Abstract
The purpose of the current research is to design a crisis management model for administrators of Farhangian University. The research method is qualitative; and applicable research in terms of its purpose. The statistical population of the research includes 16 university experts, managers and academic staff members who had experience in crisis management, and were individually interviewed and selected by theoretical (non-probability) and purposeful sampling. And semi-structured interviews were used with university experts. The components and quality requirements of crisis management were obtained through theme analysis during three stages of data coding. The results showed that the components of crisis management in Farhangian University include the degree of preparedness to deal with the crisis (individual factors, organizational factors, educational factors, economic factors); preparation of risk management plan (before the crisis, during the crisis); Organizational structure; participation of organizations; organization communication (internal communication plans, external communication plans); Continuous monitoring (crisis maneuver, possible crisis scenario, review and evaluation); organizational leadership (leadership and management, organizational culture); organizational agility; and university infrastructure.
Extended abstract
Introduction
As one of the main social institutions, the university has the important task of personnel training, scientific research, social services, cultural heritage, and innovation. In the period of rapid social transformation, the outer space of the university becomes more and more complex, which causes the university to face various tests in the process of reform and development. Critical incidents show a growing trend that is also reflected in the universities themselves. At all times, when the university faces a critical incident, the society, people, and media have paid great attention to it. In recent years, more researchers have studied university crisis management (Wenting, 2019). Crisis management is the process of quick decision and action, all-round flexibility to anticipate in order to be prepared to prevent its occurrence, deal with the crisis and repair the effects of the crisis on the environment and actors. Iran is at the top of the most damaged and vulnerable countries in the world (Darvishzadeh, 2018).
According to the mentioned materials, the main problem of the research is; what is the model of crisis management for Farhangian University administrators?
Theoretical Framework
Crisis Management
The crisis is clear to the general public, and they easily understand its meaning. People consider crisis as a bad event and a negative thing and define it as sudden and dangerous events that can have bad and negative effects (Nazemiyan, 2019). Crisis management is an art through which the government of elite men, actors on the stage, display their decisive role. Paying attention to the complexity of natural disasters in cities and the urgent need to use risk reduction funds in urban residential areas, risk management has been used in different ways in the world as a new and effective method in the stages of prevention and preparedness in crisis situations (Hoseini et al., 2018).
The concept of crisis management in the university
Crisis management is an applicable science that, through systematic observation of crises and their analysis, seeks to find a tool by which crises can be prevented, and in case of a crisis, it can be prepared, dealt with effectively, organized and coordinated, and planned action (Rahimi & Moradi, 2021).
Balachi et al, (2023) investigated the role of organizational structure in the ability of crisis management in the organization. The results of the research also show that flexible organizational structure and high coordination improves the ability of crisis management in the organization. In addition, strong communication and cooperation between organization members are also considered as essential factors in crisis management ability. This study brings important results to managers and policy makers of organizations and recommends that organizations improve crisis management ability by creating a flexible organizational structure and strengthening cooperation between members.
Sazmand et al, (2022) investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and crisis management of the Corona pandemic at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. The findings of the research showed that among the dimensions of emotional intelligence, the average of interpersonal skills was higher than the other dimensions. Also, there is a positive and significant relationship between the three dimensions of interpersonal skills, adaptability, and general mood with crisis management. In addition, there is a significant positive relationship between the overall score of emotional intelligence and crisis management.
Research methodology
The present study was applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of data collection. The statistical population includes 16 university experts who were identified using theoretical (non-probability) and targeted sampling, and semi-structured interviews were used.
Research findings
Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained from the interview,. The results showed that the components of crisis management in Farhangian University include the level of preparedness to deal with the crisis (individual factors, organizational factors, educational factors, economic factors); preparation of risk management plan (before the crisis, during the crisis); Organizational structure, participation of organizations, organization communication (internal communication plans, external communication plans); Continuous monitoring (crisis maneuver, possible crisis scenario, review and evaluation); organizational leadership (leadership and management, organizational culture); organizational agility; and university infrastructure.
Conclusion
The present research was conducted with the aim of designing a crisis management model for Farhangian University administrators. The findings of the present research are in agreement with the findings of Rezaei & Nuri (2018), Jamaledini et al, (2016), AlQahtany & Abubakar (2020), Kwesi-Buor et al, (2019), Lin et al, (2018), Torani et al, (2019), Wasson & Wieman (2018), Lauriola et al, (2018), and Aghaei et al, (2018). In explaining this finding, it can be said that the dimensions that can be a reason for crisis in universities are divided into six categories. The first category is the dimensions of the crisis caused by natural or human factors, such as earthquakes, floods, gas leaks, and accidents caused by damage to vital arteries. The second category of crisis-making dimensions is in the political dimension. For example, the presence of unorthodox people in various forms and shapes in the university campus, politicization among students, the lack of transparency and lawfulness of political activities in the university territory, political dissatisfaction in universities and the migration of elites, politics mistrust of students and professors towards university management can be mentioned as examples of this dimension. The third category of crisis-making dimensions is in the management dimension; among which can be mentioned the inadequacy of managers' commitments to implement changes, the application of parallel management as a factor of conflict in university administration, the prevailing bureaucratic and inflexible management in universities, problems related to the centralized system of university management, and the lack of familiarity of managers with crisis management in universities. The fourth category is the dimensions of the crisis in the educational dimension. In this context, we can refer to things such as the large number of applicants to enter the university, the lack of physical space and student dormitories, the inappropriate quality of food and the physical space of the university, the lack of up-to-date information, and knowledge of university professors, the way of accepting students and the predominance of doctrinal thinking among the students. The fifth category of crisis-causing dimensions is the economic dimension. The severe financial dependence of the university on the approved budget, the low salaries and benefits of university faculty members, the personal and social agitations of students due to the pressure of increasing tuition fees, and the lack of suitable job opportunities to attract university graduates are clear examples of the crisis. The sixth category is the dimensions of the crisis in the cultural-social dimension, such as the increase in the tendency of students to migrate abroad, the alienation of students from the culture and national identity and the loss of self in front of foreign culture, the clash of student values with the cultural values of the university, and psychological aspects of unemployment among graduates, etc. Therefore, it can be concluded that in order to manage the crisis in Farhangian University and higher education, Special attention should be paid to these components.
According to the results, it is suggested that in order to achieve a more practical and effective model, the final model of the research should be implemented as an example in one of the provinces of the country and be tested and evaluated. Considering the importance of the quality of resources in the research results, such as the quality of educational resources, the persons involved should provide the necessary grounds for employing skilled and quality professors and training according to people's needs in order to make these trainings more effective.