Crisis communication and learning: the US higher education’s response to a global pandemic
ISSN: 0969-6474
Article publication date: 12 April 2022
Issue publication date: 16 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the processes that the US universities and colleges used to learn during the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors that facilitated and impeded their learning processes.
Design/methodology/approach
To address this study’s research questions, this study used a crisis communication and learning lens to interview crisis response team members from 30 US higher education institutions in May 2020 (the first pandemic semester). In October 2020 (the second pandemic semester), this study conducted follow-up interviews with 25 of the original interviewees. Overall, this study conducted 55 interviews.
Findings
Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is facilitated by a recognition of a serious deficiency in the current system and impeded by the need to act quickly. The findings demonstrate the process by which decisions, actions and strategies emerged during crises.
Originality/value
This investigation illustrates how crises can prompt organizational learning while demonstrating the critical role of internal and external resources in the learning process.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Professor Timothy L. Sellnow of the University of Central Florida for his contributions to this research.
Funding: This study was funded by the University of Maryland’s coronavirus seed grant program.
Ethics Review: This study was approved by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (ethics approval #1583498–4) and the Wayne State University Institutional Review Board (ethics approval #1583498). The University of Central Florida Institutional Review Board also administratively approved the study, but did not provide a separate approval number. At the time this research was conducted, co-author America Edwards was a master’s student at the University of Central Florida. All leaders provided written consent to participate in the study.
Citation
Islam, K., Edwards, A.L., Shi, D., Lim, J.R., Sheppard, R., Liu, B.F. and Seeger, M.W. (2022), "Crisis communication and learning: the US higher education’s response to a global pandemic", The Learning Organization, Vol. 29 No. 4, pp. 357-376. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-10-2021-0121
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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