Preventing Crises at Your University: The Playbook for Protecting Your Institution's Reputation

In higher education, a university's reputation is its most important asset, and leaders must align strategy and values with decision-making during times of crisis. Simon Barker's book "Preventing Crises at Your University" demonstrates how critical it is to discuss reputational risk as a strategic imperative and presents a new crisis leadership playbook to deal with self-inflicted crises. It also highlights key concepts around effective management of reputational risk through case studies of real crises.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2021
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

A new playbook for effective crisis management in higher education is essential, as unlike other industries, an institution's most valuable asset is its reputation. However, many leaders still view managing reputation as dishonest and counterproductive, undermining the very idea of reputation as an organic outcome of reality. When leadership credibility is on the line, and an institution's reputation is facing potentially irreparable damage, the concept of reputational risk becomes all too tangible.

In Preventing Crises at Your University, Simon Barker emphasizes the critical importance of aligning strategy and values with decision-making during times of crisis. He argues that leaders must stop considering the discussion of reputational risk as unseemly and recognize it as a strategic imperative for every leader. Barker asserts that significant reputational damage is not the inevitable outcome of a crisis but of a poor response. He defines a new crisis leadership playbook to deal with self-inflicted crises, explaining what typically goes wrong in a crisis, how to prevent crises from escalating, how a stakeholder-centric model of communications can help mitigate reputational damage, and introducing a range of original concepts, including a Reputational Risk Management Framework, a Reputational Risk Maturity Model, and a Culture and Capability matrix.

The book goes beyond the theoretical by presenting case studies of real crises involving sexual assault, freedom of speech, student protests, faculty misconduct, and a broad range of financial, social, and ethical issues. These case studies highlight and underscore key concepts, demonstrating the practical application of Barker's insights.

By aligning strategy and values with decision-making during times of crisis, higher education institutions can protect their reputations and ensure their long-term success. The new crisis leadership playbook presented in this book provides a valuable framework for leaders to navigate and respond to crises effectively, preventing significant damage to their institutions and their stakeholders.

Weight: 206g
Dimension: 126 x 201 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421442679