Why some hotels get it right and others don't: Perspective of situational crisis communication theory towards crisis response strategies

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.

Crisis leadership from the perspective of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to identify traits and behaviors of organization leaders that were deemed helpful by employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This is an exploratory qualitative study that utilized online surveys. Data from 155 participants were subjected to content analysis. Findings: Several interrelated traits and behaviors of effective crisis leadership were identified. These were clustered into three superordinate themes-attending to the person, taking charge and showing the way forward and sustaining the spirit. Research limitations/implications: Findings from this paper can be furthered by conducting quantitative studies to validate themes and/or test a conceptual model of effective crisis leadership. Gathering data from other populations at different points in time during the COVID-19 pandemic may also be useful. Practical implications: A review of leadership development programs and organization norms and values is recommended in order to ensure that they are consistent with crisis leadership competencies. Originality/value: This paper helps address the gap on follower-centered perspectives about organizational leadership responses to crises and highlights the importance of care and compassion in leading employees during difficult times. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Building resilient hospital information technology services through organizational learning: Lessons in CIO leadership during an international systemic crisis in the United States and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic was an international systemic crisis which required an unprecedented response to quickly drive the digital transformation of hospitals and health care systems to support high quality health care while adhering to contagion management protocols. OBJECTIVE: To identify and assess the best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic by Chief Information Officers (CIOs) about how to build resilient healthcare IT (HIT) to improve pandemic preparedness and response across global settings and to develop recommendations for future pandemics. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative, interview-based study to sample CIOs in hospitals. We interviewed 16 CIOs from hospitals and health systems in the United States and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. We used in-depth interviews to capture their perspectives of the preparedness of hospitals' information technology departments for the pandemic and how they lead their IT department out of the pandemic. RESULTS: Results showed that healthcare CIOs were ambidextrous IT leaders who built resilient HIT by rapidly improving existing digital business practices and creating innovative IT solutions. Ambidextrous IT leadership involved exploiting existing IT resources as well as exploring and innovating for continuous growth. IT resiliency focused on four inter-related capabilities: ambidextrous leadership, governance, innovation and learning, and HIT infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: We propose conceptual frameworks to guide the development of healthcare IT resilience and highlight the importance of organizational learning as an integral component of HIT resiliency.

Crisis Leadership: Voices from the Field

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach and the Marianist characteristics as a conceptual framework to understand the experiences of six lay Marianist educational leaders during COVID-19. Findings indicate that, during the pandemic, leaders were faced with specific challenges: receiving an excess of information, facing inequity in technology, serving students with various learning needs, and attending to the socioemotional health of students and teachers. Despite these di f iculties, the leaders were able to uphold the Marianist characteristics of educating for adapta tion and change, in family spirit, and for formation in faith. This study is significant because it provi des unique perspectives on how leaders of a Marianist urban high school were able to advance their mission during a global health pandemic. The study also adds to the crisis and Marianist leadership bodies of literature. © 2023, Loyola Marymount University. All rights reserved.

Leadership, Teaching and Learning in Times of Crisis in Southern Tanzania

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education provision worldwide. School leaders, teachers and parents found themselves in uncharted circumstances, which hugely impacted their roles in promoting children's learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles played by leaders, teachers, and parents during the COVID-19 crisis. This paper discusses teaching and learning in this time of crisis. The study sampled 10 head teachers, 60 schoolteachers and 57 parents representing 10 primary schools in five districts in the Lindi region of Tanzania. A postmodernism lens was applied to respond to questions about the strengths and weaknesses of support structures, such as parents, teachers, and local and central government, in the era of COVID-19. Data indicate that teachers, parents, and even the government, had to try various approaches to shift between different roles involved in addressing learning demands in the era of COVID-19 in Tanzania. Generally, the study identifies complex tensions between the support structures, that had been brought on by the pandemic. It is through understanding the complex tensions and balancing various roles that we can begin to understand the teaching and learning landscape in times of crisis. © 2023 Society for Research and Knowledge Management. All rights reserved.

Understanding superintendents' approaches to the implementation of district systems in the context of a crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a crisis that district superintendents and their leadership teams had not before experienced. In a matter of weeks, school systems needed to transition away from a traditional learning model, where teaching and learning occurred in a physical classroom, to a virtual learning environment. School districts were provided little time to strategically develop a model to transform their systems to continue to meet student learning goals. The districts were still expected to fully operate, while prioritizing the acquisition of resources that could provide the means for a deliberate shift to establish a virtual learning system. This qualitative study examined how superintendents aligned resources and implemented systematic change during the initial months of COVID-19. Findings show that the voices of the local community stakeholders played the most integral part in identifying the values that primarily influenced how the districts navigated the crisis. Choice was the most prevalent value and, as a result, stakeholders were provided learning offerings in myriad formats. Superintendents considered how their decisions would affect each stakeholder group, as well as every aspect of their organizational structure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Responsible Leadership and Innovation during COVID-19: Evidence from the Australian Tourism and Hospitality Sector

The COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity for sustainable renewal and requires responsible leaders who are responsive to stakeholder needs and able to innovate in light of new challenges. This study draws on stakeholder theory and responsible leadership theory to examine (a) the challenges industry leaders face as a result of COVID-19 and (b) their innovative responses in light of their responsibilities to stakeholders and society. We conducted a corpus linguistics study based on high-volume media websites reporting tourism and hospitality news on leadership and innovation. We applied a stakeholder and social responsibility lens to the data analysis. We discovered that, despite the challenges that leaders faced, some transcended self-interest or integrated self-interest with consideration for the interest of others and formed partnerships with other stakeholders resulting in win-win solutions. In particular, we found evidence of leaders who (1) responded to the needs of owners, employees, customers, and community stakeholders and (2) developed not only incremental innovations but substantial ones benefitting stakeholders in business and society. We discuss responsible leadership as a pathway for transforming the tourism and hospitality industry towards a more sustainable and community-centred 'new normal'. Based on our findings, we present recommendations for future research and policymakers.

Surviving, navigating and innovating through a pandemic: A review of research on school leadership during COVID-19, 2020-2021.

This article contributes to knowledge and understanding about leading schools during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis by reviewing 21 articles published during the immediate period of the pandemic (during 2020-2021). Key findings include the value of leaders supporting and connecting the school community with a view to establishing a more resilient and responsive style of leadership during a period of major crisis. Furthermore, supporting and connecting all members of the school community to address equity through alternate strategies and digital technologies provides opportunities for leaders to build capacity in staff and students to respond to further changes. Implications and recommendations are discussed in the light of these findings.

The silenced voices of principals: A narrative case study of principal perspectives throughout complex crises and their resilience

K-12 school principals experience multiple crises throughout their careers, ranging from natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, threats of violence, and school shootings. As the face of the school, principals must navigate these crises while maintaining the everyday responsibilities of being a principal. These crisis events disrupt the learning environment and place principals in situations that they may not understand how to overcome. Unfortunately, principal preparation programs and district principal professional development provide little support for principals' well-being, including their mental health and level of resilience. This narrative, multiple-case study personified the principal's journey through complex crises, illuminating the support necessary for principals to develop resilience to overcome adversity. Five K-12 principals in Texas shared their unique experiences and personal journeys through crises and reflected on their resilience throughout the process. Each of the five principal case descriptions aligned with the resilience cycle framework of deteriorating, adapting, recovering, and growing (Patterson & Kelleher, 2005). Weaving the story of each principal's experience with a complex crisis using a thematic narrative analysis allowed alignment with the framework's cycle and helped identify additional issues with the support needed for crisis leadership. Moreover, principals identified their own levels of support that strengthened their well-being as they experienced their school-related crisis events. The thematic narrative analysis and cross-case analysis highlighted three key themes that supported principals as they lived through their crisis, made decisions throughout the crisis, and eventually overcame their crisis experience: (a) deteriorating and adapting: teamwork is a necessity, (b) recovering: self-awareness is crucial, and (c) growing: the show must go on. These three themes supported the framework's cycle as each participant described their crisis experiences as they related to the resilience cycle. Finally, five assertions about the ways in which principals navigate complex crises offered an understanding of the support needed before, during, and after the crisis event. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Non-profit crisis leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic in India and the United States

During extreme crises, governments' capacity is compromised, and they need support from non-profits, especially to reach the vulnerable and marginalised. Our qualitative study examines leadership response to the COVID-19 pandemic at four US and Indian non-profits;they paused their mission-related activities to focus on crisis leadership tasks. Our key findings reveal the importance of obtaining reliable information, balancing service delivery and stakeholder safety, communication with stakeholders, accepting the new normal and adopting creative solutions. These findings can inform training non-profit leaders on a number of key issues. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Managers' strategies in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in Norwegian nursing homes and homecare services.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore nursing home and home care managers' strategies in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This study has a qualitative design with semistructured individual interviews conducted digitally by videophone (Zoom). Eight managers from nursing homes and five managers from home care services located in a large urban municipality in eastern Norway participated. Systematic text condensation methodology was used for the analysis. FINDINGS: The managers used several strategies to handle challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including being proactive and thinking ahead in terms of possible scenarios that might occur, continuously training of staff in new procedures and routines and systematic information sharing at all levels, as well as providing different ways of disseminating information for staff, service users and next-of-kins. To handle staffing challenges, managers used strategies such as hiring short-term staff that were temporary laid off from other industries and bringing in students. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected health-care systems worldwide, which has led to many health-care studies. The situation in nursing homes and home care services, which were strongly impacted by the pandemic and in charge of a vulnerable group of people, has not yet received enough attention in research. This study, therefore, seeks to contribute to this research gap by investigating how managers in nursing homes and home care services used different strategies to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Failure of crisis leadership in a global pandemic: some reflections on COVID-19 and future recommendations.

PURPOSE: Being a novel public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic presented world leaders with difficult options and some serious dilemmas that must somehow be negotiated. Whilst these leaders had limited knowledge about the coronavirus and how the pandemic would potentially evolve, they were still expected to make high-staked judgements amidst a range of uncertainties. The purpose of this paper is to explore the response strategies used by various world leaders from the perspective of crisis leadership within the public health domain. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Secondary data was collected from research papers, policy reports and credible media outlets to examine the construct of crisis leadership within the context of the global pandemic. FINDINGS: The paper identified three cognitive antecedents to the COVID-19 crisis leadership failures, which helped to explain why certain policy decisions were successful and why others were less so. On this basis, a clear dichotomy was drawn between highly rated leaders and their less successful counterparts in relation to the management and governance of the coronavirus pandemic. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The uniqueness of this paper lies in its psycho-political approach, which offered insights into the cognitive undertones that underpin the three leadership failures that emerged from the distinct approaches used by world leaders to prepare for, respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The practical recommendations proposed in this paper are hoped to aid better decision-making for leaders faced with the task of managing future public health crises.

Leading community colleges through a pandemic: The lived experience of one administration during the Covid-19 pandemic

The purpose of this research study was to generate a grounded theory based on the lived experience of community college leaders at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, Washington, when they were faced with the challenges of COVID-19. The study examined the lived experience of community college leaders addressing a significant, extended crisis. This study focused on the administration's response to critical incidents throughout a specified time period. Through the interviews of eight executive cabinet members, along with emails, documents, internal and external pieces of communication, this study told the story of the lived experiences of this team and how this information guided me to five explanations or findings of this study. Those explanations are: 1.LWTech President purposely prepared a team2.LWTech President intentionally built a leadership team from individuals with attributes that indicated they could work within a team 3.LWTech president developed trust with each individual on the cabinet4. The LWTech President and the cabinet developed trust with each other5.Operating as a team, the LWTech cabinet effectively navigated the pandemic and managed the crisisThese five main explanations of the processes used by the LWTech executive cabinet demonstrate how the team successfully navigated an extended crisis on their campus. This success was revealed through this research by different examples. One example of this was the completion of all classes and labs to ensure students could complete their programs and degrees without delay. The team also used the crisis to change institutional practices and policies for long-term improvement, including new technology for faculty, students, and staff campus-wide. The executive team was able to make these decisions and navigate this crisis successfully because of the foundation already established and trust built among the team. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Developing adaptability and agility in leadership amidst the COVID-19 crisis: experiences of early-career school principals

Purpose: During 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/approach: The 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-leader and the engineer-leader with each approach demonstrating both organisational leadership approaches as well as individual leadership styles used by these principals as they led their schools. Findings: The findings have direct implications for professional development programs focusing on aspiring principals and early career principals with emphasis on the importance of developing emotionally intelligent skillsets in principals for use during periods of rapid change or high crisis in schools. The findings present insight into the support useful for early career principals in the first five years of principalship. Originality/value: This study uses a unique emotional intelligence approach to understand school leadership during and after a crisis. © 2023, Venesser Fernandes, Winnie Wong and Michael Noonan.

Navigating Policy and Local Context in Times of Crisis: District and School Leader Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: To examine how federal/state-level policy guidance and local context have influenced district and school leader responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how these external/internal factors might provide a window into K-12 crisis leadership and policy sensemaking more broadly. Research: Investigating two districts over two years (2020–2022), data gathered include 39 hours of interviews with K-12 leaders (n = 41) and teachers (n = 18), federal/state-level policy documents (N = 64) governing these districts, and school staff responses to the Comprehensive Assessment of Leaders for Learning survey (N = 111). Drawing theoretically upon sensemaking, crisis leadership/management, law/policy implementation, and organizational theory, these data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding over several phases. Findings: In tracing the confluence of federal/state-level guidance and local capacities, we find both influenced K-12 leaders' sensemaking and subsequent responses to COVID-19. However, districts that possessed adequate expertise and organizational resources were better positioned to respond to the crisis, whereas those lacking such capacities experienced increased anxiety/stress. Conclusion: We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic provides a new window into the critical external/internal factors influencing K-12 leader sensemaking and subsequent responses to crises more broadly. We also discuss the potential role intermediate service agencies might play in the development of a stronger crisis response infrastructure for associated districts and schools. Finally, we point out how principal preparation programs and professional development efforts could prospectively address such crisis-related challenges faced by K-12 leaders. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Educational Administration Quarterly is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Examining the roles of secondary school leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Vital elements in serving Hispanic/Latinx students

The literature on crisis leadership is saturated with a multitude of theoretical frameworks, definitions, domains, typologies, models, philosophies, schools of thought, and approaches regarding the nature of leadership and how leaders manage crises in different contexts (Bhaduri, 2019;Khan & Nawaz, 2016;McNulty et al., 2018;Mumford et al., 2007;Wooten & James, 2008;Zaccaro, 2007). Although there is a rigorous body of knowledge about crisis leadership, there is limited research about crisis leadership within secondary schools in marginalized spaces. The few existing studies are limited in significant ways. First, most of the studies in crisis leadership in schools focus on events of a localized nature within school boundaries, such as fires, school violence (including school shootings), and natural disasters. Second, the majority of studies, while discussing theoretical frameworks effectively, neglect to comprehensively examine the significant roles school leaders assume during these crises. Third, these studies are presented from a traditional majoritarian point of view without considering the cultural capital and community wealth minorities bring to the context of crisis leadership. Finally, there is a lack of research that explicitly examines how school leaders respond to crisis in secondary schools serving traditionally under-resourced Hispanic/Latinx students who attend schools in marginalized communities. This study aimed at closing this gap by exploring and examining the roles campus and school district leaders assumed during COVID-19 within a crisis leadership context and why this work matters. As an exploratory qualitative case study of two district's responses to COVID-19, the data illuminated that this resulted in a variety of new roles and responsibilities that specifically met identified needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Open for Economic Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Factors Related to State Reopening Policies in a Federal Policy Vacuum

What factors influence state governors to issue an executive order to reopen economic activities more or less quickly when removing the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions? Without comprehensive federal guidelines, state governors were faced with an administrative dilemma in devising mitigation policies that promoted safe public health measures while encouraging more business activity. Following the federal directive to reopen in April 2020, governors in all 50 states signed executive orders, but some waited longer than others. We argue that variation in the timing of the enactment of initial executive orders is influenced by political factors, financial resources factors, interstate factors, and problem severity of the public health incidence. Using an event history analysis, our Cox proportional hazard regression model suggests that states with unified Republican governments, more state funding obtained from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and participation in regional collaboration resumed activities earlier compared to states with more neighbors that issued reopening executive orders and states with more per capita income. Results indicate that, in crisis situations, unified political partisanship, the receipt of federal funding, and coordination with other states facilitate rapid policy adoption.

All's Fair in Pandemic and War? A Gendered Analysis of Australian Coverage of Covid‐19

The Covid‐19 pandemic has repeatedly been framed by politicians and the media alike as this generation's "Great War.” Metaphors are often used in political reportage as effective discursive tools to influence and persuade readers. War metaphors especially are frequently used in election campaigns, leadership spills, and during times of political unrest to portray politics as a brutal and competitive (masculine) arena. As such, the use of militaristic language and war metaphors to describe the shared challenges during a global pandemic is unsurprising. Framing the pandemic as a war can rally citizens by appealing to their sense of national and civic duty at a moment of crisis. Yet such framing is problematic as it draws on stereotyping cultural myths and values associated with war, reinforcing patriarchal understandings of bravery and service that glorify hegemonic masculinity while excluding women from the public sphere. Using a feminist critical discourse ana-lysis, this article will examine Australian print media coverage of the first six months of the Covid‐19 pandemic, focusing on two case studies—the prime minister and "frontline” workers—to further understand the gender bias of mainstream media. We argue that, by drawing on war metaphors in Covid‐19 coverage which emphasizes protective masculinity, the media reproduce and re‐enforce political and societal gender stereotypes and imbalances. © 2023 by the author(s);licensee Cogitatio (Lisbon, Portugal).

Introducing the pillars of equity-oriented crisis leadership: a conceptual framework

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. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Britain's COVID-19 battle: The role of political leaders in shaping the responses to the pandemic

This article introduces an analytical framework to trace and compare leaders' different types of behaviours to the health crisis posed by COVID-19, following the analytical benefits of Leadership Trait Analysis. It examines Boris Johnson's and Nicola Sturgeon's diverging initial responses to the pandemic's onset. We employ the Leadership Trait Analysis to shed light on three main differences in their respective leadership styles: risk-proneness versus risk-aversion;flexibility versus rigidity and rule advocacy versus rule ambivalence. Crises are one of the more fruitful situations in which to study leaders as their personal characteristics become central to the decision-making process. Thus, we employ an agent-centred and political psychology approach to analyse leaders' behaviour and make sense of their divergent management styles. The results show that the differences between these leaders' approaches to handling this global health crisis can be partly explained by their level of openness to information and their task versus relationship focus. © The Author(s) 2023.