ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP AND CRISIS PREPAREDNESS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA: MODERATING EFFECT OF BUSINESS CONTINUITY PRACTICES
Abstract
This study examined the influence of adaptive leadership on crisis preparedness in Kenyan public universities, with business continuity practices as a moderating variable. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding how leadership approaches and organizational practices contribute to institutional resilience in the face of crises. The theoretical framework was grounded in High Reliability Organization Theory. The study employed a positivist philosophy and a survey research design, targeting all 35 public universities in Kenya as the unity of analysis. The study applied purposive sampling and selected six key participants from each university for the survey. The study achieved a response rate of 92% with the return of 193 questionnaires from 210 target respondents. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The study finding was that business continuity practices have significant moderating effect on the relationship between adaptive leadership and crisis preparedness by public universities in Kenya. The study concluded that the conceptual model of adaptive leadership as an independent variable and business continuity practices as a moderating variable and crisis preparedness as a dependent variable provides an integrated framework for enhancement of crisis preparedness in public universities in Kenya. The study recommends that University Management should invest in developing and implementing comprehensive business continuity practices. It is recommended that policy makers should allocate adequate resources for embedding crisis preparedness systems and processes including the continual implementation of business continuity practices in public universities. These practices should be integrated into the institution's strategic plans and regularly updated to reflect evolving risks and operational challenges. The deployment of appropriated technology is also important in embedding the crisis preparedness systems and processes in the organization and should be prioritized by practitioners and policy makers.
Keywords: Adaptive Leadership, Crisis Preparedness & Public Universities in Kenya
References
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Arslan, A., Golgeci, I., Khan, Z., Al-Tabbaa, O., & Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, P. (2021). Adaptive learning in cross-sector collaboration during global emergency: conceptual insights in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Multinational Business Review, 29(1), 21-42.
Baden, C., Pipal, C., Schoonvelde, M., & van der Velden, M. A. G. (2022). Three gaps in computational text analysis methods for social sciences: A research agenda. Communication Methods and Measures, 16(1), 1-18.
Bagwell, J. (2020). Leading through a pandemic: Adaptive leadership and purposeful action. Journal of School Administration Research and Development, 5, 30-34.
Bataille, G. M., & Cordova, D. I. (Eds.). (2023). Managing the unthinkable: Crisis preparation and response for campus leaders. Taylor & Francis.
Bobel, V. A. D. O., Sigahi, T. F., Rampasso, I. S., Moraes, G. H. S. M. D., Ávila, L. V., Leal Filho, W., & Anholon, R. (2022). Analysis of the level of adoption of business continuity practices by Brazilian industries: an exploratory study using fuzzy TOPSIS. Mathematics, 10(21), 4041.
Casella, J., & Margiotta, K. (2023). Using Practicum and Internship to Better Understand Crisis Prevention and Intervention. Communique, 51(6), 35-36.
Chandler, R. C. (2022). Anticipatory foresight and adaptive decision-making as a crucial characteristic for business continuity, crisis and emergency leadership. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 15(3), 255-269.
Chua, C. T., Goh, J., & Zhang, Z. (2010). Expected volatility, unexpected volatility, and the cross‐section of stock returns. Journal of Financial Research, 33(2), 103-123.
Chughtai, M. S., Syed, F., Naseer, S., & Chinchilla, N. (2023). Role of adaptive leadership in learning organizations to boost organizational innovations with change self-efficacy. Current Psychology, 1-20.
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Dunn, R. (2020). Adaptive leadership: Leading through complexity. International studies in educational administration, 48(1), 31-38.
Fernandez, F., Coulson, H., & Zou, Y. (2022). Leading in the eye of a storm: how one team of administrators exercised disaster resilience. Higher Education, 1-16.
Goniewicz, K., Khorram-Manesh, A., Burkle, F. M., Hertelendy, A. J., & Goniewicz, M. (2023). Global Transitions.
Gooding, K., Bertone, M. P., Loffreda, G., & Witter, S. (2022). How can we strengthen partnership and coordination for health system emergency preparedness and response? Findings from a synthesis of experience across countries facing shocks. BMC health services research, 22(1), 1441.
Haron, M. Z., Alias, N., Hashim, S. N. A., Noh, S. C., Anuar, A., Ishak, M. N., & Ismail, M. L. H. (2022). Adaptive leadership: Leading the change of the Covid-19 endemic era. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 4(7), 40-47.
Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard business press.
Joshi, A., Kale, S., Chandel, S., & Pal, D. K. (2015). Likert scale: Explored and explained. British journal of applied science & technology, 7(4), 396-403.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (2020). Economic Survey 2020: Education Sector. Retrieved August 1, 2024
Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service [KUCCPS]. (2023). Student Placement Report 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2024
KIPPRA (2022) Improving the Performance of Public Universities in Delivering Higher Education in Kenya. Retrieved from https://kippra.or.ke/improving-the-performance-of-public-universities-in-delivering-higher-education-in-kenya/
Levitt, H. M., Bamberg, M., Creswell, J. W., Frost, D. M., Josselson, R., & Suárez-Orozco, C. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board task force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 26.
Mahal, A., & Narwani, A. (2012). A business continuity management maturity model for the UAE banking sector. Business Process Management Journal, 18(3), 472-492.
Makoe, M. (2022). Resilient Leadership in Time of Crisis in Distance Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp. 1-15). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Moerschell, L., & Novak, S. S. (2020). Managing crisis in a university setting: The challenge of alignment. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 28(1), 30-40.
Moşteanu, N. R. (2024). Adapting to the Unpredictable: Building Resilience for Business Continuity in an Ever-Changing Landscape. European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, 2(1), 444-457.
Murage, S. W (2022). Transformational leadership and performance of public universities in Kenya. AJHSSR, Volume 6, Issue 2, PP 160-168
Murphy, G. B., Trailer, J. W., & Hill, R. C. (1996). Measuring performance in entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business Research, 36(1), 15-23.
Mwangi, M .J, Auya, S & Bore, E. (2024). Effect of Emergency Preparedness on security in Kenyan Universities. A case Study of Gariss University. European Journal of Development Studies. Vol/4/issue 4/August 2024
Nikjoo, R.G, Partovi, Y & Biparva, A.J (2022). Crisis Management Programs in top universities worldwide to maintain educational activities in situational crisis. A scoping review. Res Dev Med Educ, 2022, 11,21
Nissim, Y., & Simon, E. (2021). Flattening the hierarchy curve: Adaptive leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic-A case study in an academic teacher training college. Rev. Eur. Stud., 13, 103.
Oduol, T. (2021). Adaptive Leadership: Integrating Technology in Kenyan Universities in the Covid.
Oestreicher, C. (2007). A history of chaos theory. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 9(3), 279-289.
Ogunode, N. J., & Musa, A. (2020). Higher education in Nigeria: Challenges and the ways forward. Electronic Research Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 3.
Oketch, L., & Wamae, P. (2021). Disaster Preparedness and Planning for Service Sustainability: Case of Egerton University Digital Library, Main Campus. International Journal of Current Aspects, 5(3), 54-82.
Păunescu, C., & Argatu, R. (2020). Critical functions in ensuring effective business continuity management. Evidence from Romanian companies. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(2), 497-520.
Questad, D. C. (2022). A study of executive leaders’ lived experience with adaptive leadership in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Gonzaga University.
Radjenovic, T & Zivkovic, S (2022). Effectiveness of Business Continuity Management System Enterprises. Conference Paper, University of NIS, Serbia
Ranf, D. E., Mănescu, G., & Badea, D. (2021). Specific business continuity management practices during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Land Forces Academy Review, 26(1), 62-68.
Rasiah, R, Kaur, H, & Gupta, V (2020).Business Continuity Plan in Higher Education Industry: University Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Academic Continuity Plans during Covi-19 Pandemic. Applied Systems Innovation, 2020,3,51
Rayburn, S. W., Anderson, S., & Sierra, J. J. (2021). Future thinking continuity of learning in marketing: A student perspective on crisis management in higher education. Marketing Education Review, 31(3), 241-255.
Republic of Kenya (2017). Education Sector Disaster Management Policy. Ministry of Education
Sawalha, I. H. (2020). Business continuity management: use and approach’s effectiveness. Continuity & Resilience Review, 2(2), 81-96.
Seeger, M., & Ulmer, R. (2002). A post-crisis discourse of renewal: The cases of Malden Mills and Cole Hardwoods. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 30(2), 126-142.
Sharief, E. (2024). Leadership Styles and Organizational Resilience in Times of Crisis in Sudan. American Journal of Leadership and Governance, 9(2), 26-37.
Shufutinsky, A., DePorres, D., Long, B., & Sibel, J. R. (2020). Shock Leadership Development for the Modern Era of Pandemic Management and Preparedness. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 13(1).
Speakman, M. (2019). Dark tourism consumption in Mexico City: a new perspective of the thanatological experience. Journal of Tourism Analysis: Revista de Análisis Turístico, 26(2), 152-168.
Suresh, N. C., Sanders, G. L., & Braunscheidel, M. J. (2020). Business continuity management for supply chains facing catastrophic events. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 48(3), 129-138.
Thanitbenjasith, P., & Kamkankaew, P. (2023). Preparing for Tomorrow's Challenges: Integrating Future Thinking into Crisis Management in Thai Higher Education. Online Submission, 3(5), 215-230.
Tjahjono, B., Esplugues, C., Ares, E., & Pelaez, G. (2017). What does industry 4.0 mean to supply chain?. Procedia manufacturing, 13, 1175-1182.
Trobia, A., & Lavrakas, P. (2008). Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods.
Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The leadership quarterly, 18(4), 298-318.
Wamburu, A., Nyambegera, S. M., & Kibet, E. (2022). Influence of gaining perspective dimension of adaptive leadership on organizational performance of Insurance Companies in Kenya.
Weick, K. E., & Sutcliffe, K. M. (2001). Managing the unexpected (Vol. 9). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Ali, Q. S. A., Hanafiah, M. H., & Mogindol, S. H. (2023). Systematic literature review of Business Continuity Management (BCM) practices: Integrating organisational resilience and performance in Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) BCM framework. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 104135.
Arslan, A., Golgeci, I., Khan, Z., Al-Tabbaa, O., & Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, P. (2021). Adaptive learning in cross-sector collaboration during global emergency: conceptual insights in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Multinational Business Review, 29(1), 21-42.
Baden, C., Pipal, C., Schoonvelde, M., & van der Velden, M. A. G. (2022). Three gaps in computational text analysis methods for social sciences: A research agenda. Communication Methods and Measures, 16(1), 1-18.
Bagwell, J. (2020). Leading through a pandemic: Adaptive leadership and purposeful action. Journal of School Administration Research and Development, 5, 30-34.
Bataille, G. M., & Cordova, D. I. (Eds.). (2023). Managing the unthinkable: Crisis preparation and response for campus leaders. Taylor & Francis.
Bobel, V. A. D. O., Sigahi, T. F., Rampasso, I. S., Moraes, G. H. S. M. D., Ávila, L. V., Leal Filho, W., & Anholon, R. (2022). Analysis of the level of adoption of business continuity practices by Brazilian industries: an exploratory study using fuzzy TOPSIS. Mathematics, 10(21), 4041.
Casella, J., & Margiotta, K. (2023). Using Practicum and Internship to Better Understand Crisis Prevention and Intervention. Communique, 51(6), 35-36.
Chandler, R. C. (2022). Anticipatory foresight and adaptive decision-making as a crucial characteristic for business continuity, crisis and emergency leadership. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 15(3), 255-269.
Chua, C. T., Goh, J., & Zhang, Z. (2010). Expected volatility, unexpected volatility, and the cross‐section of stock returns. Journal of Financial Research, 33(2), 103-123.
Chughtai, M. S., Syed, F., Naseer, S., & Chinchilla, N. (2023). Role of adaptive leadership in learning organizations to boost organizational innovations with change self-efficacy. Current Psychology, 1-20.
Commission for University Education [CUE]. (2021). Annual Report on the State of University Education in Kenya. Retrieved August 10, 2024
Commission for University Education [CUE]. (2024). Higher Education Statistics Report. Retrieved register of Universities Authorized to operate in Kenya June, 2024
Dunn, R. (2020). Adaptive leadership: Leading through complexity. International studies in educational administration, 48(1), 31-38.
Fernandez, F., Coulson, H., & Zou, Y. (2022). Leading in the eye of a storm: how one team of administrators exercised disaster resilience. Higher Education, 1-16.
Goniewicz, K., Khorram-Manesh, A., Burkle, F. M., Hertelendy, A. J., & Goniewicz, M. (2023). Global Transitions.
Gooding, K., Bertone, M. P., Loffreda, G., & Witter, S. (2022). How can we strengthen partnership and coordination for health system emergency preparedness and response? Findings from a synthesis of experience across countries facing shocks. BMC health services research, 22(1), 1441.
Haron, M. Z., Alias, N., Hashim, S. N. A., Noh, S. C., Anuar, A., Ishak, M. N., & Ismail, M. L. H. (2022). Adaptive leadership: Leading the change of the Covid-19 endemic era. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 4(7), 40-47.
Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard business press.
Joshi, A., Kale, S., Chandel, S., & Pal, D. K. (2015). Likert scale: Explored and explained. British journal of applied science & technology, 7(4), 396-403.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (2020). Economic Survey 2020: Education Sector. Retrieved August 1, 2024
Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service [KUCCPS]. (2023). Student Placement Report 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2024
KIPPRA (2022) Improving the Performance of Public Universities in Delivering Higher Education in Kenya. Retrieved from https://kippra.or.ke/improving-the-performance-of-public-universities-in-delivering-higher-education-in-kenya/
Levitt, H. M., Bamberg, M., Creswell, J. W., Frost, D. M., Josselson, R., & Suárez-Orozco, C. (2018). Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board task force report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 26.
Mahal, A., & Narwani, A. (2012). A business continuity management maturity model for the UAE banking sector. Business Process Management Journal, 18(3), 472-492.
Makoe, M. (2022). Resilient Leadership in Time of Crisis in Distance Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp. 1-15). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Moerschell, L., & Novak, S. S. (2020). Managing crisis in a university setting: The challenge of alignment. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 28(1), 30-40.
Moşteanu, N. R. (2024). Adapting to the Unpredictable: Building Resilience for Business Continuity in an Ever-Changing Landscape. European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, 2(1), 444-457.
Murage, S. W (2022). Transformational leadership and performance of public universities in Kenya. AJHSSR, Volume 6, Issue 2, PP 160-168
Murphy, G. B., Trailer, J. W., & Hill, R. C. (1996). Measuring performance in entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business Research, 36(1), 15-23.
Mwangi, M .J, Auya, S & Bore, E. (2024). Effect of Emergency Preparedness on security in Kenyan Universities. A case Study of Gariss University. European Journal of Development Studies. Vol/4/issue 4/August 2024
Nikjoo, R.G, Partovi, Y & Biparva, A.J (2022). Crisis Management Programs in top universities worldwide to maintain educational activities in situational crisis. A scoping review. Res Dev Med Educ, 2022, 11,21
Nissim, Y., & Simon, E. (2021). Flattening the hierarchy curve: Adaptive leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic-A case study in an academic teacher training college. Rev. Eur. Stud., 13, 103.
Oduol, T. (2021). Adaptive Leadership: Integrating Technology in Kenyan Universities in the Covid.
Oestreicher, C. (2007). A history of chaos theory. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 9(3), 279-289.
Ogunode, N. J., & Musa, A. (2020). Higher education in Nigeria: Challenges and the ways forward. Electronic Research Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 3.
Oketch, L., & Wamae, P. (2021). Disaster Preparedness and Planning for Service Sustainability: Case of Egerton University Digital Library, Main Campus. International Journal of Current Aspects, 5(3), 54-82.
Păunescu, C., & Argatu, R. (2020). Critical functions in ensuring effective business continuity management. Evidence from Romanian companies. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 21(2), 497-520.
Questad, D. C. (2022). A study of executive leaders’ lived experience with adaptive leadership in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Gonzaga University.
Radjenovic, T & Zivkovic, S (2022). Effectiveness of Business Continuity Management System Enterprises. Conference Paper, University of NIS, Serbia
Ranf, D. E., Mănescu, G., & Badea, D. (2021). Specific business continuity management practices during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Land Forces Academy Review, 26(1), 62-68.
Rasiah, R, Kaur, H, & Gupta, V (2020).Business Continuity Plan in Higher Education Industry: University Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Academic Continuity Plans during Covi-19 Pandemic. Applied Systems Innovation, 2020,3,51
Rayburn, S. W., Anderson, S., & Sierra, J. J. (2021). Future thinking continuity of learning in marketing: A student perspective on crisis management in higher education. Marketing Education Review, 31(3), 241-255.
Republic of Kenya (2017). Education Sector Disaster Management Policy. Ministry of Education
Sawalha, I. H. (2020). Business continuity management: use and approach’s effectiveness. Continuity & Resilience Review, 2(2), 81-96.
Seeger, M., & Ulmer, R. (2002). A post-crisis discourse of renewal: The cases of Malden Mills and Cole Hardwoods. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 30(2), 126-142.
Sharief, E. (2024). Leadership Styles and Organizational Resilience in Times of Crisis in Sudan. American Journal of Leadership and Governance, 9(2), 26-37.
Shufutinsky, A., DePorres, D., Long, B., & Sibel, J. R. (2020). Shock Leadership Development for the Modern Era of Pandemic Management and Preparedness. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 13(1).
Speakman, M. (2019). Dark tourism consumption in Mexico City: a new perspective of the thanatological experience. Journal of Tourism Analysis: Revista de Análisis Turístico, 26(2), 152-168.
Suresh, N. C., Sanders, G. L., & Braunscheidel, M. J. (2020). Business continuity management for supply chains facing catastrophic events. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 48(3), 129-138.
Thanitbenjasith, P., & Kamkankaew, P. (2023). Preparing for Tomorrow's Challenges: Integrating Future Thinking into Crisis Management in Thai Higher Education. Online Submission, 3(5), 215-230.
Tjahjono, B., Esplugues, C., Ares, E., & Pelaez, G. (2017). What does industry 4.0 mean to supply chain?. Procedia manufacturing, 13, 1175-1182.
Trobia, A., & Lavrakas, P. (2008). Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods.
Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The leadership quarterly, 18(4), 298-318.
Wamburu, A., Nyambegera, S. M., & Kibet, E. (2022). Influence of gaining perspective dimension of adaptive leadership on organizational performance of Insurance Companies in Kenya.
Weick, K. E., & Sutcliffe, K. M. (2001). Managing the unexpected (Vol. 9). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Published
2024-10-03
How to Cite
Nyandika, D. O. (2024). ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP AND CRISIS PREPAREDNESS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA: MODERATING EFFECT OF BUSINESS CONTINUITY PRACTICES. African Journal of Emerging Issues, 6(14), 143 - 162. Retrieved from https://ajoeijournals.org/sys/index.php/ajoei/article/view/672
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