Date of Conferral

5-10-2024

Date of Award

May 2024

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Crystal Lupo

Abstract

During times of climatological crisis, leadership is a crucial component of postsecondary education administrators’ arsenal, specifically regarding their ability to execute strategies in action plans aimed at restoring the normal operations of institutions. This comparative case study aimed to examine how strategies in crisis leadership plans were implemented in Puerto Rico's higher education system, focusing on the experiences of key administrators in two higher education units who managed the response to the impacts of the 2017 Hurricane Maria. The conceptual framework for this investigation was grounded in Blanchard and Hersey's situational leadership theory and Bass’s transformational theory. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 higher education administrators from two academic units who led strategies to restore the everyday operations of their institutions in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Data analysis was implemented through the grouping and categorization of codes with shared relationships obtained through qualitative analysis software. The key findings show that Puerto Rican higher education administrators leading the response to Hurricane Maria implemented multiple leadership styles to promote trust and security, used multifaceted crisis communications strategies, emphasized the value of resilience and security in risk and issues management, and adapted their institutions to be hubs for peace and support through community engagement. The results of this study emphasize the role of higher education in driving social change by adopting diverse leadership styles that enhance trust and security, thereby transforming institutions into community-focused centers of peace and support that are well-equipped to navigate climatological challenges with sustainable and innovative strategies.

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