UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS’ ABILITY TO CHANGE AMIDST THE COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURES IN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

ABSTRACTUNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS’ ABILITY TO CHANGE AMIDST THE COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURES IN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Christine Kerlin Nasserghodsi Dr. Felice Tilin COVID-19 accelerated the digitization of learning in both Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates, resulting in a series of school closures and new models of educational delivery. This dissertation is a mixed-methods study of the relationship between the perception of organizational culture at for-profit private schools in the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria and the schools’ ability to adapt during the COVID-19 crisis. This research employs the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument to determine the perceived cultural archetype (clan, adhocracy, market, or hierarchy). It explores the relationship between archetype and leaders' perceptions of innovation indicators, namely organizational ambidexterity, risk tolerance, and preparedness for change, as shared during interviews. The quantitative results of the OCAI indicated that most schools favored "Clan" as their preferred future state, demonstrating that collaboration, mentorship, and community are becoming increasingly important to them. However, many schools' current circumstances revealed that "Market" and "Hierarchy" cultures were dominant, suggesting a conflict between demanding, competitive environments and the shift towards adopting more collaborative and relational cultures. The results also reveal a strong preference for removing market culture in favor of Adhocracy and Clan, which focus on innovation and the development of individuals. The qualitative findings identified major sources of change as crises, leadership decisions, and teamwork, and found that technology can play an essential role in stimulating faster change and creating new opportunities. How well schools prepared for crises before the emergence of COVID-19 depended on school culture, leadership approaches, governance structures, and their history of dealing with disruption. Keywords: Organizational culture, Leadership, Innovation, Creative destruction, Disruption, Organizational agility

Author dc:creator

• Kerlin Nasserghodsi, Christine

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Tilin, Felice

• Education
• Management Sciences

Language dc:language.iso

en

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/62411

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.upenn.edu:20.500.14332/62411