Managing Human Resources in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study examines gender equality issues in the workplace in Malaysia and New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic and their consequences for practicing human resource management (HRM) in light of potential social-economic influences. Based on the literature reviewed, content and thematic analysis are employed. Emerging themes, such as country profile, female representation in employment rate and labor force participation rate, gender wage gap, and women in senior management roles, in these two countries are discussed. The COVID-19 alert and protection systems adopted by these countries are compared and their implications on HR practices are examined. Overall, the workforce in Malaysia appeared to experience relatively more complex challenges than that of New Zealand. The current study highlights the importance of positioning the development stages and roles of HR adopted by an organization so that HR professionals, business managers, government, and higher education institutions can work collaboratively to close gender equality gaps in the workplace in these countries.