Managing School Crises Through Communication: How Supportive Communication Relates to Protocol Readiness in Croatian Schools/Upravljanje školskim krizama: povezanost podržavajuće komunikacije i spremnosti protokola u hrvatskim školama
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v28i2.41455Keywords:
Crisis communication; Crisis management protocols; Organisational readiness; Teacher preparedness; School safety.Abstract
Abstract
The study investigates how supportive, timely and transparent crisis-related communication in schools is associated with protocol readiness and staff preparedness to respond to unexpected events. A quantitative survey was conducted among 201 employees from primary and secondary schools in eastern Croatia. The questionnaire captured four domains: supportive crisis communication; organisation and crisis protocols; employees' self-assessed readiness to act in crisis situations; and the consistency of implementing and monitoring school safety measures. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Results show positive and statistically significant associations between supportive crisis communication and (1) employees' perceptions of the quality and accessibility of crisis protocols and procedures and (2) employees' self-assessed readiness to respond in crisis situations. Patterns in item-level relationships indicate that clear channels for informing parents and the public, access to training and resources and availability of professional support are linked with stronger perceptions of organisational preparedness. The paper contributes evidence from the Croatian school context and translates employee perceptions into actionable levers for educational management aimed at strengthening school crisis preparedness and organisational resilience.
Key words: Crisis communication; Crisis management protocols; Organisational readiness; Teacher preparedness; School safety
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Sažetak
Istraživanjem se ispituje kako su podržavajuća, pravovremena i transparentna krizna komunikacija u školama povezana sa spremnošću protokola i spremnošću zaposlenika za odgovor na neočekivane događaje. Kvantitativna anketa provedena je među 201 zaposlenikom osnovnih i srednjih škola u istočnoj Hrvatskoj. Upitnik je obuhvatio četiri dimenzije: podržavajuću kriznu komunikaciju, organizaciju i protokole za krize, samoprocjenjenu spremnost zaposlenika za djelovanje u kriznim situacijama te dosljednost provedbe i praćenja mjera sigurnosti u školama. Podatci su analizirani deskriptivnom statistikom i Pearsonovom korelacijskom analizom. Rezultati pokazuju pozitivne i statistički značajne povezanosti između podržavajuće krizne komunikacije i (1) percepcija zaposlenika o kvaliteti i dostupnosti protokola i postupaka za krize te (2) samoprocijenjene spremnosti zaposlenika za odgovor u kriznim situacijama. Uzorci u odnosima na razini stavki ukazuju da jasni kanali za obavještavanje roditelja i javnosti, pristup edukacijama i resursima te dostupnost stručne podrške povezani su s jačim percepcijama organizacijske spremnosti. Članak donosi relevantne pokazatelje iz hrvatskoga školskog konteksta te predočava percepciju zaposlenika o važnosti obrazovnoga menadžmenta osnaživanjem spremnosti škola za krize i razvoj organizacijske otpornosti.
Ključne riječi: krizna komunikacija; organizacijska spremnost; protokoli upravljanja krizama; sigurnost u školama; spremnost nastavnika
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ivana Perkušić, Dominik Hudolin, Ana Globočnik Žunac (Author)
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