing the lack of research on how organizations can foster resilience, the findings suggest salutogenic practices for managing disruptive change in the retail work context. Practices are recommended that can: (i) establish coherence and support comprehensibility, (ii) restore control and support manageability, and (iii) nurture connectedness and support meaningfulness. The study contributes to existing knowledge by linking resilience to sense of coherence in a pragmatic salutogenic framework, that describes the organization as a holding environment for coping with disturbing emotions and making sense of difficult circumstances.