Crisis Leadership: A Skill-based Perspective

Project summary

We live in uncertain times propelled by a cost of living crisis. In such dynamic environments, we need leaders who can combat challenges and address crises. The project aims to explore crisis leadership from an SME perspective and develop a multidimensional construct of leadership during a time of crisis in this context.

Project outline

Crisis leadership literature is a relatively new area of research; thus, a general conceptual paradigm of the field is lacking, and the concept is mostly fragmented (Knebel, Toomey and Libby, 2012). Studies have sought to examine leadership during a crisis from a broad organisational perspective (John and Wooten 2005; Boin, Kuipers and Overdijk, 2013). However, within the crisis leadership literature, there is no significant study which highlights the important leadership skills required by SMEs to thrive during a time of crisis.

This study aims to provide a multi-dimensional construct of leadership skills required during a crisis and to identify the challenges faced by SMEs through this experience. This will allow for lessons to be learned on how to better prepare for future challenges. This study will also inform the ongoing support for recovery required by SMEs, to facilitate their continued contribution to the UK economy and the achievement of the UN SDGs

This study  will be supported by four objectives: 

• To examine current conceptualisations of crisis leadership in existing research through a review of literature. 
• To develop a multi-dimensional construct of leadership skills required during crisis in SMEs. 
• To explore the lived experience of SME leaders during the cost of living crisis and identify the challenges faced. 
• To provide empirical evidence for key stakeholders on the SME support needed to contribute to the economy and the UN SDGs. 

This research project will adopt a qualitative approach to fully understand and explore the in-depth experiences of SME leaders. Semi-structured interviews will be the mode of data collection. From the study results, a vivid picture of crisis leadership in the UK will be formed.

Name of potential Director of Studies

Christian Harrison is a Professor of Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Bolton. He is the Director of the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment. Christian is a well-known and recognised scholar in the field of Leadership and works globally on research projects providing regular expert media commentary on Scottish Television News (STV), Scotland Tonight, the Herald, the Conversation etc. He is also the author of numerous published research papers on Leadership which is his major research interest and serves as the Director of Studies of several doctoral students. He has successfully supervised several doctoral students to completion and his current students are working on projects on Authentic leadership, Entrepreneurial leadership etc. He has also examined over 30 doctoral theses to date.

Furthermore, he is an active member of several learned organisations. He is the Chair of the Leadership and Leadership Development Special Interest Group of the British Academy of Management and Chair of the Academy for African Studies. He is an external examiner to several UK universities and the editor of New Frontiers in African Business and Society by Emerald Publishing. He is also the editor of Routledge Studies in Leadership and Leadership Development, associate editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Business Research and Management and associate editor of the Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. He sits on the Editorial Board of Leadership and the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Christian works extensively as a consultant and trainer on organisational leadership skills development. He has delivered several CPDs and sessions on leadership to the Scottish Government Directors, UK Cabinet office staff, corporate organisations, SMEs etc. He is the founder of the NGO; The Leadership Mould Initiative International. The NGO supports students and moulds future leaders. He is the author of the book entitled ‘Leadership Theory and Research: A Critical Approach to New and Existing Paradigms’, which is published by Palgrave MacMillan. In addition, Christian has also authored several video publications on leadership providing a nuanced conceptualisation of the field.

Christian has won several awards based on his expertise. He was the top academic commentator at the University of the West of Scotland for 2022, with his analysis appearing in 215 publications. He was the recipient of the Award for Outstanding Leadership by the Nigerian Society of Engineers in 2022 and has won several best paper awards from the British Academy of Management.

GMBS research strategy themes: Centre for Leadership and Empowerment

The proposed research on "Authentic leadership: A study of UK SMEs" directly aligns with the Centre for Leadership and Empowerment's overarching strategy to research new forms of leadership and management with a focus on ensuring gender equality, inclusivity, diversity, wellbeing and empowerment. This project will support individuals, teams, groups and organisations looking to develop their leadership ability to thrive and succeed in a dynamic and turbulent environment.

Contribution to the research environment in your department and how this doctorate will strengthen the overall research culture of GMBS. 

The project will deliver high-quality publications and offers an excellent opportunity for generating impact case studies, which could document how the research has influenced real-world business practices or even broader economic development to make significant contributions to multiple facets of the REF 2028 strategies, thereby enhancing the institution's standing in research excellence, impact, and collaboration.