Leading Through Crisis: Assessing Higher Education Executive Communications and Management Styles After the Darren Wilson Grand Jury Decision

• In Event: 44.084 - Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: 44.084-10 - Managing Crisis and Violence

Abstract

This study explores two related research questions. First, what are the major themes present in the communications sent out by the various administrators? Second, how might these themes be indicative of these administrators’ management styles? Primary results reveal several important dimensions of university communications. First, we find a preponderance of evidence that university messages emphasized the branding of the university. Second, we find strong emphasis on the use of positive language and references toward the interests of the stakeholders. Finally, the frequency of the branding and positive language emphasis stands in contrast to the relatively infrequent references to the actual grand jury case (as evidenced by the low frequency of the two main parties involved: Michael Brown and Darren Wilson).

Authors

• Tommy Joe Lucas, Saint Louis University

• Whitney LInsenmeyer, Saint Louis University

• Dominique Baker, Southern Methodist University

• Richard Blissett, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College