“Architects of Change or Its Victim”: University Presidents’ Perspectives on the Role of Competing Values During the COVID-19 Crisis

ABSTRACT

Presidents have difficult roles regardless of systemic context and in times of crisis their work is especially complex. While the body of work on presidents generally is growing, understanding of their role in crisis is underdeveloped. In this study, we enhance research on presidential crisis leadership by applying the competing values framework to a unique set of interviews with 14 presidents from eight nations. Our results highlight the value tensions that were and are experienced by presidents during crisis as these leaders manage local needs with national guidance. The most common values discussed include control, collaborate, and create, while the value of compete was rarely referenced.

KEYWORDS:

• Presidents
• crisis leadership
• COVID-19
• competing values
• international leadership

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. In the United States, a land-grant university is an institution that was established on land granted by the U.S. federal government under the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. These institutions have a threefold mission of teaching, conducting research, and providing service to the communities where they are established.