Crisis Management, Agile Leadership, and Organizational Culture in Primary Schools

Abstract

Educational organizations include intense human relations and social interaction. In this respect, the potential for the emergence of crises in educational organizations is quite high. In the literature, agile leadership is a significant type of leadership in which leaders possess an ability to take quick and correct decisions, cope with stress and psychological pressures, and remain calm while managing crises. In addition, a strong, established, and experienced organizational culture is essential in times of crisis. With these aspects, the variables of crisis management, agile leadership, and organizational culture are considered to be related to each other. The relationship between the variables of crisis management, agile leadership, and organizational culture, as well as the direction and size of this relationship, was examined. The study was designed in the correlational model. Teachers working in public primary schools in Malatya during the 2021-2022 academic year were included in the population of the study. In the study, 406 teachers determined by the random method were included in the sample. Data were collected through five-point Likert-type scales including “Crisis Management”, “Agile Leadership”, and “Organizational Culture”. Teachers reported that there was a moderate, positive, and significant relationship between crisis management, agile leadership, and organizational culture. In addition, it was concluded that the agile leadership of the principals and organizational culture could predict crisis management. It is recommended that agile leaders be employed in organizations, agile leadership training be provided, and strong and permanent/continuous cultures be established in organizations to avoid the negative effects of crises on organizations and employees in educational organizations.