IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i19p12464-d929901.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Workforce Experiences of a Rapidly Established SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service in a Higher Education Setting: A Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Holly Blake

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
    NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK)

  • Sarah Somerset

    (NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
    School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK)

  • Ikra Mahmood

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
    School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK)

  • Neelam Mahmood

    (School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK)

  • Jessica Corner

    (Executive Office, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK)

  • Jonathan K. Ball

    (School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
    Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK)

  • Chris Denning

    (School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
    Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore workforce experiences of the rapid implementation of a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing service (ATS) in a higher education setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The setting was a multi-campus university in the UK, which hosted a testing service for employees and students over two years. Qualitative semi-structured videoconference interviews were conducted. We contacted 58 participants and 25 were interviewed (43% response rate). Data were analysed thematically. The analysis produced four overarching themes: (1) feelings relating to their involvement in the service, (2) perceptions of teamwork, (3) perceptions of ATS leadership, (4) valuing the opportunity for career development. Agile and inclusive leadership style created psychological safety and team cohesion, which facilitated participants in the implementation of a rapid mitigation service, at pace and scale. Specific features of the ATS (shared vision, collaboration, networking, skills acquisition) instilled self-confidence, value and belonging, meaningfully impacting on professional development and career opportunities. This is the first qualitative study to explore the experiences of university employees engaged in the rapid deployment of a service as part of a pandemic outbreak and mitigation strategy within a higher education setting. Despite pressures and challenges of the task, professional growth and advancement were universal. This has implications for workforce engagement and creating workplaces across the sector that are well-prepared to respond to future pandemics and other disruptive events.

Suggested Citation

  • Holly Blake & Sarah Somerset & Ikra Mahmood & Neelam Mahmood & Jessica Corner & Jonathan K. Ball & Chris Denning, 2022. "Workforce Experiences of a Rapidly Established SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Testing Service in a Higher Education Setting: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12464-:d:929901
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12464/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/19/12464/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holly Blake & Holly Knight & Ru Jia & Jessica Corner & Joanne R. Morling & Chris Denning & Jonathan K. Ball & Kirsty Bolton & Grazziela Figueredo & David E. Morris & Patrick Tighe & Armando Mendez Vil, 2021. "Students’ Views towards Sars-Cov-2 Mass Asymptomatic Testing, Social Distancing and Self-Isolation in a University Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Yonit Nissim & Eitan Simon, 2021. "Flattening the Hierarchy Curve: Adaptive Leadership During the Covid-19 Pandemic – A Case Study in an Academic Teacher Training College," Review of European Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(1), pages 103-103, March.
    3. Carnevale, Joel B. & Hatak, Isabella, 2020. "Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 183-187.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ni, Dan & Jiwen Song, Lynda & Zheng, Xiaoming & Zhu, Jinlong & Zhang, Mengyi & Xu, Lingxiao, 2022. "Extending a helping hand: How receiving gratitude makes a difference in employee performance during a crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 967-982.
    2. Ali Zackery & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Zahra Heidari Darani & Shiva Ghasemi, 2022. "COVID-19 Research in Business and Management: A Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-32, August.
    3. Isabel Marques & Zélia Serrasqueiro & Fernanda Nogueira, 2021. "Managers’ Competences in Private Hospitals for Investment Decisions during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Xie, Junyi & Ifie, Kemefasu & Gruber, Thorsten, 2022. "The dual threat of COVID-19 to health and job security – Exploring the role of mindfulness in sustaining frontline employee-related outcomes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 216-227.
    5. Sangeeta Gupta & Poonam Devdutt & Urmila Jagadeeswari Itam, 2022. "Centrality of psychological well-being of IT employees during COVID-19 and beyond," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 49(4), pages 365-380, December.
    6. Syamsul Hadi & Ana Faridiana & Kusuma Chandra Kirana & Ambar Lukitaningsih & Christina Heti Tri Rahmawati & Eni Purnasari & Nabila Wahyuningtyas, 2024. "Political Skill and Transactional Leadership on Employee Performance: The Mediating Effect of Organizational Work Culture," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 4, pages 112-129.
    7. Nikolaos P. Rachaniotis, 2022. "Evaluating the COVID-19 Containment Protocol in Greek Universities for the Academic Year 2021–2022," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-9, November.
    8. Nadia Kabbara & Hale Ozgit, 2023. "Effectiveness of resource management of Lebanese NGOs in response to COVID-19 and the Syrian crisis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Shu Da & Silje Fossum Fladmark & Irina Wara & Marit Christensen & Siw Tone Innstrand, 2022. "To Change or Not to Change: A Study of Workplace Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Margherita, Alessandro & Elia, Gianluca & Klein, Mark, 2021. "Managing the COVID-19 emergency: A coordination framework to enhance response practices and actions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    11. Jieun Lee, 2022. "Moral Hazard on Productivity Among Work-From-Home Workers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic," Papers 2209.05684, arXiv.org.
    12. Leonel Prieto & Md Farid Talukder, 2023. "Resilient Agility: A Necessary Condition for Employee and Organizational Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-24, January.
    13. Mashamba Tarashika & Mukome Constance H., 2023. "The Influence of Covid -19 on Human Resources Management at Marymount Teachers College in Mutare," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(11), pages 1201-1213, November.
    14. Ruixin Su & Bojan Obrenovic & Jianguo Du & Danijela Godinic & Akmal Khudaykulov, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic Implications for Corporate Sustainability and Society: A Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-23, January.
    15. Silva, Emmanuel Sirimal & Bonetti, Francesca, 2021. "Digital humans in fashion: Will consumers interact?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    16. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Technological and educational challenges towards pandemic-resilient aviation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 104-115.
    17. Turgut Karakose & Ibrahim Kocabas & Ramazan Yirci & Stamatios Papadakis & Tuncay Yavuz Ozdemir & Murat Demirkol, 2022. "The Development and Evolution of Digital Leadership: A Bibliometric Mapping Approach-Based Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-26, December.
    18. Christina Deselaers & Alina Dahmen & Sonia Lippke, 2022. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on CSR Activities of Healthcare Providers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-27, December.
    19. Laura A. Geer & Rachel Radigan & Guilherme de Lima Bruneli & Lucas Sampaio Leite & Rosalie Barreto Belian, 2021. "COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study of Healthcare Students’ Perceptions of Life during the Pandemic in the United States and Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, September.
    20. Ward van Zoonen & Anu Sivunen & Kirsimarja Blomqvist & Thomas Olsson & Annina Ropponen & Kaisa Henttonen & Matti Vartiainen, 2021. "Factors Influencing Adjustment to Remote Work: Employees’ Initial Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-19, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12464-:d:929901. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.