Organizational Leadership and Covid-19 Adaptation Mechanisms: Evidence from a Nigerian Public Sector Institution

Abstract

Organizations globally experienced significant unforeseen disruptions to their business operations due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. With the enforcement of a global lockdown and social distancing restrictions, people could not move around and carry out business as usual. Organizational leaders had to quickly respond to the developing conditions, innovating and coordinating to ensure continuous operation and survival. This study focuses on the role of leadership in building the adaptive capacity of an organization and the leader's influence on its ability to cope with emergent situations. This study examines the experiences of a Nigerian Public Sector Institution during the pandemic, highlighting the measures employed by its leaders to deal with issues arising from the effect of Covid-19 pandemic and their impact on organization adaptation.