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Emergency management in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic: A phenomenology inquiry comparing a developed and developing country

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Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are facing more enormous challenges due to the quick spread of NOVEL COVID-19, which carried lockdown in the lives of people across the world. Countries are preparing to face the challenge as the pandemic may run for several months. A large number of academic institutions had shut their campuses and went online. In terms of e-education, developing countries are facing more challenges comparatively. The current study is designed to investigate the phenomena from the lens of emergency management theory, with a purpose to come up with a viable framework for taking proper actions. Another objective of the study was to examine commonalities and differences between a developed and a developing country in terms of preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery. The study was conducted under the philosophy of social constructivism, following qualitative research design, applying phenomenology research method, with the help of interviews as a data collection technique. Thematic analysis was applied for data analysis with the help of NVivo 12. The results show there are significant differences in terms of 'preparedness', a considerable difference in terms of 'response' and 'recovery' and a minor difference in terms of 'mitigation' between developed and developing countries. The study is conducted during COVID-19 emergency and provides useful insights to understand faculty point of view and suggestions for improving the quality of e-learning and emergency preparedness.
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln University of Nebraska - Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2020
Emergency management in higher education during COVID-19 Emergency management in higher education during COVID-19
pandemic: A phenomenology inquiry comparing a developed and pandemic: A phenomenology inquiry comparing a developed and
developing country developing country
Saira Hanif Soroya
Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore.Pakistan.
, saira.im@pu.edu.pk
Mohsin Abdur Rehman
Institute of Management Greater Manchester, University of Bolton, UK
, mohsin_abdul@live.com
Zuhair Abbas
Faculty of Management and Economics, Tomas Bata University, Zlin, Czech Republic
, abbas@utb.cz
Farhan Mirza
University of Management and Technology, Sialkot Campus, Pakistan
, mirzafarhan617@gmail.com
Khalid Mahmood
Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan
, khalid.im@pu.edu.pk
See next page for additional authors
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac
Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Commons, and the Library and Information Science
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Soroya, Saira Hanif; Abdur Rehman, Mohsin; Abbas, Zuhair; Mirza, Farhan; Mahmood, Khalid; and
Aboidullah, Muhammad, "Emergency management in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic: A
phenomenology inquiry comparing a developed and developing country" (2020).
Library Philosophy and
Practice (e-journal)
. 4720.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4720
Authors Authors
Saira Hanif Soroya, Mohsin Abdur Rehman, Zuhair Abbas, Farhan Mirza, Khalid Mahmood, and
Muhammad Aboidullah
This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/
libphilprac/4720
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Emergency management in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic: A
phenomenology inquiry comparing a developed and developing country
Saira Hanif Soroya
Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan,
Email: saira.im@pu.edu.pk
Mohsin Abdur Rehman
Institute of Management Greater Manchester, University of Bolton, UK
Email: mohsin_abdul@live.com
Zuhair Abbas
Faculty of Management and Economics, Tomas Bata University, Zlin, Czech Republic
Email: abbas@utb.cz
Farhan Mirza
University of Management and Technology, Sialkot Campus, Pakistan
Email: mirzafarhan617@gmail.com
Khalid Mahmood
Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan
Email: khalid.im@pu.edu.pk
Muhammad Aboidullah
Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore. Pakistan
Email: abiodullah.ier@pu.edu.pk
Abstract
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are facing more enormous challenges due to the quick
spread of NOVEL COVID-19, which carried lockdown in the lives of people across the world.
Countries are preparing to face the challenge as the pandemic may run for several months. A large
number of academic institutions had shut their campuses and went online. In terms of e-education,
developing countries are facing more challenges comparatively. The current study is designed to
investigate the phenomena from the lens of emergency management theory, with a purpose to come
up with a viable framework for taking proper actions. Another objective of the study was to
examine commonalities and differences between a developed and a developing country in terms of
preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery. The study was conducted under the philosophy
of social constructivism, following qualitative research design, applying phenomenology research
method, with the help of interviews as a data collection technique. Thematic analysis was applied
for data analysis with the help of NVivo 12. The results show there are significant differences in
terms of 'preparedness', a considerable difference in terms of 'response' and 'recovery' and a minor
difference in terms of 'mitigation' between developed and developing countries. The study is
conducted during COVID-19 emergency and provides useful insights to understand faculty point
of view and suggestions for improving the quality of e-learning and emergency preparedness.
Keywords: Emergency management theory, higher education, developing country, developed country,
COVID-19, Pakistan, United Kingdom
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Introduction
In the past two decades, the world is plagued by several emergencies in the shape of disasters,
infections, and diseases outbreaks mainly known as influenza A (H1N1) (1918), Ebola (1976),
Hanta Virus (1993), SARS (2003), MERS (2018) viruses and most recently COVID-19 (2019) has
had a global impact in terms of resources, economic disruption and most importantly, human
health. Emergencies cause major chaos in education systems across the world. Higher education
institutions are often damaged during armed conflict, the spread of diseases or used for short-term
accommodation of people rendered itinerant in such panic situations. The rapid technological and
economic developments have placed bigger demands on education systems.
The recent COVID-19 emergency has witnessed a major paradigm shift about the attitudes
demonstrated towards online education. The global change of online education adoption is moving
students and teachers to another paradigm of learning (Shraim & Khlaif, 2010). E-learning is
currently considered by many as an innovation. Exceptional educational experiences are boosting
students and teachers to participate in remote learning communities through a collaborative
learning process (Appana, 2008). According to contingency theory, teachers at higher education
need diversified strategies to maintain competency (Gregory and Jones 2009). This shift from the
traditional methods of teaching to modern technology-oriented methods is considered as electronic
learning (E-Learning).
In this way, e-learning has quickly become the new standard for education. This new learning
methodology incorporates both face-to-face communication and distant course delivery at a time
and place of one’s choice (Phahlane and Kekwaletswe 2014). Successful emergency management
in education entails leadership, teamwork, and coordination across crossways professions,
agencies, associations, and nations. Undefined roles, a lack of clear picture regarding a good chain
of command and poor leadership are the most common scheduled and major shortcoming in
emergency management and can result in misinterpretation and chaos (Kaptan, Arculeo and
Hreckovski, 2015). The convergence of new online higher education systems needs to become
more flexible to facilitate masses at large through ‘distributed learning’ (Stella and Gnanam, 2004).
Recently, there has been renewed interest due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
growing measures aimed at the promotion of social distancing; it becomes imperative to explore
the developed country lived experiences to replicate in a developing country context. To date,
there is limited evidence in the literature on South Asian countries like Pakistan concerning the
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
adoption and inculcation of e-learning platforms. For instance, Tarhini et al. (2017) demonstrated
that education mechanisms usually revolve around traditional and conventional methods which
can be mainly attributed to the scarcity of financial and relevant human expertise. According to
Straub (2009), their behavioural dynamics with regards to the usage of technology in an
educational environment. This study uses emergency management theory as a framework, and it
has become a contemporary agenda for policymakers, scientists, political leaders, scholars,
managers, and academicians to cope up with global pandemic COVID-19. Social theory of
knowledge exerted much focusing on teaching (Muller & Young, 2014) that fosters the importance
of teachers' lived experience to understand the reality of today. Additionally, empowering teachers
to share knowledge could be promising help for students in the emergency educational
environment (Sinclair, 2015). The current study focused on teachers because they are the major
constituent of the learning system. The individual nature of teaching has multiple boundaries of
exposure and discipline of education (Cotronei-Baird, 2020).
Emergency management can help to reduce the challenges for higher education institutions. A
systematic review of the existing body of knowledge regarding the adoption of e-learning
platforms in developing nations reveals a dearth of knowledge amongst the higher educational
institutions in Pakistan. There is a lack of comparative studies on higher education systems in
developing and developed country contexts to explore the higher education framework from a
teacher’s perspective. The aim of this study is three-fold, understanding the lived experiences of
higher education teachers from a developed country context, identifying gaps from a developing
country context and finally, designing an emergency-based education framework. The current
study contributes through an emergency management perspective (a theoretical contribution),
identifying gaps among the experiences of teachers from developed and developing country
contexts (contextual contribution), and promoting social distancing through a series of online
interviews (methodological contribution).
The aim of this study boils down to the following research questions:
RQ1: How teachers from a developing country are experiencing the change in the
education system during this COVID-19?
RQ2: How teachers from a developed country are experiencing the change in the
education system during this COVID-19?
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
RQ3: What are the differences and commonalities in the ongoing education system
during the COVID-19 emergency between a developed and a developing country?
RQ4: What is the way forward for a developing country?
Literature review
Fundamentally, the emergencies do not affect the individuals and organizations on an equal plane;
instead, it has a capricious nature, i.e. its vulnerability can be attributed to political and economic
factors (Boyce 2000). Natural disasters affect individuals and organizations in different ways due
to unbalanced access to resources. Therefore, the first theory signifies the different factors
associated with emergency management concerning the inclusion of political interests alongside
business interests. Emergency management is an interdisciplinary branch of science and a
prevalent issue in the area of management sciences. It contains several discipline technical fields,
including strategic management, information technology, and professional knowledge.
The issue of emergency management has recently grown importance in the context of emergency
scenarios, such as the provision of education to communities that are prone to natural as well as
non-natural disasters. Currently, universities must take proactive initiatives to overcome
technological communication challenges to expedite the adoption and development of customized
online education system (Jones, 2004). The institutional learning and teaching strategies have been
the heart of higher education transformation processes in the United Kingdom (Gibbs, 2000).
Hence, it is imperative to explore and understand teacher experiences in this pandemic COVID-
19.
The massive lockdown procedures in the outbreak of this pandemic COVID-19, have restricted
the movement of the people to their homes due to which the higher education facilities are being
directly affected. For example, amidst the growing COVID-19, the subject of emergency
management has gained much attention and has become the centre of most researches. The trend
of moving online is becoming a new norm for global higher education institutions (Kadiwal, 2020).
However, education in the emergency framework is also imperfect as the concept of emergency
usually taken as temporary (Rizvi, 2020). This study will explore the education framework for
higher education institutions to overcome the challenges and avail the opportunities during this
pandemic COVID-19.
Therefore, emergency management has been deemed as a potential tool that can be exercised by
the policymakers in the higher education institutions to balance the blended education systems
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
(online and offline). Burde (2014) defined the provision of education in the context of emergency
management framework is seen to be erroneous, mostly because the term ‘emergency’ itself
implies or refers to a temporary condition that will subside over time the higher education
establishments are undertaking and deploying the novel approaches to counter the challenges.
More importantly, there are a variety of emergency management principles that have been devised
by developed nations like the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Germany, and
Spain. Through the collaboration amongst the government bodies (e.g. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), National Governors Association, and the Emergency Management
Institute), colleges, businesses, voluntary firms’ and local communities, the USA has been able to
chalk out a variety of principles. In the 21st century, such theories have garnered significant
support from the international, national and local establishments.
The existing body of literature on public administration reveals that very sparse attention has been
given to the subject of emergency management. However, some researches have been undertaken
on the subject of emergency management (Comfort & Pitts 1996; Schneider 1998; Sylves 1994;
Zimmerman 1985) which mainly focuses on emergency or governmental establishments.
Historically, emergency management was viewed as a task which was only exclusive to the law
enforcement and fire institutions with public and civil defence institutions coming to aid the former
in the wake of a significant calamity. Since the 1940s and 50s, the profession of emergency
management has transitioned into more of a synergistic role. Due to the synergistic and
sophisticated nature of this field, emergency management must be carried on as a synchronized
activity at the federal, state and local levels. A considerable amount of literature has been published
on emergency management.
Emergency management can be viewed as the “area and profession that involves the application
of the concepts of planning, management, science and technology to counter the effects of extreme
circumstances that have a potential to incur extensive harm, injury, and damage to the lives and
property of a large number of people and which may result in the disruption of everyday
community life. The current study explored teacher’s experiences from developed and developing
country context, four stages (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) of emergency
management theory. Table 1 presents the details of every stage of the theory mentioned above:
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Table 1 Four stages of emergency management (Wang and Pan 2005)
Four Stages
Details
Preparedness
Appropriate steps are taken before an establishment of crisis and enhance its response
and operability.
Response
In a crisis, appropriate steps are taken to save people and avoid property damage and
casualties.
Recovery
Necessary steps must be taken for the rehabilitation of the life support system and
infrastructure network.
Mitigation
Adequate action is taken to reduce the effect of imminent crises, to minimize their effects
and to predict other future crises.
There have been gradual developments in the emergency management theory conceptualizations
(refer Table 2).
Table 2 Definitions of Emergency Management
Author
Definitions
(Petak, 1985)
There are four critical areas of emergency management comprises mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery.
(Zlatanova and
Holweg 2004)
Emergency management consists of five stages, which includes planning, mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery.
In the view of Ji et al.
(Huang 2005)
Emergency management is a method of successfully incorporating a range of social
services, thus informing, monitoring and dealing with unexpected incidents based on an
overview of their causes, processes, and consequences. According to Wang and Pan
(2005), emergency management consists of four phases, including readiness, response,
recovery, and rehabilitation.
(Wang and Pan 2005)
Emergency management comprises of four stages, which includes preparedness,
response, recovery, and mitigation.
Emergency
Management Australia
(EMA), (Liu, 2009)
Emergency management is a mechanism to resolve the societal threats resulting from
unexpected incidents, and it provides a structured approach to define, assess, evaluate and
fix emergency problems. Emergency management consists of five actions: (1) creation of
a context model, (2) risk detection, (3) risk analysis, (4) risk evaluation and (5) risk
control.
In the view of Mitchell
(Luo, 2009)
Emergency management applies to the recovery steps taken against existing or future
disasters, along with the actions taken throughout the disaster period, the pre-disaster
preparedness steps and the post-disaster relief measures.
Federal Emergency
Management Agency
(FEMA) of the USA
(Zhang, 2010)
Emergency management leads to preventing, planning against, dealing with, and healing
from disaster impacts through organizational research, structured decision-making, and
distribution of existing resources to save lives, avoid accidents, and secure properties and
habitats.
Table 3 summarizes the application of emergency management theory in a different context.
Notably, Cooper et al. (2017) extended emergency management theory by a range of attributes,
including experimentation within a group, student diversity, cyber environment, and verbal role
play. This indicates that emergency management theory can be further extendable through
different contextual grounding.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Table 3 Summary of studies on emergency management
Authors’
Title of Study
Context
Summary
(Kim et al.
2012)
Assessing roles of
people, technology
and structure in
emergency
management
systems: a public
sector perspective
Emergency
responders of
Buffalo October
Storm 2006 USA
This study employed a survey-based questionnaire
with 190 sample size from emergency respondents,
including; Police, Fire, Medicine and Emergency
managers. This study found training, support, task
technology. The leadership of supervisors, labour,
and logistics improves high emergency self-
efficacy through effect emergency management.
(Cooper et al.
2017)
Critical
Dimensions for the
Effective Design
and Use of
Simulation
Exercises for
Emergency
Management
in Higher
Education
Higher Education
This research expanded Hayes's dissertation
(2015). The interpretive approach was introduced
based on an interpretation of the qualitative
material. The 16 semi-structured interviews were
performed with educators and emergency response
professionals to understand the real phenomenon.
This study points out that a structure for developing
and using simulator exercises for emergency
response practitioners may be relevant in the
context of higher education but should also be
implemented in a nuanced manner. This study
offers the latest, systematic structure for higher
education.
(De Sisto et al.
2019)
Emergency
management and
HRM in local
governments: HR
professionals as a
network
managers
Local
Governments
The study adopts an 'exploratory' approach. Both of
the 79 shire councils (local governments) in
Victoria collaborated in this study. Our results
illustrate the importance of building better
partnerships among HRM and EM departments and
the current difficulties of doing so, especially
around low formalization and articulation of EM
roles in a resource- and time-constrained
environment.
Methods
Study context and research philosophy
The research questions of this study revolve around the lived experience of teachers during this
pandemic COVID-19. Accordingly, phenomenology, as a research philosophy requires when the
research problem aims to understand human experiences (Creswell, 2014). The fundamental goal
of this research philosophy is to arrive at a sketch of the nature of the particular phenomenon, and
transcendental phenomenology is one of the approaches that illustrate ‘lived experience’ (Lewis,
2015). In the current study, participants were given descriptions to generate an essence of the lived
experience during this pandemic COVID-19. This pandemic makes everyone realized the
importance of e-learning for higher education. The developing country context has an altogether
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
different approach to the education model in this emergency. The main aim of this study was to
explore and demonstrate a framework for developing country higher education system based on a
developed country response during this pandemic COVID-19. At this moment, higher education
systems can be divided into two delivery methods (online and offline). Pakistan, as a developing
country context, has a dual higher education system where only two universities (Allama Iqbal
Open University, Virtual University of Pakistan. Preston University) are fully equipped with
online education. However, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC, 2020)
recognized 122 universities (87 Public and 35 Private). Consequently, universities in Pakistan are
experiencing a significant gap in online education adoption. Moreover, Pakistan is facing a higher
poverty rate, and lower adaption is creating a lot of challenges (Hussain et al., 2020). Alternatively,
the current study considered the UK as a developed country context and coded as ‘study context
2’. According to UUK (2019), during 2018 and 19, there were 165 higher education institutions in
the UK with a demonstrated road map of e-learning implementation. Hence, the teacher’s
perspective from this context may provide profound insights into higher education practices during
this social distancing (Goodison, 2001).
Participants
The Snowball sampling technique adopted to recruit teachers as participants of this study. The first
participant from both study contexts (Pakistan and UK) considered as the lead to other participants.
Considering the availability of the participants, the researchers targeted three from each context
(Pakistan and UK); however, the researchers got an additional participant (opportunistic sampling)
from Pakistan. A total of 7 teachers (four from Pakistan and three from the UK) recruited as
participants for this study. Table 4 presents study context (1 for Pakistan and 2 for the UK), gender
(six males and one female), age (range from 30 to 52) and disciplines (Management science,
Science & technology, and arts & unanimities) of every participant.
Table 4. Sample demographic information
Participant No.
Study context
Gender
Age
Discipline
PK case 1
1
Female
38
Arts & Humanities
PK case 2
1
Male
52
Management Sciences
PK case 3
1
Male
39
Management Sciences
PK case 4
1
Male
40
Science & Technology
UK case 1
2
Male
30
Management Sciences
UK case 2
2
Male
35
Management Sciences
UK case 3
2
Male
48
Management Sciences
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Data collection procedure
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, taking the precautionary measures of social distancing
(physical distancing), the final list of participants were contacted and communicated about online
meetings (Hangout for Pakistan and ZOOM for the UK) for the interviews. Upon the participant’s
confirmation and availability, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted using an
interview protocol. Consent was also obtained to record interviews with a digital voice recorder
embedded within the online meeting application. Initially, a formal letter shared using a screen
sharing function with the participants at the time of the interview, stating the consent and a brief
description of the study. In the first phase of the interview, participants were asked about
demographic variables such as gender, age, and discipline. In the second phase, participants were
asked the following questions; how did your university plan to respond in this emergency? What
are the facilities provided by your university in this emergency? Have your university arranged
any training program for e-teaching in this emergency? How would your expectations vary
between physical and digital interaction during classes? What kind of change e-learning brought
into your learning processes? What are your suggestions for your university to be proactive in such
emergencies? Interviews time durations varied between 20 and 25 minutes.
Data analysis and coding procedure
Thematic data analysis approach was applied as it helps a researcher to find out meanings of
realities, experiences, events, and so on (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The audio/video recordings were
transcribed verbatim to extract significant themes. NVivo 12 was used to record the categories that
emerged from the respondents’ transcripts. It was a three-phase process, in first phase transcripts
were read to get a deep understanding of the data, in second phase parent and child themes were
developed with the help of NVivo 12, in the third phase, significant themes emerged by merging
child themes into parent themes and sometimes parent themes into parent themes those were
mutually exclusive to make those themes exhaustive. Identified themes and the representative
quotes relevant to each research question are provided below, the language of the quotations has
not been changed for any language improvement.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Findings
Study context 1 (Pakistan)
Preparedness
The recovery of the resources depends on emergency preparedness. A research question was
designed to examine how teachers perceive emergency preparedness by higher education
institutions (HEIs). The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed several high-level themes
related to emergency preparedness (see Figure. 1). These included lack of required preparations,
non-cooperative behaviour by the university, enough self-efficiency, forceful adoption of virtual
education. Most of the respondents perceived that the HEIs were not prepared to face any
emergency. All the participants agreed that there was no strategic planning for virtual education in
terms of training, contents, and related infrastructure. The following quote articulates this point:
Figure 1. Quotation in local language and translation in English (PK case 3)
However, one of the participants believed that his institution was somewhat prepared in terms of
infrastructure, but still, there was no strategic planning for online classes in terms of emergency
preparedness.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
“…And interestingly, the laptops were already provided to the faculty over the years by
the university. So, which means that the primary requirement was therewe have been
using these gadgets for several purposes for information technology purposes, but never
had we used it for a meeting or a classroom presentation or somethingan online Internet
meeting was had never been in use (PK case 2, Management Sciences)
The participants (PK Case 1, 2, 3,4) unanimously mentioned that if they talk about themselves, they were
enough self- efficient to use these e-tools for various purposes, but several colleagues known to them were
facing difficulties in managing online classes.
Figure 2. Teacher perspective regarding emergency preparedness (Pakistan)
All the participants agreed that virtual learning is not a choice but a forceful adoption.
“You are not working from home; you are trying to work from home in an
emergency we should keep in mind” (PK, case 4, Science & Technology)
Response
The response is a conscious action towards a situation. Usually, humans respond in two ways, i.e.
short-term response, and long-term response. The universities adopted a pro-active approach and
responded (short term response) within one week of the lockdown. However, mostly the response
Teacher
Perspective of
Preparedness
Lack of required
preparedness
Non-cooperative
behaviour by the
university
Enough self-efficiency
Forcefull adoption
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
was related to the information provision and informal training to the teachers for online classes.
Most of the universities are using hangouts meet, and zoom applications for virtual classes as those
are free for the academics during COVID-19 emergency.
With a purpose to develop a viable emergency management framework, the participants were
asked to give suggestions for a long-term response. It was suggested by the participants that there
is a need to develop a common platform for virtual classes. Furthermore, there is a need for
specialized training programs to make effective use of e-tools in education. One of the respondents
suggested that an electronic database with students’ contact details should be compiled and access
should be provided within departments online. They believe that virtual education requires a
different set of skills, infrastructure, strategies, and the contents to be delivered. Therefore, unique
contents should be designed, and there should be a few mandatory online classes/guest lectures
during every session for a blended experience. Furthermore, there should be a facility in higher
education institutions to record lectures in a physical environment as per the choice of the faculty
members. We cannot put all eggs in the same basket; there are subject-based differences for
teaching and learning, so a system tailoring all types of subjects is required (PK cases 1, 2, 3, and
4).
Since the data was collected from public sector universities and a good number of students in the
public sector universities belong to lower middle class, therefore, one of the participants (PK, Case
3) suggested that a survey should be conducted and infrastructure (Laptops and internet devices)
should be given to the students, as they do not afford. The researcher's reflections here are that e-
tools use is not a significant problem, lack of training, nature of the subjects, mode of lecture
delivery were the concerns. The faculty member from the discipline of arts and humanities also
highlighted the non-availability of the contents in electronic format. It confirms that all subjects
cannot be treated similarly. Understanding the local context, one of the participants highlighted
the need for electricity backup plans (Solar systems) the case 3 reported if the class is going on
and your internet device or laptop is out of battery then you may lose the chance of class
participation.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Figure 3. Teacher perspective regarding emergency response (Pakistan)
Short term response
Quick response
(within one week)
Informal online training
Proposed long term
response
Strategies of improved
virtual infrastructure
Implementation of robust
training system
Centralized student
contact database
Redesigning the course
content for online
delivery
Subject-oriented delivery
plans
Mandatory online classes
to have blended
experience
Provision of lecture
recording facility in
physical environment
Backup plans for
resources
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
One of the participants suggested that we should not reinvent the wheel, should look at the best
practices around the globe and contextualize the selected one, and with a blend, we can develop a
viable strategy (PK case 4, Science & technology). Following are a few quotations from the
respondents:
Figure 4. Quotation in local language and translation in English (PK case 1, Humanities & Arts)
… In our country, there is another issue which is the digital divide, all of us do not have
the facility to go online….If we want to develop a project on a mass scale, we should keep
in mind this context…. We should learn a lesson from this situation and should observe
how the other countries of the world are responding to this situation.… (PK, case 4,
Science & Technology)
Mitigation
It was important to gauge the activities carried out by academia during this pandemic. The
respondents were asked to mention their teaching methodologies, evaluation techniques, and
control strategies. The content analysis of the interview transcripts showed that the respondents
were trying to cover the contents through live and recorded lectures, online discussions during or
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
after the lecture, using the hand raise option in zoom and chat boxes for other apps to make the
class interactive, they are offering graded activities and most of the time it is up to the faculty
members to design graded activities as per their course requirements. However, one of the
participants showed his concern regarding evaluation, as under:
…I prefer theoretical answers to my questions instead of
multiple-choice questions. (PK, case 2, Management
Sciences).
Figure 5. Teacher perspective regarding emergency mitigation (Pakistan)
The HEIs are trying to have a check and balance to ensure the class's regularity. Faculty members
ensure students' participation using different techniques, i.e. personalized questions, random and
regular attendance, and designing graded activities. However, no effective library services are
Mitigation
Lecture delivery
Content sharing
Designing activities
Dicussion sessions
University ensure
regularity
Personalized
questions durig class
Regular attendance
Graded activities
Lack of library
services
Lack of teacher-
student consultancy
Lack of connectivity
with student
Teaching Methods
Control
Student-teacher
relationship
Institutional
support
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
offered to the three participants (PK, case1, 2, and 3), whereas one participant reported that he is
receiving proper library help (PK case 4).
However, there are serious concerns about the student-teacher relationship, lack of connectivity,
and student consultancy could affect the quality of education (PK, case1, 2, 3, and 4).
Recovery
Recovery is the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost. It
is equally important to investigate how a response to the emergency mitigates the recovery.
Concerning this, teachers had several observations and suggestions. PK case 1 reported privacy
concerns and mentioned that teachers are usually informal in class, and the students record those
videos and share with others. Therefore, they are supposed to be very careful and formal. This
situation creates an artificial environment that may be less rich in terms of learning. The
participants mentioned that they are over-burdened as they need to work a lot on redesigning the
courses and designing new activities. The researcher observed that the faculty members were busy
in online meetings and classes, as during the data collection, it was difficult for them to manage
time for conducting interviews.
A threat to the recovery was poor internet connections of the students, the researcher reflex that
for a successful communication sender, medium, and receiver's role is equally important. Here the
participants showed a concern that common issues can be a threat to the recovery process. Another
concern was that they had to compromise the course contents. A primary concern was the absence
of student-teacher interaction since the researcher is also a faculty member, therefore, endorsed
this point there are different kinds of students, confident, shy, struggling, so a teacher adopts
different strategies to teach all kinds of the students in a physical classroom environment. In the
virtual environment, it is difficult to convince all students to participate actively. Furthermore, all
respondents believe that the absence of physical cues and nonverbal communication from both
sides is a big hurdle that can affect the recovery process seriously.
But the idea here is that in a case study [assignment], when we are conducting
in the classrooms [physical], we are also looking towards their
communication skills, their ability to criticize someone or something or some
issue, their ability to innovate, improvise, their ability to relate to the various
topics in the book or the theories in the book [that is missing in virtual
environment] … I had to reduce a bit of the content because I had to spend
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
more time in prompting the students to identify whether they are getting it or
not. (PK, case 2, Management Sciences)
However, almost all the subjects found it an opportunity to learn, to be more productive, to
redesign their activities, to minimize the academic loss of the students, for their mental engagement
to divert their attention to avoid anxiety and keep them busy in healthy activities during this
pandemic.
Figure 6. Teacher perspective regarding emergency recovery (Pakistan)
Study context 2 (United Kingdom)
Preparedness
The preparedness in the pandemic situation (COVID-19) was a real challenge for higher education
institutions. The current study aims to explore the perception of teachers from a developed context
(UK) about the preparedness. Thematic analysis of verbatim (teacher’s interviews) illustrates the
range of themes (refer Figure 5). Even this emergency pushed many things off-track, teachers at
higher education institutions perceived positive implanted strategies such as the establishment of
online classes, a material update on the university website, advanced virtual meeting applications,
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
email communications and collaborated software. Below verbatim support, the advanced virtual
applications, the use of such applications made the delivery smooth and easy.
“They are using WEBEX; they find it very easy. I conducted six classes online
using this application, it is very smooth, you can mute/unmute them, and I can
see my students.” (the UK, case 2, Social Sciences)
Figure 7. Teacher perspective regarding emergency preparedness (United Kingdom)
Response
The emergency management theory conceptualizes ‘response’ as current as well as future
planning. The natural response in this pandemic (COVID-19) could be related teacher’s perception
of response in the short-term (social distancing through online classes, and developing strategies
for online delivery), and proposed long-term (strategies of improved virtual infrastructure,
implementation of the robust training system, and redesigning the course content for online
delivery), refer figure 6. These themes demonstrate teacher’s perceptions of the severe actions of
higher education institutions to this pandemic. Based on the ongoing experience of teachers,
redesigning course content for online delivery is essential, since not all content could be transferred
online effectively. Secondly, robust training for all stakeholders must be designed; teachers need
to be on top of learning online teaching to sustain competitive advantage. Following a statement
from a teacher articulate the importance of training:
Teacher
Perspective of
Preparedness
Material update on
university websites
Advanced virtual
meeting applications
Collaborated
softwares
Email
communications
Online classes
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
“University can make sure this training as essential for all the teachers and
they have to complete, and they can put this restriction on all the teachers.
They have to complete this training, let's say within a few days or a week. If
you don't learn these technologies within a few days or I would say within a
week, then you will be left behind.” (the UK, case 1, Management Sciences)
Figure 8. Teacher perspective regarding emergency response (United Kingdom)
Mitigation
Another aspect of emergency management theory is ‘mitigation’; teachers from the UK perceived
numerous mitigation themes. These themes are further sub-categorized under relevant sub-themes.
Learning online teaching and content sharing categorized as theme under teaching methods, low
Short term response
Social distancing through online classes
Developing strategies for online delivery
Proposed long term response
Strategies of improved virtual infrastructure
Implementation of robust training system
Redesigning the course content for online
delivery
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
quality of training efforts as institutional support sub-theme, personalized questions during class,
and virtual group presentations, as control strategies, most importantly, lack of teacher-student
consultancy, and lack of connectivity with students as a student-teacher relationship.
I told them I am going to ask you questions about the previous
class, I pint point students. One-by-one I unmute them, and I
asked them questions(the UK, case 2, Management Sciences)
Only one respondent expressed that the quality of training was not appropriate as a part of
institutional support in the following words:
“They have arranged online training, our IT department, I have
attended on offline, and one online training but I am not happy with
the quality of the training” (the UK, case 2, Management Sciences)
Figure 9. Teacher perspective regarding emergency mitigation (United Kingdom)
Recovery
Mitigation
Learning online teaching
Content sharing
Designing activities
Low quality training
efforts
Personalized questions
durig class
Virtual group
presentations
Lack of teacher-student
consultancy
Lack of connectivity with
student
Institutional
support
Control
Student-teacher
relationship
Teaching
methods
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Recovery is the most crucial stage of emergency management theory. After a detailed thematic
analysis, the teacher’s perception of how the university has planned to recover in this pandemic
(COVID-19). Given the challenging situation, the traditional education physical setting empowers
more teachers and students to interact, and the useful interactive experience leaves a long-lasting
impact on learning. After thematic analysis, following themes came out: physical interaction as
the heart of understanding students, digital teaching as a different experience, limited visibility of
student expression, considered as the most critical, increased workload as emotional stress, lastly,
optimal use of technological tools (opportunity), was the most favourable outcome. Following
statements from a respondent expressed about the critical (interaction) aspect of recovery:
“Digital interaction is completely different from offline. So there are some
facilities in the online environment which are missing offline, but the main
positive factor of the offline environment is face to face interaction, which
is missing yet”. (the UK, case 1, Management Sciences)
“This is one of the issues; I am facing, because my teaching methodology
is an interaction base, I ask them questions, physical interaction. I cannot
interact with them effectively; it is a bit difficult in engaging students”. (the
UK, case 2, Management Sciences)
The following statement from a respondent revealed about the optimal use of technological
resources:
“You are using existing resources more efficiently. For example, your Wi-
Fi, you are using it at an optimal level. You can just find any resource online
quickly, and you can share with the audience by pasting a link while
teaching". (the UK, case 1, Management Sciences)
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Figure 10. Teacher perspective regarding emergency recovery (United Kingdom)
Discussion and recommendations
A comparative analysis of the research findings is presented in Table 5. The study highlighted the
major differences in terms of infrastructure and training in the developed country, they were more
prepared, such as they established online classes, the course material was already updated on the
university website, advanced virtual meeting applications were there, connected with students
through emails, and developed collaborating software. On the contrary, the developing country
was not prepared, no standardized infrastructure (hardware and software), contents were not ready
for online classes, there was no formal training and guideline. However, the faculty members were
enough self-efficient in using e-tools. It is noteworthy that, the COVID-19 outbreak from China
in December 2019 and both the developed and developing countries’ education systems responded
in March 2020. After locking down, and during that period, they did not even mentally prepare
their faculty members. Also, in the case of the developing country, the libraries were not prepared
to serve its users remotely.
As for as the response is concerned, the short-term response was similar to both countries.
However, the developing country required extensive long-term planning to get prepared for any
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
unexpected situation. There is a considerable difference in the requirements of long-term planning
between the developed and the developing countries. In a developing country, student’s
affordability of the required infrastructure was a hindrance.
Findings related to mitigation (the act of reducing the severity) from the developed and developing
countries showed that there was a minor difference between the two contexts. HEIs and faculty
members from both countries were taking steps almost in similar directions.
The faculty members who took it as an opportunity believe that it is good for students to keep them
engaged in a healthy activity during this pandemic. Earlier, Sinclair (2001) suggested, education
in emergencies provides a sense of normality and restore hope through access to the ‘ladder’ of
education. Despite taking similar steps, in terms of recovery’, there are considerable differences
in the perceptions among teachers from both countries. The reason might be the major differences
in the preparedness between two contexts. The three stages of EMT are equally important for a
successful ‘recovery’, poor performance in any of the three stages can affect the success of the
‘recovery’. Although the current mitigation efforts are similar in both contexts, still the
recovery cannot be expected at a similar level. It seems, if the developing country works
proactively on the preparedness and long-term response, the chances of recovery can be
tremendously enhanced in case of any potential emergency.
The study offers twofold research implications, i.e. theoretical and managerial. A systematic
review of the existing body of knowledge regarding the adoption of e-learning platforms and
emergency management reveals a dearth of knowledge. Only a few studies applied emergency
management theory in the education sector (Cooper et al. 2017; Shraim and Khlaif, 2010). The
current study is an effort to fill this gap and will add significantly to the body of available literature,
particularly regarding developing countries.
In terms of practical implications, the study findings suggest that the post-COVID-19 education
system will demand a blend of virtual and physical classes. The study findings suggest the
following way-outs:
Since the non-availability, low quality, and non-affording internet connections and
packages for the students is a big challenge. HEIs can coordinate with the local
telecommunication sector and offer some student packages with good internet speed.
Efforts should be carried out to remove the digital divide. Shraim and Khalif, 2010 also
found the digital divide as a big constraint in e-reading.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
There is a need for awareness and counselling for the teachers that e-education is adopted
to minimize the educational loss, not as a substitute for the physical classes. Along with
efforts to make virtual experience effective, they have to adopt e-education with its
limitations.
During this situation, a clear guideline should be provided by the HEIs as soon as possible
related to the course contents coverage, teaching strategies, and graded activities.
Another qualitative study should be conducted to understand the students’ perspective and
experience of e-learning.
After the emergency, a proper emergency management plan should be developed by the
education department generally and higher education departments specifically.
Best practices adopted at the international level during the COVID-19 emergency should
be explored and contextualized.
Once the emergency is over extensive surveys should be conducted throughout the country
to investigate the situation of recovery and to gauge the experience of the teachers and the
students. Best practices from the local context will further help to contextualize the
international practices.
Faculty require robust training to develop online courses and for designing activities.
Post COVID-19 emergency, a few online classes/guest lectures should be a mandatory part
of every session to train the students of different badges and the faculty members. It will
help to minimize the educational loss in case of any potential future emergency. Thowfeek
and Hussin (2008), also suggested that the mandatory use of e-learning applications has a
significant influence on promoting e-learning.
Other developing countries with similar circumstances may adopt the same framework
presented in this study.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Table 5 Summary of differences and commonalities between study contexts
Variable
Study context 1 (Pakistan)
Study context 2 (United Kingdom)
Common Perspective
Gap
Preparedness
Forceful adoption
Enough self-efficiency
Lack of required preparedness
Non-cooperative behaviour by the university
Online classes
Email communication
Material update on university websites
Advanced virtual meeting applications
Collaborated software
-
Major differences
Response
Quick response (within one week)
Informal online training
Strategies of improved virtual infrastructure
Implementation of the robust training system
Redesigning the course content for online delivery
Centralized student contact database
Subject-oriented delivery plans
Mandatory online classes to have blended experience
Provision of lecture recording faculty in the physical
environment
Backup plans for resources
Social distancing through online classes
Developing strategies for online delivery
Strategies of improved virtual infrastructure
Implementation of the robust training
system
Redesigning the course content for online
delivery
3
Considerable differences
Mitigation
Lecture delivery
Content sharing
Designing activities
Discussion sessions
University ensures regularity
Personalized questions during class
Regular attendance
Graded activities
Lack of library support
Lack of teacher-student consultancy
Lack of connectivity with student
Learning online teaching
Content sharing
Designing activities
Low-quality training efforts
Personalized questions during class
Virtual group presentations
Lack of teacher-student consultancy
Lack of connectivity with student
6
Minor differences
Recovery
Privacy concerns
Physical interaction heart of understanding students
Increased workload
Opportunity
Poor internet connection
Subject-specific concerns
Digital teaching - different experience
Physical interaction heart of understanding
students
Increased workload
Limited visibility of student expressions
Opportunity (optimal use of technological
tools)
3
Considerable differences
Note: criteria for gap categories (5 or more common themes = Minor differences, 3 or more common themes = considerable differences, 2 or lower common theme =
Major differences
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
Conclusions
The study explored the status of emergency management in two countries, and cases were taken
from a developed and developing country. Findings depict that in the developed country, initially,
the faculty members were not ready. However, the infrastructure was there, they mobilized their
infrastructure, and started classes soon after the emergency declared by their state. However, they
felt that virtual education is an altogether different experience; mainly, they were not satisfied with
the interaction that they were experiencing with their students. Very soon, they realized that unique
content deployment is required to increase the effectiveness of the online education system.
On the other hand, teachers from the developing country faced a different situation, it was not only
a matter of willingness and mental preparedness, but the required infrastructure and in some cases
required training was absent. Notably, the teachers from both contexts equally showed their
concerns regarding student-teacher relationship in terms of interaction. Quality of education and
effectiveness were of paramount importance as the teachers from both contexts compared it with
the physical environment. The developing country is facing more challenges when it comes to
internet connectivity. It can severely affect the quality of education in an online education system.
However, the teachers took it as an opportunity to optimal utilization of ICTs, and to keep their
students mentally engaged in a series of specific activities during the current panic situation. They
also believe that they are learning from this experience and online classes save their time (no
travelling, no formal dressing, and got more time for the family and the research projects). The
research findings infer that the teachers from both contexts are trying to compare virtual classes
with the physical ones. It seems that the problem is more with the thinking style, virtual classes
are not a substitute for the physical classes but an effort to minimize the loss, and it is not a
replacement. A similar understanding was reported in previous studies (Aydın and Tasci, 2005;
Shraim and Khlaif, 2010; So and Swatman, 2006; Watkins, Leigh and Triner, 2004). As, if the
physical environment could be replaced with virtual classes, then there might be more virtual
universities in the world. Virtual education has its limitations, and we should adopt this teaching
methodology along with its limitations. However, there is a need to get ready for any potential
emergency; the best practices by the virtual universities may be consulted. Strategies should be
adopted to design the online teaching methodologies, which may be more productive and at par
with the ideal virtual environment.
Library Philosophy & Practice (e-journal) 2020
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Objectives: Little is known about how international functions of higher education, such as exchange programmes, can be resumed during recovery from a disruptive global crisis, such as COVID-19. We collected the opinions of administrators of international exchange programmes regarding their plans to resume their exchange programmes in the recovery phase and identified variations in the responses concerning institution type (public vs. private) and the presence or absence of a medical school. Method: We used multiple-choice survey questions in our study, resulting in 180 valid responses. We examined overall patterns using descriptive statistics and institutional uniqueness using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Governing organisations and domestic university networks are expected to initiate the resumption of student exchange programmes. Respondents indicate that they would rely on infection prevention experts at their institutions as sources of information for their decision-making. Public universities would rely more extensively on their staff’s opinions whilst private universities would consult with external experts. Universities with a medical school indicated a greater likelihood of referring to the opinions of experts at their institutions. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: Higher education systems vary across nations. However, extant studies have shown some shared features, and the findings may have implications for higher education institutions internationally. Policy incentives and support may encourage public universities to participate in the global recovery of international education. During global public health infectious crises, institutions without a medical school may require more government support. Conclusions: Institutional variations should be considered to effectively encourage universities to adapt to changing dynamics in the recovery of international education. Method: The study used multiple-choice survey questions, resulting in 180 valid responses. The study examined overall patterns using descriptive statistics and institutional uniqueness using Fisher's exact test. Results: Governing organisations and domestic university networks are expected to initiate the resumption of student exchange. Respondents indicate that they would rely on infection prevention experts at their institutions as sources of information for their decision-making. Public universities would rely more extensively on their staff’s opinions whilst private universities would consult with external experts. Universities with a medical school indicated a greater likelihood of referring to the opinions of experts at their institutions. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: The higher education systems vary across nations. However, extant studies have shown some shared features, and the findings may have implications for higher education institutions internationally. Policy incentives and support may encourage public universities to participate in the global recovery of international education. During global public health infectious crises, institutions without a medical school may require more government support. Conclusions: Institutional variations should be considered to effectively encourage universities to adapt to changing dynamics in the recovery of international education.
... To answer the questions mentioned above, emergency management theory (EMT) provided a theoretical basis to conduct the study. Emergency management can be viewed as the area and profession that involves the application of the concepts of planning, management, science and technology to counter the effects of extreme circumstances that have the potential to incur extensive harm, injury and damage to the lives and property of a large number of people and which may result in the disruption of everyday community life (Soroya et al., 2020). ...
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Abstract Purpose This study aims to debate and highlight the challenges faced by university students regarding e-learning during the global pandemic emergency. Furthermore, it sketches the solutions of e-learning using a theoretical lens of emergency management theory (EMT). Finally, the study argues a case for improvement in existing e-learning systems to enable higher education systems, particularly in a developing country, to recover the losses and increase education quality. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design and phenomenology research approach were applied to conduct the current study. A total of 10 in-depth online interviews were recorded from students studying in Pakistan and the UK. Verbatim transcriptions were analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis approach. Findings The current study results explained in detail the numerous challenges, including lack of preparedness (students and institutions), low quality of interaction, lack of motivation, lack of class activities and forceful adoption of e-learning. Alternatively, few opportunities also emerged through a set of suggestions such as a comprehensive emergency management plan, introduction of strong student counselling programmes and a strategic plan for quality of online learning content. Originality/value This study’s contribution stands out in crucial times of the global pandemic. EMT is applied to understand the different dimensions of preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery from a students’ perspective. Furthermore, considering students as important members of higher education institutions and understanding students’ opinions regarding quality assurance during the global pandemic was imperative.
... To answer the questions mentioned above, emergency management theory (EMT) provided a theoretical basis to conduct the study. Emergency management can be viewed as the area and profession that involves the application of the concepts of planning, management, science and technology to counter the effects of extreme circumstances that have the potential to incur extensive harm, injury and damage to the lives and property of a large number of people and which may result in the disruption of everyday community life (Soroya et al., 2020). ...
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Purpose – The current study debates and highlights the challenges faced by university students regarding e-learning during the global pandemic emergency. Furthermore, it sketches the solutions of e-learning using a theoretical lens of Emergency Management Theory (EMT). Finally, the study argues a case for improvement in existing e-learning systems to enable higher education systems, particularly in a developing country, to recover the losses and increase education quality. Methodology – A qualitative research design and phenomenology research approach were applied to conduct the current study. A total of 10 in-depth online interviews were recorded from students studying in Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Verbatim transcriptions were analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis approach. Findings – The current study results explained in detail the numerous challenges, including lack of preparedness (students and institutions), low quality of interaction, lack of motivation, lack of class activities, and forceful adoption of e-learning. Alternatively, few opportunities also emerged through a set of suggestions such as a comprehensive emergency management plan, introduction of strong student counselling programs, and a strategic plan for quality of online learning content. Originality – This study’s contribution stands out in crucial times global pandemic. Emergency management theory is applied to understand the different dimensions of preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery from a students’ perspectives. Furthermore, considering students as important members of higher education institutions and understanding students’ opinions regarding quality assurance during the global pandemic was imperative. Keywords Challenges; e-learning; students; the global pandemic emergency; Pakistan; United Kingdom
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Purpose There is a need to provide more effective learning experiences for higher education (HE) students in transdisciplinary contexts such as disasters and emergency management. While much has been written on the value of simulation exercises (SEs) for emergency management practitioners, research has focussed less on their value for HE students. The purpose of this paper is to identify how a practitioner-oriented framework for the design and use of SEs in emergency management is relevant to the HE context and how this framework may need to be adapted to support effective learning by HE students. Design/methodology/approach An interpretive approach based on a qualitative content analysis of 16 semi-structured interviews with emergency management practitioners and educators is used to enable an in-depth understanding of the social phenomena to be obtained. Findings The paper highlights that a framework for the design and use of SEs for emergency management practitioners is potentially valuable in the HE context but should be applied in a nuanced way. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on a small number of interviews and future studies could usefully analyse a wider set of perspectives (e.g. students), using a variety of alternative methods (e.g. surveys), to further test and/or enrich the framework. Practical implications Insights from the paper can inform the design and use of SEs in the HE context with a view to supporting more effective learning that better prepares students to operate during disaster events when they enter the emergency management workforce. Originality/value This is the first paper that has investigated the value of a practitioner-oriented framework for the design and use of disaster SEs in the HE context. In so doing, the paper has highlighted how the dimensions of the framework apply in the HE context and has revealed other issues that need to be addressed to support effective learning by HE students.
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This study examines the relationship between human resource management (HRM) and emergency management (EM) within two local governments. We examine the processes and associated challenges of HRM supporting EM practitioners to develop the skills to engage with the local community. Social exchange theory provides the theoretical foundation to explore and report the qualitative data. Research findings indicate that the relationship between HRM and EM is fragmented, and there is no comprehensive understanding among HRM and EM practitioners of the entire EM process. We suggest that enhancing collaboration between HRM and EM professionals within local governments may be achieved through greater formal and informal network management. HRM professionals must invest in developing managerial practices that engage key EM stakeholders, and mobilise their knowledge and resources to frame and co‐create solutions for EM challenges. Key points Findings reveal a lack of clarity around comprehensive understandings of the role of EM by both EM and HRM practitioners. Findings demonstrate the growing recognition for the need by organisational participants for greater collaboration between HRM and EM departments. Through a more collaborative approach and network management, we argue that HRM can play a vital role in fostering and supporting the development of EM practitioners’ knowledge, skills and abilities so that they can effectively mitigate and respond to disasters.
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