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Pathways to Institutional Equilibrium after a Campus Disaster
Author(s) -
Shaw Mahauganee D.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of contingencies and crisis management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.007
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1468-5973
pISSN - 0966-0879
DOI - 10.1111/1468-5973.12128
Subject(s) - institution , identification (biology) , organizational theory , higher education , organizational change , business , political science , public relations , economics , economic growth , management , ecology , biology , law
This study applies theories of evolutionary organizational change to disaster‐stricken higher education institutions. A collective case study was used to explore two institutions’ pathways back to operational equilibrium following environmental disasters. The key finding is the identification of seven variables that collectively influenced the institutional pathway to equilibrium. These variables can either shorten or lengthen the achievement of recovery goals that lead to operational equilibrium. The conclusion developed from these findings is that institutional equilibrium is largely dependent on external factors and can be regained while an institution is yet in recovery mode. Findings from this study contribute to the theoretical foundations of organizational development and crisis management, as well as the practice of crisis management in higher education.