Ralph Gigliotti, Ph.D. ’17, director of leadership development and research at the Rutgers Center for Organizational Leadership, wrote his new book, “Crisis Leadership in Higher Education: Theory and Practice,” to contribute to the growing scholarship on this timely topic and to provide relevant guidance to college and university administrators. Drawing from 40 interviews with senior leaders and a content analysis of over 1,000 articles from a variety of news outlets, this book presents a theory-informed framework for leaders in higher education.
“The book features a number of concepts and figures that can be useful for academic and administrative leaders seeking to improve their knowledge and skills in the area of crisis leadership,” Gigliotti said. Published by Rutgers University Press, the book is now available for purchase on their website.
Crisis leadership responsibilities across higher education continue to evolve, Gigliotti explained. “There was a time when crises on college and university campuses were relatively rare and episodic. Much has changed, and it has changed quite rapidly” he said. “Unlike existing theories that characterize communication as a tool for managing specific components of crisis situations after they emerge, this book places a broadened emphasis on the role of communication in the ongoing work of crisis leadership,” Gigliotti said. “Rather than being occasional or isolated incidents requiring the sole attention of presidents, chancellors, or communication professionals, crisis leadership is fundamental to the work of university administrators across disciplines and institutions.”
At Rutgers, Gigliotti oversees a portfolio of faculty and staff leadership development initiatives and related research projects and teaches in the Department of Communication and Ph.D. Program in Higher Education. His recent co-authored books include A Guide for Leaders in Higher Education: Core Concepts, Competencies, and Tools Stylus Publishing, 2017) and Leadership: Communication and Social Influence in Personal and Professional Settings (Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2017).
