“It takes a lot of sisu to get through it”- managerial experiences of facing adversities during pandemic

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Sisu refers to extraordinary internal strength in the face of adversities. Although originally a Finnish concept, it can be a universally useful concept for studying managerial well-being and performance during difficult or even emergency periods. Previous research on sisu categorizes it into beneficial and harmful sisu and suggests that these two dimensions of sisu are useful when studying determination and resoluteness in crisis situations. This study applies the concept of sisu to examine managers’ well-being in times of crisis.

Methodology

Interviews were conducted with 15 managers in the hotel, manufacturing and retail industries in Finland.

Results

The beneficial effects of sisu seem to dissolve when it is used too often. The study also highlighted the paradoxical tension involved in the decision to stop or continue actions in a difficult situation and contributes to sisu research by discussing collective sisu.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that beneficial sisu helps to overcome adversity, while harmful sisu causes distortions in thinking that are detrimental to managers. Understanding one’s own tendency towards beneficial or harmful sisu in difficult situations can help in managerial work. Collective sisu is an excellent resource for overcoming difficult situations in workplaces.

KEYWORDS:

• Sisu
• managers
• leadership
• pandemic
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the European Social Fund Plus.

Notes on contributors

Johanna Vuori

Johanna Vuori works as a principal lecturer at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in the research area of entrepreneurship and business transformation. She completed her PhD in administrative studies at University of Tampere in 2011 and was a visiting scholar at University of Michigan in 2012 – 2013. Dr Vuori has had multiple faculty and administrative roles and has worked as a senior lecturer, an international coordinator, a student counsellor, a programme coordinator, a degree programme director and a project managerIn her present role she combines teaching Master-level classes on management and organizations with research in these areas. Her current interests lie in the study of the wellbeing of managers and the development of post-hierarchical organizations.

Ilmari Määttänen

Ilmari Määttänen works as a university researcher in the department of Psychology and Logopedics at University of Helsinki. Ilmari Määttänen’s recent main research topic has been the Finnish concept of sisu, which describes perseverance against overwhelming odds. Sisu has been studied in his own small research group in Academy of Finland-funded Sisu at Work and EURA/ESR-funded Sisu in working life-projects. His other postdoctoral research has included studying the relationships of physiological stress-reactivity, psychological background variables and affects as well as performance. The goal has been to maintain links to applied research. Methods have included laboratory research and mobile measurement and self-report devices (mobile stress measurement). Side projects include research topics that are relevant in terms of evolutionary psychology and psychoneuroendocrinology.