This is a sel -a chi ed e sion o an o iginal a icle. This e sion
may di e om he o iginal in pagina ion and ypog aphic de ails.
Au ho (s):
Ti le:
Yea :
Ve sion:
Copy igh :
Righ s:
Righ s u l:
Please ci e he o iginal e sion:
CC BY 4.0
h ps://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/
Remo e Uni e si ies? : Impac s o COVID-19 as Expe ienced by Academic Leade s in
Finland
© The Au ho (s) 2023
Published e sion
Pekkola, Elias; Siekkinen, Ta u; Pel ola, Mo olani; Laihonen, Ha i; Kujala, Emmi-
Niina
Pekkola, E., Siekkinen, T., Pel ola, M., Laihonen, H., & Kujala, E.-N. (2023). Remo e Uni e si ies? :
Impac s o COVID-19 as Expe ienced by Academic Leade s in Finland. In R. Pinhei o, E.
Balbache sky, P. Pillay, & A. Yonezawa (Eds.), The Impac o Co id-19 on he Ins i u ional Fab ic
o Highe Educa ion : Old Pa e ns, New Dynamics, and Changing Rules? (pp. 365-387). Palg a e
Macmillan. h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/978-3-031-26393-4_15
2023
365
CHAPTER 15
Remo e Uni e si ies? Impac s o COVID-19
as Expe ienced by Academic
Leade s in Finland
EliasPekkola, Ta uSiekkinen, Mo olaniPel ola,
Ha iLaihonen, andEmmi-NiinaKujala
In oduc Ion
The global COVID-19 pandemic has a ec ed uni e si ies and academic
wo k signi ican ly. Uni e si y acili ies we e closed as a s a e o eme gency
was decla ed globally, he eby inducing a apid shi o emo e wo king
and eaching (Pekkola e al., 2021; Regeh & Goel, 2020). In a u bulen
E. Pekkola (*) • M. Pel ola • E.-N. Kujala
Tampe e Uni e si y, Tampe e, Finland
e-mail: [email p o ec ed]; [email p o ec ed]
T. Siekkinen
Uni e si y o Jy äskylä, Jy äskylä, Finland
e-mail: a [email p o ec ed]
H. Laihonen
Uni e si y o Eas e n Finland, Kuopio, Finland
e-mail: [email p o ec ed]
© The Au ho (s) 2023
R. Pinhei o e al. (eds.), The Impac o Co id-19 on he Ins i u ional
Fab ic o Highe Educa ion,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/978-3-031-26393-4_15
366
en i onmen , he abili y o academic manage s o make au onomous deci-
sions has been c ucial in addi ion o hei adap i i y and esilience (see
Pekkola e al., 2021).
E en be o e he pandemic, he ole o academic leade s had been e ol -
ing om a s a us o p imus in e pa es (a i s among equals) owa ds one
o manage s ha ing a mo e hie a chical and accoun able ole (Ca alho
and San iago 2010; Pinhei o e  al., 2019; Pekkola e  al., 2018). E en
public o ganisa ions a e in luenced by manage ial ends (Manage ialism
and New Public Managemen ), which ha e inc eased he o ganisa ional
con ol o academic wo k (Deem & B ehony, 2005; Kallio e al., 2015;
Siekkinen e al., 2019). Academic wo k emains highly au onomous in
na u e, and dis ance wo king was al eady common be o e he c isis
(Pekkola e al., 2021). This has impac ed uni e si ies and pushed hem
owa ds so-called comple e o ganisa ions. In o he wo ds, uni e si ies a e
con e ging wi h p i a e sec o o ganisa ions in se e al ways (Hü he &
K ücken, 2016).
The change in academic leade ship is o en discussed a he policy le el
and seldom analysed in ela ion o daily managemen p ac ices. The
COVID-19 c isis p o ides an excellen en i onmen o obse e he ole
and pe cep ion o academic manage s as manage s. Ou empi ical in e es
lies in he mic o-le el analysis o he ole o and changes in academic lead-
e ship du ing c ises. In his a icle, we analyse he wo k o academic man-
age s (deans and ec o s) by u ilising a su ey design ha enables a
longi udinal app oach in examining he changes in manage s’ wo k du ing
he c ises.
This chap e is s uc u ed as ollows. Fi s , we desc ibe he na ional
con ex o he COVID-2019 c isis and summa ise he gene al policy
de elopmen and academic discussion on COVID-19 impac s o man-
agemen in he public sec o and, in pa icula , o he highe educa ion
sys em. Second, we b ie ly p esen ou concep ual app oach. Ou chap e
is connec ed o discussions on he ole o manage s du ing c ises, he
impac o p olonged c ises and manage ial esilience. In addi ion, we dis-
cuss he ole o in o ma ion and knowledge in he daily managemen o
academic manage s. Thi d, we p esen he su ey design and da a. Fou h,
we desc ibe ou indings om wo subsequen su eys. Finally, we discuss
ou indings ega ding he changing ole o academic manage s and con-
clude wi h e lec ions on policy and manage ial implica ions.
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.
367
coVId-19 InFInnIsh hIghe educa Ion
The COVID-19 pandemic esponse di e ed ac oss coun ies, and i s
impac a ied ac oss sec o s. Fo example, despi e he ins i u ional and
demog aphic simila i ies sha ed by No dic coun ies, hei managemen o
he COVID-19 c isis, assessed in e ms o p epa edness le el, s a egies
and policy esponse, he ole o poli ical leade ship and c isis communica-
ion, has been desc ibed as di e ing ac oss he i e No dic coun ies
(Ch is ensen & Læg eid, 2021).
In Finland, he i s case o he COVID-19 pandemic was iden i ied on
29 Janua y 2020; by 21 Ma ch 2020, he e we e al eady signs o an ou -
b eak (Tii inki e al., 2020). La e , he epidemiology o COVID-19 ol-
lowed a pa e n simila o ha o many o he Eu opean coun ies, wi h a
mino delay, o he yea s 2021 and 2022.
The Finnish go e nmen , wi h a c isis p epa edness le el deemed highe
han i s No dic coun e pa s, managed he i s wa e o he pandemic well
by e ec i ely adop ing a supp ession s a egy ha elied on collabo a ion,
p agma ic decision-making, clea communica ion, a well-disciplined pub-
lic, abundan esou ces and a high le el o public us in he go e nmen
(Ch is ensen & Læg eid, 2021). The Finnish go e nmen ’s managemen
o he c isis was cha ac e ised by a swi esponse wi h s ic and p oac i e
measu es implemen ed o s op he i us’ sp ead. The i s o hese mea-
su es was he decla a ion o a s a e o eme gency om 16 Ma ch 2020
un il 16 June 2020. This was accompanied by o he p oac i e and s ic
measu es, including ecommenda ions o social dis ancing; closu e o
schools, ins i u ions and se ices; limi a ions on social ga he ings; and
e en closu e o he bo de s a ound he capi al egion, Helsinki
(Moisio, 2020).
The ini ial esponse o COVID-19in he Finnish highe educa ion sec-
o is p edica ed on he Finnish go e nmen ’s ea ly esponse o he c isis.
Like all ins i u ions ac oss Finland, he decla a ion o he s a e o eme -
gency, social dis ancing and he lockdown measu es pu in place a ec ed
he day- o-day ope a ions o Finnish uni e si ies du ing he pandemic,
and uni e si y leade ship had o eac o hese measu es.
Following he b eakou o he COVID-19 pandemic in Ma ch 2020,
he Rec o s’ Council o Finnish Uni e si ies (UNIFI) began o collec and
coo dina e COVID-19- ela ed in o ma ion on Finnish uni e si ies o p o-
ide a pla o m o discussion, nego ia ions and coo dina ion (Pekkola
e al., 2021). UNIFI ac ed as he designa ed pla o m whe e ec o s could
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…
368
communica e, collabo a e and ake join ac ion in esponse o he c isis,
including he COVID-19 guidelines o uni e si ies (UNIFI 2020).
Following he ini ia ion o he s a e o eme gency in Finland and in
esponse o he guidelines issued by egional s a e adminis a i e agencies
o educa ion ins i u ions on 17 Ma ch 2020, he UNIFI ecommended
he closu e o all campus-based ac i i ies and he emo e conduc o
esea ch and de elopmen ac i i ies whe e possible (Pekkola e al., 2021).
Measu es such as he cancella ion o adi ional campus-based en ance
examina ions, wi h mino excep ions o small-scale exams, we e also
aken by UNIFI.
Finnish uni e si ies esponded o he c isis qui e swi ly and se iously,
aking he necessa y cen ally coo dina ed ac ions o ensu e he con inui y
o uni e si y ope a ions (Ki is ö & Koh amäki, 2021). Rega ding he con-
inui y o ope a ions du ing he c isis, one elemen in Finnish uni e si ies’
esponse o he c isis included he law-manda ed con inui y plan ha
de ailed he managemen app oach o each ins i u ion ega ding a c isis
(Pu siainen, 2018). The exis ence o con inui y plans came in handy o
Finnish uni e si ies. Fo ins ance, Yu i e al. (2021) no ed ha Tampe e
Uni e si y’s con inui y plan p o ided a sys ema ic and cen ally coo di-
na ed app oach o esponding o he c isis. Clea communica ion pa h-
ways we e es ablished, ensu ing imely elay o c isis- ela ed in o ma ion
o s a and s uden s. A swi ansi ion o online eaching and lea ning was
adop ed in all Finnish uni e si ies, enabled by he a ailabili y o he neces-
sa y IT and communica ion in as uc u es and IT suppo se ices
(Ki is ö & Koh amäki, 2021).
A cen al issue in he con inui y o ope a ions o any o ganisa ion is
unding, and his is no less ue o uni e si ies. Ki is ö and Koh amäki’s
(2021) s udy on he impac o COVID-19 on Finnish uni e si ies ound
ha , while he pandemic caused signi ican inancial s ain on indi iduals
and p i a e and public o ganisa ions, i s impac on uni e si y inances was
posi i e in he sho - o-medium e m. This, hey a gue, was due o policy
measu es, such as a special inc ease in s uden en olmen accompanied by
addi ional unding p o ided by he Finnish go e nmen and special as -
ack esea ch unding o COVID-19 esea ch, which saw an inc ease in
uni e si y unding (Ki is ö & Koh amäki, 2021).
The pandemic also saw he in e up ion o s uden and s a mobili y,
pa icula ly du ing he ini ial phase o he c isis in Finland. Ongoing s u-
den exchanges we e in e up ed, and u u e exchanges we e cancelled in
some Finnish uni e si ies. Acco ding o he Finnish na ional agency o
educa ion, EDUFI (2020), up o 90% o exchange s uden s in some
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.

369
highe educa ion ins i u ions (HEIs) had hei mobili y in e up ed and
e u ned o Finland, wi h he majo i y con inuing hei s udies online.
Gi en he decision by all Finnish HEIs o swi ch o online eaching and
lea ning, i ual mobili y soon became he op ion o incoming exchange
s uden s who, due o he COVID-19 ou b eak, had o e u n o hei
home coun ies. In eac ion o he pandemic, key mobili y unding p o-
g ammes such as E asmus +, No dplus and Fi s + ecommended he
implemen a ion o blended o i ual mobili ies o HEIs in he 2020
au umn semes e ins ead o physical mobili y (EDUFI, 2020). Guidance
on in e na ional a el o s a was issued ollowing he na ional adminis-
a ion and na ional heal h o icials’ ecommenda ions (Fu i e al., 2021;
Ki is ö & Koh amäki, 2021) (Fig.15.1).
concep ual Backd op
C isis Managemen and heWo k o Public Manage s
Du ing C ises
Bundy e al. (2016) cha ac e ised c ises as socially cons uc ed beha iou al
phenomena ha a e sou ces o unce ain y, dis up ion and change, ha m-
ul o o ganisa ions and hei s akeholde s and cons i u ing pa o la ge
p ocesses ins ead o disc e e e en s. C ises gene ally ha e physical e ec s
on en i e sys ems as hey in ol e dis up ions ha h ea en he basic unc-
ions and exis ence o a sys em (Pauchan & Mi o , 1992). Ziakas e al.
(2021) no ed ha c ises gene ally ha e an en i e cause o occu as a
esponse o an inciden o socie al c isis, such as he COVID-19 pan-
demic. Pa sons (1996) classi ied c ises in o h ee ypes: (1) an immedia e,
sudden c isis ha an o ganisa ion canno p epa e o ; (2) a slowe eme g-
ing c isis in which an o ganisa ion can s op o minimise nega i e impac
h ough i s ac ions; and (3) a sus ained c isis ha occu s o e a long- e m
ime ame. C ises h ea en o ganisa ions’ alues, unc ionali y and sus-
ainabili y as hey o e limi ed ime o make app op ia e and su icien
esponses o minimise he isks hey pose o sys ems (He mann 1963).
F om an o ganisa ional iewpoin , c isis managemen b oadly comp ises
ac ions and communica ion om leade s ha aim o educe he likelihood
o a c isis, minimise he nega i e e ec s o a c isis and a emp o e-es ab-
lish o de a e a c isis (Kahn e  al. 2013; Bundy and P a e 2015).
Unde sco ing he impo ance o c isis esponse is he consensus ha how
o ganisa ions and people espond o a c isis is equally as impo an as
he cause.
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…
370
- Decembe 31, 2019, A no el co ona i us
was iden i ied ollowing epo o a clus e
o cases o pneumonia in Wuhan, China.
-Janua y 29, 2020, i s co ona i us case
iden i ied in Finland
-Janua y 30,2020, Wo ld Heal h
O ganisa ion (WHO) si ua ion epo no es
7818 con i med cases wo ldwide
- Feb ua y 13, 2020, COVID-19 was included in
he lis o gene ally haza dous
communicablediseases in Finland
- Ma ch 11, 2020, a e a Wo ld Heal h
O ganisa ion (WHO) assessmen COVID-19
was cha ac e ized as a pandemic
- Ma ch 16, 2020, he Finnish go e nmen
decla ed a s a e o eme gency due o he
co ona i us ou b eak and se e al social
dis ancing measu es we e implemen ed.
- Ma ch 21, 2020,Finland’s i s COVID-19
dea h was epo ed wi h 17 pa ien s
hospi alized
-
dea hs we e eco ded
-Oc obe 15, 2021, end o na ionwide
emo e wo king ecommenda ion
-Socialdis ancing measu es and na ional
lockdown ecommenda ions we e issued
-C ea ion o Co ona wo king g oups and
esponse eams ac oss Finnish uni e si ies
-Recommenda ion issued by he Rec o s’
council o Finnish uni e si ies (UNIFI) o close
allcampus-based eaching ac i i ies
-Highe educa ion ins i u ions we e closed
-Eme gency emo e eaching ac i a ed
-T a el es ic ions a ec ing incoming o eign
s uden s
-Res ic ions o in e na ional s uden and
s a mobili y
-Dis ance wo king/Wo k om home
guidelines issued by he uni e si y
-Cancella ion o adi ional campus-based
en ance examswi hmino excep ions made
o small scale exams
-Cancella ion and pos ponemen o esea ch
ela ed ac i i ies such as ield esea ch,
scien i ic con e ences
-Inc eased con ibu ion o public policy
de elopmen (Posi i e impac )
-Mixed impac on HEIs communi y
engagemen
-T ansi ion o/inc eased adop ion o digi al
lea ning
-In oduc ion o lexible lea ning modes such
as hyb id lea ning
-Adop ion o Vi ual mobili y and
collabo a i e online lea ning
-Up ake o Dis ance lea ning p og ams
-Hyb id wo king
-Subs an ial in es men s and upg ade in
digi al in as uc u es
-Digi al pedagogy aining as an essen ial
componen o pedagogy aining
COVID-19 pandemic 2020
Immedia e impac and Responses
Long e m impac s and esponses
Augus 10, 2020, 7464 COVID-19 cases, 333
Fig. 15.1 COVID-19 pandemic impac s and esponses in he Finnish highe educa ion sec o
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.
371
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a c isis cha ac e ised by high
unp edic abili y, unce ain y and dis ess abou he u u e. Wi h he heal h
c isis e ol ing in o an economic, cul u al and social c isis, i s impac s will
ha e la ge sociopoli ical, economic and exis en ial ami ica ions globally
o a long ime o come. Immedia e esponses o he c isis we e p ima ily
aimed a con olling and cu bing he i us sp ead, leading o lockdown
measu es in nume ous coun ies and closu es o geog aphical bo de s,
es ic ing he mo emen o goods and people ac oss coun ies. Some o
he ea ly esponses o he c isis in many coun ies exace ba ed nega i e
consequences, as go e nmen s and o ganisa ions we e inadequa ely p e-
pa ed. Mo e ecen ly, esponses ha e ocused on he ela ed impac s o he
pandemic ac oss a ious sec o s o he economy, including he highe edu-
ca ion sec o .
In gene al, COVID-19 has changed how and whe e public sec o
wo ke s wo k and hei job asks and demands ega ding hei wo k. These
changes c ea e new challenges and s ains on public sec o wo ke s, isking
well-being and inc easing demo i a ion and poo wo k pe o mance
(Schus e e al., 2020). P e ious s udies ha e highligh ed he challenges
a ising om emo e wo king ha ha e been he new no m o las yea ,
such as inc easing isks o p o essional and social isola ion among employ-
ees (Bu e , 2020; de V ies e al., 2018) and lack o access o app op ia e
echnical equipmen and aining in u ilising a i ual collabo a i e en i-
onmen (Bick e al., 2020). These challenges bu den manage s as hey
inc easingly ace challenges in supe ising, moni o ing and ensu ing ha
s a s ay mo i a ed (Schus e e al., 2020). Fu he mo e, hese challenges
a e u he compounded as public sec o o ganisa ions ace inc easing job
demands while g appling wi h cons ained job (i.e., supe ision and col-
legial suppo and e ec i e echnical equipmen ) and pe sonal (i.e., mo i-
a ion and op imism) (Schus e e  al., 2020) esou ces. These issues
sugges nega i e implica ions o wo k engagemen , employee well-being
and p oduc i i y.
C isis esponse o and managemen o he COVID-19 pandemic di -
e ed a ound he wo ld and ac oss public ins i u ions. I has been well
documen ed ha he pandemic induced changes o many public sec o
wo ke s. This was also he case in he global highe educa ion sec o ,
which was se e ely impac ed by he c isis. Condi ions o eaching and
esea ch ac i i ies changed d ama ically. Uni e si ies we e quickly adop -
ing online educa ion, s uden s aced unce ain ies abou hei s udies and
incomes and s a s uggled wi h challenges such as job insecu i y and lack
o /inadequa e skills and ools o digi al pedagogy. In addi ion, uni e si y
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…
372
managemen was con on ed wi h de ising new me hods o ensu e con i-
nui y in hei ope a ions and clea and e ec i e communica ions wi h hei
s akeholde s and pa ne s (C aw o d e  al., 2020; Helin e  al., 2020;
Ma inoni e al., 2020.) The impac s o COVID-19 on eaching and lea n-
ing mos ly cen ed on eplacing class oom eaching wi h dis ance eaching
and lea ning. The associa ed challenges o he ansi ion o online each-
ing we e linked o echnical in as uc u e and he compe encies and peda-
gogies o online lea ning (Ma inoni e  al., 2020), wi h many eache s
eso ing o ‘lea ning by doing’ due o he d ama ic shi o online lea n-
ing and he lack o necessa y managemen s uc u es o de elop he each-
ing capaci ies o s a o online pedagogy (Amemado, 2020; Ma inoni
e al., 2020).
Se e al s udies ha e no ed ha s akeholde communica ion is c ucial in
c isis managemen (Coombs, 1995; Coombs & Holladay, 1996; Fu i
e al., 2021; Illanes e al., 2020), and his was no less so wi h he COVID-19
pandemic and in he highe educa ion sec o . In a su ey conduc ed by he
In e na ional Associa ion o Uni e si ies (IAU), 91% o HEIs su eyed
had he necessa y in as uc u es in place o communica e wi h hei s a
and s uden s abou COVID-19; howe e , hey s ill aced challenges in
ensu ing clea and e ec i e communica ions s eams wi h s a and s u-
den s du ing lockdown (Ma inoni e al., 2020). In addi ion, he high le el
o unce ain y wi h he pandemic a ec ed academic planning o he nex
academic semes e /session and consequen ly caused a high le el o p es-
su e on s a o wo k longe hou s o deal wi h he si ua ion, inc easing he
isks o bu nou (Ma inoni e al., 2020).
C ises p esen condi ions o e lec on managemen app oaches,
decision- making, leade ship and he s abili y and sus ainabili y o a sys em
(Ziakas e al., 2021). As seen in he COVID-19 pandemic, leade ship and
s akeholde communica ion a e c ucial in esponse o coo dina ion in
HEIs (Illanes e al., 2020). The esponses om HEIs in he ea ly mon hs
o he pandemic anged om he suspension o eaching and esea ch
ac i i ies o ansi ioning o online eaching and lea ning o a ying
deg ees, a ec ing s uden s wo ldwide in a ious coun ies (B own, 2020).
Acco ding o he Eu opean Associa ion o In e na ional Educa ion
(EAIE), in esponse o he COVID-19 pandemic, uni e si ies es ablished
communica ion channels and suppo o s uden s o enable access o
counselling, heal h se ices and unding and ac i e communica ion wi h
s akeholde s, including ex e nal pa ne s and he local communi y (EAIE,
2020). In addi ion, uni e si ies dedica ed esou ces o de eloping o
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.
379
The acu e COVID-19 c ises caused he ollowing issues o daily p io i-
ising o wo k and main aining he abili y o wo k:
• The wo k schedule changed apidly
• The wo kload inc eased (because o mee ings), and he planning o
eaching ook mo e ime
• The eeling o ‘busyness’ and missing ou o con inui y and ou-
ines inc eased
• The line be ween ee ime and wo k blu ed, wi h wo k being con-
inuous wi hou b eaks
• The e gonomics o wo king a home was in e io compa ed o
he o ice
• The managemen and con ol o he ‘big pic u e’ was los
In hei answe s, manage s s a ed ha he p oblems emained qui e he
same: Days we e ull o mee ings wi hou ace- o- ace in e ac ion, people
missed a sense o communi y and manage s deal wi h b oad and complex
issues daily. Some o he manage s men ioned ha hey ound i di icul
o manage hei wo k in i s en i e y and ha mo e a en ion should be
paid o ways ha sepa a e wo k om leisu e ime.
Howe e , manage s had no ed some changes o he be e in some o
he esponses ha we e men ioned ega ding how he s a e o eme gency
and he p olonged pandemic ime had become ‘ he new no mal’, which
helped in coping wi h basics in wo k. The e was an imp o emen in he
wo kload since he e we e no many ad hoc asks ela ed o su i ing wi h
he changes, since people we e now used o wo king in a di e en way
han a he beginning o he pandemic. Manage s and s a now had a be -
e unde s anding o he cu en si ua ion, and hey we e be e o ien ed
o he ‘new no mal’, which helped manage s o be e manage hei wo k-
load and p io i ise hei wo k.
The las heme o he su ey was managing he abili y o wo k in a p o-
longed pandemic.
To cope wi h he acu e COVID-19 c isis, academic manage s lis ed he
ollowing p ac ices ha helped main ain hei indi idual wo k abili y and
con ol:
• Exe cise, ou doo ac i i ies and su icien b eaks du ing he wo kday
and he delimi a ion o he wo kday
• Scheduling and planning new wo k alongside o ming new ou ines
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…

380
• Main enance o social con ac s wi h employees and colleagues
• C ea ion o in o mal online mee ings
The main p oblem wi hin his heme was ha people did no ha e ace-
o- ace in e ac ions and did no eel as connec ed o hei colleagues and
communi y as be o e. People longed o ace- o- ace mee ings and oppo -
uni ies o mee hei colleagues, and his need inc eased o e ime when
he s a e o eme gency was p olonged. Howe e , on he whole, he si ua-
ion sligh ly imp o ed since some o he s a ound enjoymen in wo king
emo ely, and i appea s ha in he u u e, some o he s a p e e ed no
o go back o how hings we e be o e he pandemic s a ed. The e we e
also changes o he wo se since aking b eaks om wo k has been a g ow-
ing challenge o e he pas yea , and i has been inc easingly di icul o
p io i ise wo k and de ach onesel om i when wo king om home.
Fo una ely, some o he manage s said ha in o mal in e ac ions be ween
colleagues, such as i ual co ee b eaks o lunches, we e now o ganised
mo e o en han be o e, which helped wi h he p oblems men ioned be o e.
dIscussIon
COVID-19 has caused communica ion p oblems be ween HEIs and
o he go e nmen o icials. In addi ion, Ma inoni e al. (2020) no ed ha
COVID-19 has se e ely impac ed clea and e ec i e communica ion wi h
s a and s uden s du ing lockdowns. Su ey indings e ealed ha Finnish
uni e si ies and hei suppo se ices su i ed he ‘s ess es ’ caused by
COVID-19 ema kably well. Based on he su ey esponses ha we e col-
lec ed in 2020 and 2021, we no iced a sligh dec ease, on a e age, in he
s a emen s measu ing he unc ionali y o suppo se ices and communi-
ca ion ela ed o coping wi h c ises; howe e , bo h we e pe cei ed o be a
a good le el.
Fu he mo e, he su eys indica ed a d op in con inuing in e na ional
ac i i ies and ansi ioning in o digi al eaching. The d op in eaching is
p obably a sign ha in he i s wa e o COVID-19, hese ac i i ies we e
managed well as an al e na i e su i al mode. Howe e , as ime passed,
equi emen s became highe , and p oblems ela ed o digi al in e na ional
ac i i ies and eaching became mo e e iden . These p oblems a e p obably
ela ed o he o e all ansi ion o uni e si ies and hei eaching me hods
in o digi al modes, which has been an ongoing inc emen al p ocess o
yea s. P e-COVID-19 s udies ha e shown ha bo h eache s and s uden s
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.
381
ha e p oblems in hei digi al compe encies and ha digi al ans o ma-
ion does no jus happen by exposing eache s and lea ne s o echnology
(Bond e al. 2018).
Mo eo e , while he e has been a d op in in e na ional ac i i ies, he e
has been no dec ease in he ela ed esea ch. This is in e es ing, since
in e na ional ac i i ies a e o en (no always) ela ed o esea ch. To specu-
la e a bi , his can be in e p e ed as s a ha ing mo e ime o esea ch,
d a ing applica ions and w i ing publica ions while wo king emo ely.
Howe e , he lack o in e na ional ac i i ies may, in u n, nega i ely a ec
esea ch in he long un, since emo e-only ne wo king is challenging wi h
ega d o inding new collabo a i e pa ne s. Ano he impo an dimen-
sion o in e na ional ac i i y should p obably be discussed mo e widely.
Fo many academics, in e na ional ac i i ies o m an impo an social con-
ex ; he e o e, du ing he COVID-19 pandemic, he o ganisa ional social
in e ac ion also has o ul il his gap in p o essional suppo ha may be
essen ial o wo k well-being.
C ises a e sou ces o social unce ain y, dis up ion and change (Bundy
e al. 2016), and hey also ha e physical e ec s on wo k and wo king en i-
onmen s (Pauchan & Mi o , 1992). COVID-19 is no doub a c isis o
Finnish uni e si ies; i has changed bo h he wo k and he physical wo k-
ing en i onmen s. Bo h o hese changes ha e a ec ed he wo k o aca-
demic leade s, as hey ha e impac ed all public manage s (Schus e e al.,
2020). I appea s ha he impac is pe sis en and has no changed signi i-
can ly while he c isis con inues ( ime o w i ing). Howe e , he new no -
mal is seen on a ho izon, and unce ain y ela ed o he o e all epidemic
si ua ion is easing. Fo manage s, one o he main c isis- ela ed challenges
is he di icul y in sus aining he sys em and main aining ou ines (Ziakas
e al., 2021). The p oblem o sus ainabili y has been an issue since he i s
day o he i us. Wi h a p olonged c isis, manage s a e no longe so wo -
ied abou ‘daily p ac ices’ bu a e a aid ha new employees will no be
socialised in o he wo king communi y and ha he e a e unseen social
p oblems when main aining wo king p ac ices online.
conclusIon
The aim o his chap e was o obse e he pe cep ions o academic man-
age s abou hei ole as manage s. Ou empi ical in e es was in he
mic o-le el analysis o he ole and changes in academic leade ship and
suppo se ices du ing c ises. The oles o uni e si y manage s, deans and
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…
382
ec o s ha e changed and ha e become mo e p o essional (Ca alho and
San iago 2010; Pekkola e al., 2018; Pekkola e al., 2020). I seems ha
hey ha e managed o deciphe hei way ou o he c isis. Howe e , he
uni e si ies’ s eng h, in addi ion o hei esilience, lies in hei academic
s a (Pekkola e al., 2020), no manage s. The au onomy o academic
wo k has been challenged, and o ganisa ional con ol has inc eased om
he impac o NPM and manage ialism; howe e , academics s ill a e sel -
egula ing and c i ical wi h ega d o hei wo k and wo k p ac ices. The
ole o manage s inc eases when he collegial elemen and communi y a e
cu o . The si ua ion is di icul since many social aspec s o academic
wo k a e ela ed o s uden s and in e na ional ac i i ies and hus a e
beyond he con ol o he wo king o ganisa ion. The manage s con inue
wo king wi h daily p ac ices, coo dina ing academic wo k, making deci-
sions and planning in addi ion o o ganising in o mal online e en s.
Howe e , om he pe spec i e o academic manage s, as he c isis is p o-
longed, main aining social connec ions and con ol becomes mo e di i-
cul i s a membe s a e unwilling o con inue o ice wo k and canno
collabo a e in e na ionally.
Fo uni e si ies, he c isis has been an excellen ime o ask again ‘Who
a e we?’, ‘Who do we wan o be?’ (c . Spende 2014), ‘Wha a e he basic
p ocesses and co e asks ha need o be main ained’ and ‘Wha a e he
bes ways o main aining hese ac i i ies?’ Uni e si ies a e conside ed o be
almos e e nal o ganisa ions. They ha e cen al and gene ally s able unc-
ions in socie ies. The i s ound o he su ey e ealed ha c isis manage-
men was success ul because o he au onomous na u e o academic wo k
(Pekkola e al., 2021). I he ole o uni e si ies includes ensu ing aca-
demic au onomy, eedom o lea ning and non-in e up ed educa ion and
esea ch, he loosely coupled o ganisa ional s uc u e and o ganisa ion o
wo k is p obably he bes way o ensu e esilience (c . Hamel & Välikangas,
2003). This necessi a es dynamic knowledge s a egies (Laihonen &
Huh amäki, 2020) and p ocesses ha enable he collec ion and e ine-
men o he needed in o ma ion o suppo decision-making no only a
he s a egic le el (e.g., Laihonen & Män ylä, 2018; Zack, 1999) bu also
a he indi idual le el o he eache – esea che . Indeed, c isis manage-
men calls o lexible s uc u es, low hie a chies and a ce ain ype o lu-
idi y o p ac ices in all unc ions (c . Sch eyögg & Sydow, 2010). The
mo e uni e si ies ely on ‘co po a e planning’ and ‘sha ed and ha monised
p ac ice’, he mo e ulne able hey a e o ex e nal c ises.
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.
383
The s ess es has been applied, and i appea s ha Finnish uni e si ies
ha e su i ed well and ha hei manage s ha e ound ways o cope du -
ing c ises. O e all, he s udy aises ques ions on wha i means o be a
leade and an academic in emo e lea ning o wo king con ex s. When
physical in e ac ion dec eases (especially in non-labo a o y disciplines),
wha is he ole o he academic manage , and does i mo e owa ds mo e
in-dep h leade ship ha pa ly ul ils he ole o lessening collegial suppo
o does i become mo e o less he wo k o a ‘ acul y manage ’ ha ensu es
ha daily p ac ices a e co e ed and ha he in as uc u e o emo e aca-
demic wo k is unc ional? I a el es ic ions con inue and in e na ional
mobili y becomes pe manen ly di icul , who will manage and s ee he
in e na ional disciplina y communica ion ha has been mainly o ganised
by scien i ic associa ions and indi idual academics hus a ? How his
impac s knowledge c ea ion and whe he i s eng hens he ole o uni e -
si y o ganisa ions as a pla o m o social in e ac ion o aliena ing academ-
ics om hei communi ies a e c ucial ques ions o u u e s udies.
eFe ences
Amemado, D. (2020). COVID-19: An unexpec ed and unusual d i e o online
educa ion. In e na ional Highe Educa ion, 102, 12–14.
Bick, Raphael, Chang, Michael, Wang, Ke in Wei, & Tianwen, Yu. (2020, Ma ch
23). A bluep in o emo e wo king: Lessons om China. McKinsey Digi al.
h ps://www.mckinsey.com/business- unc ions/mckinsey- digi al/
ou - insigh s/a- bluep in - o - emo e- wo king- lessons- om- china
Bleiklie, I., Ende s, J., & Lepo i, B. (2017). Se ing he s age—Theo y and
esea ch ques ions. In I.Bleiklie, J. Ende s, & B.Lepo i (Eds.), Managing
Uni e si ies. Policy and o ganisa ional change om a Wes e n compa a i e pe -
spec i e (pp.3–30). Palg a e.
B own, C. (2020). Readying o he u u e: COVID-19. Wo k and lea ning.
Lumina ounda ion. h ps://lumina ounda ion.o g/news- and- iews/
eadying- o - he- u u e- co id- 19- highe - ed- and- ai ness/
Bu e . (2020). The 2020 s a e o emo e wo k. h ps://lp.bu e .com/
s a e- o - emo e- wo k- 2020.
Ca alho, T., & San iago, R. (2010a). S ill Academics A e All. Highe Educa ion
Policy, 23(3), 397–411.
Ca alho, T., & San iago, R. (2010b). New public managemen and ‘middle man-
agemen ’: How do deans in luence ins i u ional policies? In L. V. Meek,
L.Goedegebuu e, R.San iago, & T.Ca alho (Eds.), The Changing Dynamics
o Highe Educa ion Middle Managemen (pp.165–196). Sp inge .
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…
384
Ch is ensen, T., & Læg eid, P. (2021). C isis managemen o he Co id-19 pan-
demic: The No dic way and Swedish Excep ionalism. To appea in
A.B. L.Cheung and Sand a an Thiel (Eds.), C isis leade ship and public go -
e nance du ing he Co id-19 pandemic. In e na ional Compa ison (pp.
289–323). Wo ld Scien i ic.
Coombs, W.T. (1995). Choosing he igh wo ds: The de elopmen o guidelines
o he selec ion o he ‘app op ia e’ c isis- esponse s a egies. Managemen
Communica ion Qua e ly, 8(4), 447–476.
Coombs, W.T., & Holladay, S.J. (1996). Communica ion and a ibu ions in a
c isis: An expe imen al s udy o c isis communica ion. Jou nal o Public
Rela ions Resea ch, 8(4), 279–295.
C aw o d, J., Bu le -Hende son, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowa z, M.,
Bu on, R., Magni, P.A., & Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 coun ies’ highe
educa ion in a-pe iod digi al pedagogy esponses. Jou nal o Applied Lea ning
& Teaching, 3(1), 1. h p://jou nals.s u.ca/jal /index.php/jal /index
Deem, R., & B ehony, K.J. (2005). Managemen as ideology: The case o ‘new
manage ialism’ in highe educa ion. Ox o d Re iew o Educa ion,
31(2), 217–235.
Dumay, J., Gu h ie, J., & Pun illo, P. (2015). IC and public sec o : A s uc u ed
li e a u e e iew. Jou nal o In ellec ual Capi al, 2(2), 267–284.
EDUFI–Finnish Na ional Agency o Educa ion. (2020, June 30). Impac o
COVID-19 on Highe Educa ion S uden Mobili y in Finland. h ps://
www.oph. i/en/news/2020/impac - co id- 19- highe - educa ion-
s uden - mobili y- inland
Eu opean Associa ion o In e na ional Educa ion (EAIE). (2020). How HEIs
can espond o COVID-19. EAIE. h ps://www.eaie.o g/blog/how- highe -
educa ion- ins i u ions- espond- co id- 19.h ml
E e s, J. (2009). New p o essionalism and new public managemen : Changes,
con inui ies and consequences. Compa a i e Sociology, 8(2), 247–266.
Fu i , U., Koh amaki, V., & Balbache sky, E. (2021). C isis esponse o highe
educa ion ins i u ions o COVID-19 – A case s udy o wo uni e si ies:
Uni e si ies o Sao Paulo (USP) and Tampe e Uni e si y (TAU). In T. Connolly
and S. Fa ie (Eds.), Leade ship and managemen s a egies o c ea ing agile
uni e si ies (pp. 183–202), IGI Global.
Geschwind, L., Kekäle, J., Pinhei o, R., & So ensen, M.P. (2019). Responsible
uni e si ies in con ex . In M. P. Sø ensen, L. Geschwind, J. Kekäle, &
R.Pinhei o (Eds.), The esponsible uni e si y: Explo ing he no dic con ex and
beyond (pp.3–30). Palg a e Macmillan.
Hamel, G., & Välikangas, L. (2003). The ques o esilience. Ha a d Business
Re iew, 81(9), 52–65.
Haskins, C.H. (1957). The ise o uni e si ies. Co nell Uni e si y P ess.
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.

385
Helin, J., Hi onen, J., Koe selman, K., & Siekkinen, T. (2020). Wo k and s udies
in Finland du ing COVID-19. Highe Educa ion in Russia and Beyond,
2020(3), 18–19. h ps://he b.hse. u/da a/2020/12/14/1358323645/1H
ERB_24_ iew.pd
Hü he , O., & K ücken, G. (2016). Nes ed o ganiza ional ields: Isomo phism
and di e en ia ion among Eu opean uni e si ies. The Uni e si y Unde P essu e.
Resea ch in he Sociology o O ganiza ions, 46, 53–83. h ps://doi.
o g/10.1108/S0733- 558X20160000046003
Illanes, P., Law, J., Mendy, A., Sangh i, S., & Sa aka sannis, J. (2020).
Co ona i us and he campus: How can US highe educa ion o ganize o
espond? h ps://www.mckinsey.com/indus ies/public- and- social- sec o /
ou - insigh s/co ona i us- and- he- campus- how- can- us- highe - educa ion-
o ganize- o- espond
Kallio, K.-M., Kallio, T.J., Tiena i, J., & Hy önen, T. (2015). E hos a s ake:
Pe o mance managemen and academic wo k in uni e si ies. Human Rela ions,
69(3), 685–709.
Ki is ö, J., & Koh amäki, K. (2021). COVID-19 and Finnish uni e si ies: A lex-
ible policy esponse. In F. G. Ne swe a, T. Ka abchuk, & A. Woldegyo gis
(Eds.), Highe educa ion unde COVID. B ill.
Laihonen, H., & Huh amäki, J. (2020). O ganiza ional hyb idi y and luidi y:
De i ing new s a egies o dynamic knowledge managemen . Knowledge
Managemen Resea ch & P ac ice. h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/1477823
8.2020.1794993
Laihonen, H., & Män ylä, S. (2018). S a egic knowledge managemen and e ol -
ing local go e nmen . Jou nal o Knowledge Managemen , 22(1), 219–234.
Lam, A. (2010). F om ‘I o y Towe T adi ionalis s’ o ‘En ep eneu ial Scien is s’?
Academic Scien is s in Fuzzy Uni e si y—Indus y Bounda ies. Social S udies
o Science, 40(2), 307–340.
Ma inoni, G., an’ Land, H., & Jensen, T. (2020). The impac o COVID-19 on
highe educa ion a ound he wo ld. In e na ional associa ion o uni e si ies.
Pa is. IAU. h ps://www.iau- aiu.ne /IMG/pd /iau_co id19_and_he_su ey_
epo _ inal_may_2020.pd
Moisio, S. (2020). S a e powe and he COVID-19 pandemic: The case o Finland.
Eu asian Geog aphy and Economics, 61(4–5), 598–605.
Noo deg aa , M. (2019). P o ec i e o connec i e p o essionalism? How con-
nec ed p o essionals can (s ill) ac as au onomous and au ho i a i e expe s.
Jou nal o P o essions and O ganiza ion, 7(2), 205–223.
Pa sons, W. (1996). C isis managemen . Ca ee De elopmen In e na ional,
1(5), 26–28.
Pauchan , T.C., & Mi o , I.I. (1992). T ans o ming he c isis-p one o ganiza-
ion: P e en ing indi idual, o ganiza ional, and en i onmen al agedies.
Jossey-Bass Inc..
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…
386
Pekkola, E., Siekkinen, T., Ki is ö, J., & Lyy inen, A. (2018). Managemen and
academic p o ession: Compa ing he Finnish p o esso s wi h and wi hou man-
agemen posi ions. S udies in Highe Educa ion, 43(11), 1949–1963.
Pekkola, E., Pinhei o, R., Geschwind, L., Siekkinen, T., Ca alho, T., & Pulkkinen,
K. (2020). Nes ed hyb idi y and alue de ini ion in public highe educa ion. In
J. Vakku i & J. E. Johanson (Eds.), Hyb id Go e nance, O ganisa ions and
Socie y: Value C ea ion Pe spec i es. Rou ledge.
Pekkola, E., Siekkinen, T., Kujala, E.-N., Kanniainen, J.-P., & Laihonen,
H. (2021). An assessmen o he impac o co ona i us on Finnish uni e si y
leade ship. Knowledge Managemen Resea ch & P ac ice, 19(4), 510–516.
Pinhei o, R., Aa e aa a, T., Be g, L.N., Fumasoli, T., Geschwind, L., Hansen,
H.F., e al. (2019). No dic highe educa ion in lux: Sys em e olu ion and
e o m ajec o ies. In Re o ms, O ganiza ional Change and Pe o mance in
Highe Educa ion (pp.69–108). Palg a e Macmillan.
Pu siainen, C. (2018). The c isis managemen cycle: Theo y and p ac ice. Rou ledge.
Regeh , C., & Goel, V. (2020). Managing COVID-19in a la ge u ban esea ch-
in ensi e uni e si y. Jou nal o Loss and T auma, 25(6–7), 523–539.
Sch eyögg, V., & Sydow, J. (2010). O ganising o luidi y? Dilemmas o new
o ganisa ional o ms. O ganisa ion Science, 21(6), 1251–1262. h ps://doi.
o g/10.1287/o sc.1100.0561
Schus e , C., Wei zman, L., Mikkelsen, K., Meye -Sahling, J., Be sch, K.,
Fukuyama, F., Pasko , P., Rogge , D., Mis ee, D., & Kay, K. (2020).
Responding o COVID-19 h ough su eys o public se an s. Public
Adminis a ion Re iew, 80(5), 792–796.
Sco , J.C. (2006). The mission o he uni e si y: Medie al o pos mode n ans-
o ma ions. The Jou nal o Highe Educa ion, 77(1), 1–39.
Siekkinen, T., Pekkola, E., & Ca alho, T. (2019). Change and con inui y in aca-
demic p o ession—Finnish Uni e si ies as li ing labs. Highe Educa ion,
79, 533–551.
Slaugh e , S., & Leslie, L. L. (1997). Academic capi alism: Poli ics, policies, and he
en ep eneu ial uni e si y. Johns Hopkins Uni e si y P ess.
Tii inki, H., Tynkkynen, L.K., So ala, M., A kins, S., Koi usalo, M., Rau iainen,
P., Jo manainen, V., & Keskimäki, I. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic in
Finland—P elimina y analysis on heal h sys em esponse and economic conse-
quences. Heal h Policy and Technology, 9(4), 649–662. h ps://doi.
o g/10.1016/j.hlp .2020.08.005
Välimaa, J., Papa siba, V., & Ho man, D.M. (2016). Highe educa ion in ne -
wo ked knowledge socie ies. In D. M. Ho man & J. Välimaa (Eds.),
Re-becoming uni e si ies, The changing academy– The changing academic p o-
ession in in e na ional compa a i e pe spec i e (Vol. 15, pp.13–39). Sp inge .
E. PEKKOLA ET AL.
387
de V ies, H., Tumme s, L., & Bekke s, V. (2018). The bene i s o elewo king in
he public sec o : Reali y o he o ic? Re iew o Public Pe sonnel Adminis a ion,
39(4), 570–593.
Zack, M. (1999). De eloping a knowledge s a egy. Cali o nia Managemen
Re iew, 41(3), 125–145.
Ziakas, V., An chak, V., & Ge z, D. (2021). In V.Ziakas, V.An chak, & D.Ge z
(Eds.), Theo e ical pe spec i es o c isis managemen and eco e y o e en s
(Chap e 1). Good ellow Publishe s. h ps://doi.o g/10.23912/9781911635
901- 4830
Open Access This chap e is licensed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion 4.0 In e na ional License (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/
by/4.0/), which pe mi s use, sha ing, adap a ion, dis ibu ion and ep oduc ion
in any medium o o ma , as long as you gi e app op ia e c edi o he o iginal
au ho (s) and he sou ce, p o ide a link o he C ea i e Commons licence and
indica e i changes we e made.
The images o o he hi d pa y ma e ial in his chap e a e included in he
chap e ’s C ea i e Commons licence, unless indica ed o he wise in a c edi line o
he ma e ial. I ma e ial is no included in he chap e ’s C ea i e Commons licence
and you in ended use is no pe mi ed by s a u o y egula ion o exceeds he
pe mi ed use, you will need o ob ain pe mission di ec ly om he copy-
igh holde .
15 REMOTE UNIVERSITIES? IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AS EXPERIENCED…