Abstract
The aim of this study is to provide insight on the readiness, barriers and strategies for dealing with unexpected organisational changes, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, using the Irish Secondary Schools as the case study. Primary data was collected using a quantitative questionnaire with embedded open-ended questions. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis was descriptive in nature, providing an account of the School Management experiences in implementing change during the world-wide public health crisis. The findings revealed key types of organisational changes implemented, including employee training; changing or introducing new technology, and implementing school-wide operational changes related to the Covid-19 response plan. The key barriers to change related to lack of time to plan change effectively, competing demands from multiple stakeholders and lack of communication from the government to inform on changes required. The main contribution of this study are the empirical findings related to unplanned organisational changes in the Education sector.
