The purpose of this study was to determine best practices of leadership communication during and after organizational crises at colleges and universities that threaten the safety of stakeholders. Crises that impact colleges and universities are increasing, and if the leaders in these organizations communicate improperly throughout crisis…

Most communication research on bad news messages focuses on crisis communication, where attention is often limited to image repair strategies. The authors argue that a key indicator of an organization's effectiveness in communicating "bad news" messages is its organizational culture. Developing an organizational culture that values positive…

In this conceptual paper, we consider organizational storytelling as a communications tool in which stories are used to reduce the stress and anxiety of organizational members during a crisis. While there is much consensus among organizational scholars detailing storytelling's active role in such processes as organizational learning and…

Global climate change threatens university campuses around the world. However, prior research suggests that universities around the globe tend to prioritize preventing further climate change rather than developing plans to address the effects of ongoing, irreversible climate change. Further, scholarship on climate change and disaster resilience…

The fundamental need for safety in schools requires research-based and trauma-informed strategies for implementing crisis management plans (CMPs). Beyond the immediate harm, longer-term potential outcomes of crises are psychological trauma and damage to the reputation for safety of the school, leading to staff attrition. An effective CMP involves…

While the likelihood and probability of school districts encountering major crises remain unknown, superintendents need to anticipate and prepare for such events that have the potential to threaten their organization. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the behaviors and actions of New York State public school superintendents…

Based on multidisciplinary research findings, this report proposes an information processing model of employees' response to highly stressful information environments arising during organizational crises. The introduction stresses the importance of management's handling crisis communication with employees skillfully. The second section points out…

Crises are unpredictable events that affect the organization and all the stakeholders. In higher education, crises are often found in a single institution or small region, depending on the nature of the situation. The coronavirus pandemic presented an opportunity to understand the impact of crises on a larger scale. This study explored how college…

Asian leaders continue to deal with perhaps the biggest crisis they have faced in their careers. The combined social, economic, and health crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to stress-test organizations, forcing them to stare at the potential reality of bankruptcy. C-Suite Leaders (CXOs) not only deal with external leadership crises to…

There is not an organization in the world immune to crisis (Coombs, 2015). From for-profit corporations to the non-profit sector of higher education, research on various crises, and the communication surrounding them, has attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners over the years. This study contributes to literature surrounding…

Whether it be an environmental disaster, civil unrest, or a public health emergency, higher education leaders must be ready to address and respond to any crises threatening their institutions or university communities. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding regarding how university presidents and provosts respond and communicate…

The realities of the community colleges along any coastal region involve the constant threat of a hurricane crisis. One of these realities is that colleges near the coast in North Carolina will face another hurricane; it's just a matter of when and how severely. In turn, this means that community colleges need to be prepared and especially for the…

Employees often perceive periods of change--no matter how warranted or beneficial--as crises, exhibiting both cognitive and emotional reactions including feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, even fear, chaos, stress, betrayal, grief, and anger. Management must have a clear strategy for communicating with employees through change, as employee…

Kenneth Trump, a school safety expert who consults with districts on how to respond to school safety crises, explains how the new prevalence of threats of violence being delivered over digital and social media creates for administrators a "communication crisis" that unfolds alongside the real or perceived crisis of school safety being…

Recent catastrophes have brought about numerous critiques and changes to campus communications. In this article, the author shares the lessons she has learned from the crises she experienced during her 18 years of being the president of Trinity (Washington) University. Furthermore, Joan Hinde Stewart, president of Hamilton College, adds her…