The COVID-19 pandemic, bringing to the forefront and catalyzing long-unconfronted racial and economic inequities, in addition to economic collapse and deep political divisions - which all impact ...students and schools – has resulted in a compound crisis requiring a novel conceptualization of school leadership during times of crisis. This qualitative study captures the leadership experience of principals during the apocalyptic crisis _ the COVID-19 pandemic - beginning from the time schools were closing in March 2020 to the end of the school year in June. Crisis leadership, transformative leadership and social capital constitute the overarching framework for this study. The purpose of this case study was to discover how principals engaged in their thinking and practice to handle the compound crisis, in order to generate a rich description and gain an understanding of school leadership during the first phase of the COVID 19 pandemic. Our research questions were: What were the challenges and complications of leading during the initial phase of the compound crisis from the perspective of principals? How did principals respond? What were the emergent leadership practices? For this case study, we used a purposeful, maximum variation sample of nine principals in Florida. We sought balance in gender, race and ethnicity, and grade level. In-depth interviews were conducted using a structured protocol. Analysis treated each principal as an individual case, then cross-case thematic analysis was employed to uncover common patterns and themes. Three findings emerged. First, participants drew upon their individual reservoirs of shared leader qualities, including personalized and pragmatic communicator; leading with flexibility, creativity and care; bending rules and shifting priorities; and showing resilience under pressure. Second, they tapped into their schools’ strengths, including school context and in-house expertise. Third, they made inter-school connections. The first phase of the compound crisis pushed principals to prioritize care, safety, and wellbeing of students, teachers, and communities above accountability measures and systemic institutional constraints. A call to action for equity is the next logical step for system consideration, and was echoed by participating principals, as well as a realization that going back to old ways is no longer an option.
What kind of moral rhetoric do national leaders use after their homelands are attacked by foreign forces? Informed by crisis leadership literature, this study uses Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) to ...examine the rhetoric of three leaders of nations before and after attacks by foreign forces: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and the 2022 Russian invasion, U.S. President Bush and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and British Prime Minister Churchill and the 1940–41 German bombing campaign. The word-based automated content analysis shows that following the attacks the leaders substantially shifted their moral rhetoric. They also employed similar moral rhetoric, mainly by using Harm rhetoric, presumably to condemn the destruction and loss of life suffered by their nations. All three also emphasized Loyalty rhetoric, presumably as a call to nationalism, and Authority rhetoric, presumably to rally followership. Otherwise, they gave little attention to Degradation rhetoric, which presumably would demonize the enemy. This study is one of very few to evaluate political elite rhetoric during crises. It is also one of a small number to assess political elite rhetoric through the lens of MFT. It demonstrates that MFT can be a useful tool for understanding political elite rhetoric and crisis management across heterogeneous contexts.
Abstract
As the victims of the COVID‐19 pandemic, hotels depend on effective crisis leadership to respond to the crisis. Despite its significance, limited studies have accentuated the role of crisis ...leadership in an organization's intention to engage in effective crisis response. To fill this gap, this study examines the hotels' crisis responses in a
Victim
crisis cluster based on the intention to respond using Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). The findings reveal
Denial
along with
Bolstering
strategies to be prominent. The findings offer theoretical and practical implications to tourism and hospitality research by illustrating the role of crisis leadership for an effective crisis response during an unprecedented crisis, especially during the victim type crisis.
Based on the Meta-Leadership Model of Marcus et al. (2007), as cited by Saltz (2017), this research documented and assessed the crisis leadership competencies and pandemic response strategies of ...school leaders in the DepEd Division of Northern Samar. Utilizing a sequential exploratory approach, qualitative and quantitative designs were adopted. Thus, in the qualitative component, eight (8) school leaders participated in face-to-face interview sessions, wherein the emerging themes from their responses highlighted the concept that meta-leaders have a higher effect than their real authority because they exert a strong influence on their followers, aiding them in overcoming obstacles and seizing opportunities. They understood the nature and significance of the situation, and in order to keep a diverse group of people on track, they weaved together key themes that highlighted the organization's core purpose and ambitions. In the qualitative aspect, the broader population of 130 respondents answered a questionnaire about school leaders' crisis leadership competencies, which revealed the following results: "Very High" on Team Leadership (AWM =3.25); "High" on Situational Awareness and Integrative Thinking (AWM =3.18); and "High" on Decisiveness and Emotional Effectiveness (AWM =3.24). In addition, respondents completed a questionnaire regarding the extent of the school leader's pandemic response strategies, which revealed the following findings: Promoting Organizational Resilience, "Large Extent" (AWM =3.24); Acting with Integrity, "Very Large Extent" (AWM =3.29); and Exhibiting Learning Orientation, "Large Extent" (AWM =2.96). based on the results, the researcher contends that when establishing a crisis management plan for a successful pandemic response strategy, school leaders must prioritize the following elements: communication, high productivity, technology use, and accessibility. On the basis of these factors, the current researcher proposes the following three focus areas for the crisis management plan: (1) establishing guidelines or policies for remote work for faculty and staff; (2) embracing remote work for department heads, master teachers, and focal persons; and (3) developing inclusive and collaborative virtual meetings. The researcher also suggests that school administrators think about adopting the recommended crisis management plan to make sure that all important aspects of the school system are taken care of.
Over the past 36 months, the world has experienced an abundance of crises happening consecutively and concurrently. The COVID-19 pandemic has maintained its stronghold, while the war in Ukraine rages ...and mass shootings have affected the United States, Germany, and Nigeria. All these events have led to a collective shift in 'normalcy' and moved societies into simultaneously trying to solve a global public health crisis while navigating policy changes and international negotiations. Thus, managing crises has become a natural part of a school leader's job more than ever before. School leaders, at the helm of recovery and restabilizing their school buildings, must lead through myriad crises while meeting the needs of diverse populations. Despite this crises-laden time, school leaders are left to mediate and solve for the issues they face with little guidance and cope with their own traumatic experiences. The pillars of equity-oriented crisis leadership, a conceptual framework, are distinct actions leaders can take. Eight pillars make up the framework: hope; equity-oriented mindset; inclusive decision making; resource allocation, deprivation, and diffusion; equitable systems and structures; inclusive communication; equity-oriented critical self-reflection; and advocacy for radical change. Implications and applications are discussed.
School leadership during the pandemic serves as the contextual backdrop for this conceptual article. Specifically, we believe the preparation of today’s school leaders must be re-examined to consider ...the inclusion of frameworks that consider not only how principals might navigate extreme crises but also how they look after themselves and their wellbeing in ways that may curb the chronic stress that often leads to professional burnout. In this article, we tie together three bodies of literature – crisis management, leadership in turbulence, and self-care – and introduce a conceptual framework that may help us reconsider the preparation of today’s school leader. These bodies of literature, while not yet broadly studied in education, are key to our understanding of how school leaders can successfully practice their new day-to-day practices after experiencing turmoil under the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID‐19 has spread around the world, and crisis teams are working full steam ahead to address its challenges. We argue that crisis teams tend to rely on procedures and responsibilities but largely ...underestimate the importance of the mindset of individual participants. We posit that crisis management should be regarded as an elite sport and adopt insights from that field accordingly.
International and national crises often highlight behavioral patterns in the labor market that illustrate women’s courage and adaptability in challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting ...changes in the workplace due to social distancing, remote work, and tele-communications protocols showcased women’s power of authenticity and accessibility (interpersonal and personalized experiences) to engage with their constituents effectively. The catalyzed this research was our desire to underscore the importance of studying the impact of COVID-19 on women leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light specific challenges and disparities women faced in the workplace. It has been asserted that women leaders substantially benefit businesses and organizations and we wanted to test this out through the practices of our research participants. Decades of research reveal that women leaders enhance productivity, foster collaboration, inspire dedication, and promote fairness in the workplace. This article introduces the feminist Connective Leadership Model (CL) an integrative leadership model and one informed by early feminist theory for understanding women’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method study of select US women leaders before and during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the CL model and its efficacy for adaptive, inclusive leadership in various contexts. First, this article highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s leadership and behavioral response to the crisis through the lens of the CL model. Second, this article delves into challenges the women leaders faced, including adaptive challenges, isolation, team management, increased caregiving responsibilities, and gender-related disparities. Third, this article reframes women’s voices articulated through a crisis management leadership framework coupled with an understanding and application of the behaviors defined through complexity theory which are aligned with the CL model. Finally, the article discusses the four ‘As’ of crisis leadership: authenticity, alignment, awareness, and adaptability. The application of the CL model provides an effective framework for determining the most appropriate leadership behaviors within the complex challenges of a crisis; it enables the leader to focus on personal, employee, and organizational well-being.
Purpose
In this study, we illuminate how techniques can be incorporated into interview protocols when conducting research with educational leaders who are being asked to discuss their experiences in ...crises.
Design/methodology/approach
We interviewed seven researchers about their role as a researcher in collecting data on a crisis event from participants. Our analysis concentrated on several key components of the interview.
Findings
In presenting our findings on how scholars can adopt a caring and just approach to interview studies with leaders regarding crises, we portray how this approach can be melded into research design, interview protocol and interview techniques.
Originality/value
We illuminate that specific interview techniques are required when interviewing participants who have undergone and survived crises in their work, and we recommend the use of this protocol especially when an interview requires researchers to “handle with care.”
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