Date of Award

5-14-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education Sciences

College

College of Education and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Anthony Setari

Second Advisor

Debbie Conner

Third Advisor

Robert Jenkot

Abstract

Beginning in the fall of 2020, the pandemic created unparalleled challenges as schools reopened following extended closures, requiring school communities, with staff at every level, to rapidly adapt to evolving protocols, expanded job responsibilities, and ongoing uncertainty. This phenomenological study explored how building staff, such as custodians and teachers, perceived the leadership behaviors exhibited by principals during the implementation of COVID-19 disinfecting mandates and changes to school operations. Using Heifetz et al.’s (2009) adaptive leadership framework as a foundation, the intent of this research was to address three specific research questions that centered on staff perceptions of administrators’ response plans to cleaning requirements, the behaviors perceived as most effective in communicating guidelines, and how those behaviors influenced staff job satisfaction.

Data for this research study were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine participants representing a variety of roles, levels of experience, and school settings, with all but one residing in the South Carolina region during the 2020–21 school year. Interviewees were comprised of teachers, a custodial supervisor, a retired counselor, and an administrator/teacher. Open-ended questions were posed, and the transcripts were analyzed verbatim using thematic coding through Dedoose, which resulted in four major themes: (1) The Burden of Adaptive Challenges and Expanded Responsibilities, (2) Perceptions of COVID-19 Policies and the tension between compliance and skepticism, (3) Communication as a central component of leadership, and (4) Adaptive leadership behaviors and their influence on job satisfaction.

Findings indicated that participants across all roles experienced increased and expanded job responsibilities, with custodial and special education staff facing especially high demands. Participants often viewed COVID-19 protocols as technical solutions applied to a more complex adaptive problem, which led to concerns about practicality, consistency, and the extent to which decisions were influenced by political factors. Communication emerged as the most influential leadership behavior. Clear and proactive communication was associated with stability and support, while inconsistent or limited communication contributed to confusion and disengagement. Leadership behaviors such as visibility, trust, collaboration, personal regard for staff, and emotional support were consistently linked to more positive perceptions of job satisfaction, while negative leadership behaviors were associated with lower morale and higher turnover.

This research study contributes to the educational leadership literature by including the perspectives of custodial and support staff, groups that are often underrepresented in research, and by identifying the leadership behaviors that matter most during periods of crisis. Implications for practice include prioritizing visibility and relationship building, strengthening communication systems, extending leadership support to all staff roles, preparing leaders to recognize the difference between technical and adaptive challenges, and incorporating crisis management training into leadership preparation programs at the university level.

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