Recent studies have highlighted the major challenges faced by managers in the higher education sector and shown the contradictory demands which foster paradoxical tensions. Previous works have also underlined some specific tensions and rigidities that business school deans regularly face in their role. Yet, few studies have empirically explored…

How stressed are school superintendents? What are the reasons for their stress? To find out, authors surveyed 150 superintendents in American School District Panel member districts. In spring 2023, 79 percent of superintendents reported that their jobs were "often" or "always" stressful. Superintendents most commonly cited the…

During the COVID-19 global pandemic, there was no precedence set or documented protocol to govern the transition from face-to-face to online teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore middle school administrators' perspectives on their challenges and opportunities when assisting teachers as they transitioned from face-to-face to online…

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began its effect on public school education. With online classes, students without remote access, and teachers with little to no experience in technology-based instruction, students, parents, and teachers were navigating the unknown. We have returned to campus, and routines are back in place, but education will…

This article examines the experiences and coping strategies of four university middle-managers during the unprecedented time of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We use the research approach of autoethnography to reflect on our experiences and decision-making processes. To reflect on how we managed the rapid change and moved from…

Effective leadership is needed when the organization faces difficult situations. When major earthquakes and pandemics successively hit North Lombok, the role of teachers and school principals significantly determined the resilience of the school organization's sustainability. The study aims to understand how elementary teachers and principals in…

The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of school principals in Turkey during the pandemic. The fact that school principals have taken on an active role as guiding the school shareholders in coping with the crisis was the motive for focusing on their experiences. The study based on a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data was…

When COVID-19 changed schooling in Illinois from face-to-face teaching and learning to remote teaching and learning, the transformation was sudden and swift. While there may have been premonitions and feelings of urgency about the effects of the novel coronavirus, there was little time to plan for the change that would take place and little…

This study explores how mid-level administrators working in international student service centers make meaning of their roles and perceive the support their institutions provide. Utilizing critical discourse analysis and the theoretical framework of empowerment, this study reveals the social problems, power struggles, and avenues mid-level…

Turkey possess one of the most vibrant educational systems in the World. This study specifically aims at revealing Turkish school principals' perceptions about the large-scale changes imposed by the Ministry of Education and the strategies they follow for coping with these changes. The study was designed as a generic qualitative study. Twenty…

Purpose: This paper aims to consider middle managers' influence on organizational learning by exploring how they cope with demands and tensions in their role and whether their practice affects available team energy. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 43 managers from three large organizations involved in major change assessed their group's…

This research was conducted to understand how 30 American school leaders coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. A case study approach was used in the study. The researchers used convenience and snowball sampling to conduct Zoom interviews in May 2020. The research findings revealed that leaders faced numerous difficulties related to having to lead…

This article presents findings from a study into the reality of beginning as a principal in a New Zealand secondary school. The views of beginning, experienced and former principals are presented and discussed drawing on the literature of organisational sensemaking. The findings suggest that the challenges of unexpected occurrences, relationship…

The transition from teaching to assistant principalship is a turning point in a teacher's professional career. This transition not only reflects a change in one's hierarchical standing at the school but also constitutes a stage that affects one's administrative identity and aspirations to further advance in the management arena. Despite the…

This study explored issues facing deans within higher education, specifically deans of doctoral granting schools/colleges of education. The study explored key challenges/issues and related stress education deans experience at research universities.