The world is changing, and we are changing says Christine Naschberger, but we shouldn’t forget that many others are not in the privileged position of being able to reflect or make changes, simply because they are too busy struggling to survive
For years, academics have used the acronym VUCA, standing for volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, as a way of approaching the environment in which we operate. With Covid-19, we have moved from theory to practice. Work and working conditions have been turned upside down by the lockdown period in most organisations. Companies often had no choice – they closed their offices, buildings and plants and the majority of employees were all of a sudden either furloughed or forced to work from home.
This imposed telework has both revealed and reinforced existing inequalities between female and male employees. Women, particularly those from the BAME community, often work as childminders, cashiers, cleaners, nurses, midwives, or home helpers, and these jobs cannot be done remotely. Moreover, this work has little status in our society and is underpaid. Economists have sounded the alarm bells during the lockdown to draw attention to the drastic situation for those in these professions.
The sense of social inequality was further stimulated by a landmark event that occurred on 25 May: the killing of George Floyd by a US policeman, which led to worldwide protests against racism and police violence. It created further momentum for the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, which advocates against harassment, discrimination, or any kind of violence towards black people.
Reviewing brands
Amid global protests over police brutality and racism, several prominent companies reviewed their brands. Mars Food changed the name of its best-selling American rice brand ‘Uncle Ben’s’ to ‘Ben’s Original’ and removed the image of a smiling, grey-haired black man from its packaging. Uncle Ben’s entered the market in the 1940s. Its marketing has been criticised for perpetuating racial stereotypes. PepsiCo also decided to rename its 130 years-old Aunt Jemima line of syrups and foods, acknowledging the brand was based on a racial stereotype.
Today, the voices of change are getting louder: black people, young people, women, environmentalists and minorities – they all want their causes to be heard. Racism is no longer acceptable. Inequalities are called out. Will this call be heard? Can we hope for a more inclusive world and more egalitarian organisations? Are today’s decision-makers going to put people at the heart of their concerns? Nobody knows, but any small step will take us towards the final goal: a humanist society.
A positive development towards a more equal society has been announced by the French Government at the end of September 2020. France is to double paid-paternity leave to 28 days. This decision represents a move in the right direction bringing France in line with progressive legislation elsewhere in Europe such as Portugal where paternity leave lasts 25 days.
More generous paternity leave is a vital step towards more equality within a household and a couple. It is a measure that will give more prospects for a better sharing of parental responsibilities at the birth of a child, helping to change mentalities and to deconstruct gender stereotypes. It is also important to allow for flexibility within parental policies like they exist in Sweden, sadly this is still lacking in many countries including France. In a few years we will be able to see if this new law had an impact on equality between women and men in the French workplace.
What will the post-Covid-19 world look like?
Many news articles speculate about what the post-Covid-19 world will look like. The health crisis, the lockdown, and the fact that some people faced the death of loved ones and their own mortality are all factors that have forced us to re-examine our priorities. For example, I just came across a post on LinkedIn of one of my former students, CEO and founder of a successful international company. He wrote about the loss of his mother to Covid-19, and how this had accelerated his already changing views on the importance of success. This CEO wanted to make his life more meaningful by releasing the power of ‘intrinsic motivation’, as suggested by Dr Daniel Goleman in his best-selling book Emotional Intelligence. His priorities are now: doing what makes him happy, making more time for family and close friends, and taking good care of his body and mind. And when it comes to his professional life, living and promoting the motto ‘be impatient with actions and patient with results’.
The Pandemic has forced many people to reflect on what really matters and what is most meaningful in their lives. But we shouldn’t forget that many others are not in the privileged position of being able to reflect or make changes, simply because they are too busy struggling to survive.
The world is changing, and we are changing. Our priorities are also changing. Carpe Diem.
Dr Christine Naschberger is Professor of Human Resources at Audencia Business School
