Patrick Coyle, Ph.D., explains the difficult and complex decisions businesses are facing due to the pandemic.

The rise of the highly transmissible Delta variant and the wide issue of mask and vaccination mandates have left many wondering when normalcy might return. That’s particularly true for employers juggling work-from-home and in-person work arrangements.

“We have to remember that things are not really back to normal yet. Some level of back-and-forth should be expected from companies and that will probably be the case for quite some time,” said Patrick Coyle, Ph.D., assistant professor of management and leadership at La Salle University’s School of Business.

Coyle joined La Salle’s 20th & Olney podcast to discuss the difficult decisions companies have had to make regarding remote work, employee performance and maintaining a competitive advantage. In addition to the complexities involved with work arrangements, there are hiring shortages to contend with, and the rise of new-hire and sign-on incentives, and flexible work schedules.

“What companies are going to start realizing is the potential (they have) to generate a competitive advantage. And if they are not generating that competitive advantage, they can be relatively certain that their competitors are,” said Coyle, whose research focuses on leadership and individual differences and organizational psychology.

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—Shea Wright