The human impact of crisis in business schools in higher education: the role of belonging dissonance

Purpose This study investigates how business school academics experienced and navigated disruptions to their sense of belonging during the COVID-19 crisis. Responding to limited research on academic belonging in times of institutional upheaval, the study develops the concept of belonging dissonance to explain the tensions created when academics' expectations of collegiality, identity affirmation and institutional support diverge from crisis-driven organisational practices. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on 153 qualitative survey responses and 12 in-depth interviews with business academics across multiple countries. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identify the mechanisms that triggered cognitive dissonance during the pandemic and analyse how academics enacted “belonging work” to manage, repair or reorient their sense of belonging. Findings Three contributions emerge. Firstly, the study demonstrates that cognitive dissonance is central to understanding how academics evaluate and respond to belonging disruptions during crisis. Secondly, we introduce belonging dissonance, a relational and identity-based form of cognitive dissonance that arises when institutional actions undermine expectations of collegiality, recognition and shared governance. Thirdly, we show that academics employed varied forms of belonging work at classroom, organisational, relational and external community levels to sustain or reframe belonging, while others disengaged due to workload pressures and emotional strain. These processes produced divergent belonging trajectories, ranging from significant belonging loss to heightened forms of academic belonging. Practical implications Findings highlight belonging as a form of relational infrastructure that requires intentional institutional investment. Universities should prioritise relational connection, reduce crisis-driven workload intensification, strengthen recognition practices and design participatory decision-making processes. Supporting staff capacity for belonging work can enhance resilience, well-being and continuity in academic communities. Originality/value This study advances theory by conceptualising belonging dissonance as a crisis-specific manifestation of cognitive dissonance and by identifying belonging work as a key mechanism for dissonance resolution. It offers a nuanced, processual understanding of academic belonging and provides actionable insights for sustaining belonging in volatile higher education environments.