Almina Bešić has been invited by two peer-reviewed journals to contribute to special issues regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with colleague from JKU‘s Department of Sociology, the University of Gothenburg, the University of Graz and the University of Sarajevo, she is currently working on the following papers:

1. Workforce integration of refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of support efforts in Austria and Sweden

Workforce integration of refugees is a complex phenomenon involving actors at different interwoven levels, with numerous difficulties for refugees at each level. This article seeks to understand how the pandemic affects the workforce integration of refugees by analysing the different levels. The article is based on interviews with workforce integration experts managing support efforts as well as refugees in Austria and Sweden, comparing countries with diverging labour markets, refugee integration policies and responses to the pandemic.

The results show the diverging impact of digitalisation across the countries on support organisations and refugees. Further, an accelerated consolidation of support practices is seen in both countries. Finally, unsurprisingly the pandemic has brought fore already existing issues for refugees in their workforce integration, and also highlighted the increased volatility of work they are exposed to.

2. Companies coping with COVID-19 through Human Resource Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Actionable principles for HR practices in a transition economy?

This study is about investigating HR practices of companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim to analyse how companies respond to the changes in business operations connected to the COVID-19 pandemic through their HR practices. The article is based on case study research of domestic and international companies in the banking sector. The findings will allow to show how companies manage their HRM to achieve a horizontal fit in times of crisis and suggest concrete measures in terms of actionable principles for the development and implementation of HR practices in companies faced with the economic consequences of the pandemic in a transition economy.