A temperature reading of COVID-19 pandemic employee agility and resilience in South Africa

Orientation: Employee agility and resilience is central to the flourishing of employee and organisational life. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified stressors and added new challenges for employees in South Africa. The study reported here provides a temperature reading of the agility and resilience of South African employees in the context of the pandemic. Research purpose: The aim of the study is to assess employee agility and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to assess employee’s responses to COVID-19 in South Africa. Motivation for the study: The study was motivated by the need to determine the impact of COVID-19 on employees, employee’s response to COVID-19 and employee agility and resilience for permanent employees in South African organisations. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used employing quantitative methodologies. A 185 permanently employed respondents from South Africa were conveniently sampled. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Main findings: Whilst respondents reported high resilience and agility capacity , findings also suggest that respondents’ gender, age, upskilling intentions, size of employer, organisational communication and individual renewal strategies influence their resilience and agility behaviours. Practical/managerial implications: The study prompts a discussion on how practitioners can better serve the wellness agenda of organisational life during sustained periods of organisational stress. Contribution/value-added: This study extends the theoretical and practical debate on employee agility and resilience within in South African context.