Rebuilding Crisis Response Strategies: Nigerian University Reputation Sustainability during and after the Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis

Abstract

Purpose: The outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is projected to have severe potential threats to university reputation. This paper aims to examine how rebuilding crisis response strategies (RCRS) will protect and sustain the university’s reputations during and after emerging outbreaks of pandemic crises in the Nigerian context. Design/methodology/approach: This review paper is on the synthesis of university covid-19 related news, supported by relevant literature review on Covid-19 and university reputation, and the strength of Situational Crisis Communication Theory’s (SCCT) rebuilding response strategies. However, the authors’ personal experiences in investigating the trends on pandemic crises and university reputation sustainability also contributed to the study. Findings: This paper predicts that epidemics and pandemics have a potential impact on university reputation, thus, affecting good stakeholders’ relationships, positive marketization, smooth functionalization, and favorable working environments. Rebuilding response strategies have the power to protect and rebuild universities’ reputations during and after a pandemic crisis. Therefore, rebuilding strategies should be considered by university bodies for reputational sustainability during and after a pandemic crisis in the Nigerian context. Research limitations/implications: This review is limited to the pandemic crisis and its response strategies among Nigerian universities. While Nigerian universities reflect upon how to bring positive changes in terms of university-industry reputation following this Covid-19 pandemic, subsequent research should also consider the best possible crisis response strategy among universities to mitigate the effects of similar future pandemics crises, looking at other geographical contexts. Practical implications: This review paper serves as recommendations for Nigerian universities and policymakers, focusing on reputation sustainability during a pandemic crisis. The suggestions may help in the alleviation of and fight against an emerging pandemic-related outbreak, offers university bodies a newly enriching pandemic response strategy, and partially if not completely mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the university’s reputation. These recommendations can also be applied more broadly to global Higher Education Institutions. Social implications: Socially, the COVID-19 outbreak has indeed brought significant impacts on society and organizations globally. Academic crisis communication scholars and practitioners should carefully consider this rebuilding response strategy and how it sustains social practices. Therefore, this response strategy should be viewed holistically in terms of its effects in minimizing pandemic crises on the social environments, climates, and among universities’ stakeholders themselves. Originality/value: This paper represents the first study of its kind, critically examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on Nigerian Universities and how rebuilding response strategy projections possibly minimize the reputational threats, sustain the reputation and protect stakeholder expectations during a pandemic crisis as covid-19 and other future pandemic related outbreaks.