The current global COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in December 2019 in China, has to date resulted in an estimated 3,000,000 deaths worldwide. The impact of the virus on human and economic life has been so significant that people have started to refer to a 'new normal'.

The case study research approach, which you have learned about, lends itself nicely to investigate the complexities of the pandemic's impact on human and economic life.

1. Briefly explain why the case study research approach can be suitable to investigate the pandemic's impact on human and economic life. Which specific type of case study design is more, which is less suitable? Include advantages of the approach as well as possible disadvantages in your discussion.

2. Apply the case study approach and pick two maximally different for-profit-organizations to explore the impact of the pandemic on employees work life (e.g., tasks, context, mind-set, daily routines) by considering organization-level factors (e.g., structure, culture, technology) and employee-level factors. Compare and contrast the two organizations in order to arrive at stylized impact categories, contingencies, and coping mechanisms at the organization and employee level. For each organization, conduct a minimum of two in-depth interviews with key informants.