What is MPOWERED Frame

The COVID-19 pandemic forced alterations to several facets of organizational life in unprecedented ways. Among them were changes in approaches to leadership and management practices in countries and organizations. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of nine Jamaican teachers (drawn from nine schools) on whether, and if so, the degree to which, their principals shifted their approaches to leading and managing during the pandemic. The study found that there were observable changes in the approaches to leading and managing. These changes were manifested in four main ways, namely adaptation, inclusivity, role delegation, and power sharing. Some of the evidence uncovered showed teachers being given greater scope to respond to peculiar challenges they faced on the front lines. These features were found to be similar to changes in approaches occurring in the management of the pandemic at national levels. The study has implications for how organizations respond to and develop crisis management models.