THE INTRICATE SYSTEMIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE LABOR MARKET, LABOR RELATIONS, AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN A PANDEMIC CONTEXT

Abstract

The article analyzes how organizations interpret the systemic relationships between the labor market and labor relations in human resource management (HRM) strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research adopted a qualitative approach, carrying out four focus groups with 24 people managers and interviewing four union representatives in Brazilian cities located in three of the five Brazilian regions: Northeast (Fortaleza, CE), South (Joinville, SC), and Central-West (Brasília, DF). The findings indicated knowledge gaps in the area of HRM regarding labor market and labor relations. They observed the occurrence of similar HRM practices institutionalized by a common repertoire at different levels while unions were adapting to the new labor legislation in Brazil (enacted in 2017). The Covid-19 pandemic brought structural changes such as an increase in telework and adjustment to labor legislation and organization. It also brought behavioral changes and affected the worker’s health. The study contributes a) theoretically by expanding the analysis of HRM under the institutional approach, b) methodologically by providing comparative research, and c) empirically by illustrating how HRM works in different regions of the country