Flattening the Hierarchy Curve: Adaptive Leadership during the Covid-19 Pandemic – A Case Study in an Academic Teacher Training College (original) (raw)
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The Role of Adaptive Leadership in Non-State Education Organisations' Response to COVID-19
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WHAT LEADERSHIP IS EFFECTIVE IN THE MIDST OF CRISIS: A CASE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
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International Journal of Educational Management
PurposeDuring the COVID-19 crisis in Victoria, Australia the complexity of school leadership increased greatly for school principals. This study focused on the lived experiences of early career principals in the independent school sector from March to November 2020 in Victoria, Australia. It investigates transformative work that was undertaken by these leaders in leading their schools over a protracted crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe study builds on constructs of crisis leadership, adaptive leadership, agile leadership and emotional intelligence, exploring the leadership approaches undertaken by twenty-two early career principals in Victoria, Australia. Using a narrative inquiry approach, across three temporal points in 2020, storied productions drawn from the findings present four emergent types of emotionally intelligent leadership approaches undertaken by these principals. These leadership approaches are presented as the commander-leader, the conductor-leader, the gardener-...
Management Research Review, 2021
Purpose In rapidly changing global village, individuals, organizations and the society are faced with various unforeseen challenges every day and these challenges continuously trigger and test the instincts for survival and higher education is of no exception. In the context of today’s most critical uncertainty i.e. COVID-19, purpose of this study is to highlight the significance of two leadership styles i.e. adaptive and academic leadership and assessing readiness for change among Higher Education Institutions of Punjab, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Online survey was conducted to collect data from 404 permanent faculty members in the public sector universities identified using stratified random sampling. The hypotheses developed were tested using co-variance based Structural Equation Modelling. Findings As per findings, both leadership styles as exogenous constructs and the presence of Organizational Learning Capability (OLC) as mediator contributed positively in crafting Organizational Readiness for Chance (ORC) among Higher Education Institutions in the course of unpredictable circumstances. Originality Covid-19 has placed tremendous challenges on HEIs to adapt with the rapidly changing conditions. Hence, this study is unique in understanding the academic and adaptive leadership styles in context of ORC. This study further helps in understanding that how public sector universities that are already influenced by stringent bureaucratic structures react to change. Practical Implications The COVID-19 episode globally has reiterated the importance of change and the role of leadership in this regard cannot be undermined. This study for that matter, stresses on the importance and benefits of academic and adaptive leadership dealing with uncertainties or change and the readiness of HEIs for change. Several institutions faced challenges in doing so and the transition was not smooth, except for institutions where leaders were the differentiating factor. On top of it, institutions that had timely invested in digital systems and had enhanced organizations learning capacity survived in these turbulent times.
Higher education leadership and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal of Socioeconomics and Development, 2021
The impact of the pandemic on higher education activities is a major concern around the world. Higher education is obliged to carry out the necessary measures of adaptation, innovation, and management change, which are promoted by leaders at various levels. The leadership is further committed to encouraging transformative changes to meet students’ most critical needs. Leadership is expected to be able to use all resources in the organization, even in limited conditions due to pandemic impacts. The crisis condition during pandemic become the main approach in implementing higher education leadership. First, the leader develops effective multi-directional communication to mediate and respond to actual needs and changes, especially involving parties impacted or affected by policy changes. Second, the leader develops a cooperation network to support mutually one another to form productivity. It is necessary to network with all interests to formulate the best solution to reduce the ad...
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isara solutions, 2021
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Resilient organizations and academic institutions have been identified as contributing immensely to resilient communities. The majority of organizations showing preparedness to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 have deployed an efficient organizational resilience framework. Yet, there is little research on organizational resilience, and the conceptualization of resilience as a complex variable has not been achieved. Focusing on the higher education sector in the UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study aims to contribute to this promising research area by exploring and expanding a theoretical model on organizational capabilities that constitute organizational resilience. A qualitative phenomenological research design was utilized, where a total of 13 executives from reputable universities were interviewed, followed by a thematic analysis of the data. Findings provided deep insight into the status of universities in the UAE that are currently in the early adaptation stage of the current crisis. Organizational resilience was conceptualized as a process that comprises three successive stages (anticipation, coping, and adaptation), five key antecedents (knowledge, resources availability, social resources, power relationships, and innovative culture), and two main moderators (crisis leadership traits and employee resilience). Important findings were also identified on the needed crisis leadership styles. Recommendations for practice and research are discussed.