Introduction

Application of practices from managerial theories allows managers to become more effective in the workplace and lead the workforce towards achieving the company’s goals (Cichobłaziński, & Leszek, 2017). Understanding the theories create leadership abilities that grow organizations as a manager is able to select strategies that work for the company and tailors them towards achieving greatness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies adopted a working from home policy to mitigate the risk of spread of the disease as employees commuted to work. Businesses that lacked resources to facilitate working from home had to close down while those with the facilities experienced economic recession as they transitioned. Managers who led a working from home task-force also had a difficult time trying to motivate a hopeless and anxious group of employees. They had to adopt managerial theories tailored to meet the needs of the employees and achieve company’s goals. This report on “Work-from-home and Employee Motivation during the COVID-19 Pandemic” is essential to managers and the workplace as it helps to understand what the employees may need to perform in the changing global work environment.

Appraisal of Key Concepts

First Article

 The Impact on Employees’ Remote Work Productivity, Engagement, and Stress

Galanti et al, (2021) explains the impact that working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic on employees after they switched suddenly. Management had little to no time to transition and allow their employees to start working from home. The gradual concept of change was new and strange and thus needed a sober management team to facilitate changes. The pandemic created an opportunity for employees to work with minimal supervision at the comfort of their homes. Up to 50% of employees worked from home unlike in the years before the pandemic where only 12% of the employees worked remotely. Adoption of working from home is a flexible way of working that requires proper planning, a period of design, and adoption of strategies/ support for employees to become a success. To achieve this, management is required to play a significant role in motivating and encouraging employees to achieve maximum results.

The article further analyzes the negative impact that employees face in home environment compared to an organized work environment. Poor managerial planning for the employees working from home cased increase in level of stress to employees while drastically reducing productivity. Working from home employees also experienced social-isolation and family-work conflict that translated to poor mental health after a long duration of working remotely. Proper planning and adoption of appropriate managerial theories offered a solution to employees who worked remotely. It also motivated these employees through eliminating tension in home environments and promoting a healthy work environment. Some of the managerial theories include constant communication with the remote employees to minimize social isolation and stress (Dubey, & Tripathi, 2020). It could avail office resources such as desks, printer among other equipment to create an office feel environment to promote employees comfort thus achieving effectiveness and overall productivity. Therefore, with proper planning, working from home would not have been tasking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Article

How to Maintain Employee Motivation amid the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic caused anxiety among employees due to fear of infection while in the work environment and fear of losing their jobs due to business collapse. The pandemic has also affected business globally and most companies have not yet stabilized financially thus the need for innovative strategies to boost the recovery process. Among these innovative strategies is working from home for employees to cut down business expenditure. According to Wolor, Susita, & Martono, (2020) motivation of remote employees is likely to benefit institutions and provide contingency measures for the pandemic and other similar situations in future. Motivating employees will provide a healthy working environment for these employees and achieve company’s objectives. The article states that the management of each company is responsible for motivating employees and coming up with strategies that promote productivity for employees.

Managerial responsibilities recommended in the articles include development of strategies that care for the safety of their employees. During the pandemic, working from home is paramount to reduce infection rate among employees. However, when working remotely, they are exposed to mental health diseases due to soc