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THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC STAFF PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Conflict manifests itself in humans as natural and social occurrences in our daily lives. How school administrators resolve them has an inherent positive or negative effect on workers' job performance which in turn can affect their effectiveness and efficiency. Most times, conflict emerges as a rational phenomenon in human norms that is why school administrators spend 20% of their useful time averagely resolving conflict between and among different stakeholders (Ahmed in Okoye and Okeke-Okonkwo, 2020). Staff job performance and effectiveness depend on the strategies used by the administrators in resolving conflicting issues when they arise. Effective school administrators are those known to manage conflict rather than eradicating it as an efficacy function (Boucher, 2013).

Conflict is an incompatible and inevitable element in every human being; it is an intrinsic and inevitable part of human existence, which occurs due to incompatible pursuit of personal and/or organizational interests and goals. Based on this idea, the existence of individuals and groups of human beings living together creates a diversity of behaviors due to people’s uniqueness in characteristics (Francis, 2004). When conflict occurs in an organization, there is the urgent need for its management to mitigate it so that it does not negatively affect workers’ job performance and institutional goals. Bilgin (2018) argues that conflict is neither positive nor negative to organizational goal achievement but the way it is managed makes it either constructive or destructive. Problems occur when destructive ways are used to resolve conflicts and that in turn causes stress, anxiety, loneliness, resentment, suppressed anger, fatigue and illness to those involved (Cornelius and Foure, 2001).

Conflict according to Schmidt and Kochan (2002) occurs when one party perceives the action of another party as blocking the opportunity for the attainment of a goal. They added that for conflict to happen in an organization, two prerequisites must be satisfied, namely: perceived goal incompatibility and perceived opportunity for interference or blocking. Because conflict is not necessarily all evil or all good but a mixture of both, it is good to note that conflict is a recurrent issue in every ongoing concern. The overall implication of negativity often leads to low job performance.

Bukar (2018) affirmed that tertiary institutions, like other human organizations though different in some ramifications, are composed of learned individuals and groups. It is an environment where a great diversity of relatively strong sub-cultures of academics co-exist

with different perceptions of ideas, opinions and lifestyle. Studies by Uchendu, Anijaobi-Idem and Odigwe (2014) and Okoye and Okeke- Okonkwo (2020) revealed that poor recognition of teachers’ autonomy, lack of objectivity, inadequate flow of information and perception of issues of interest are also causative agents of school-based conflict. When these exist in a school, academic staff finds it very difficult to contribute meaningfully towards goal achievement, which is central to the provision and actualization of qualitative education and goals of education as enshrined in the Nigerian National Policy on Education (2014).

When conflict arises in an organization, management apply diverse means at resolving it. Strategies for mitigating conflict are those techniques used in preventing, controlling or resolving conflicts. These strategies are very important to any school administration because it is through these strategies that negative or positive effects resulting from conflicts are minimized or upheld. These strategies include dominance, compromise, synergy, win-lose strategy, lose-lose strategy, win-win strategy, adjudication, collective bargaining, confrontation and neglect or silence (Okeke-Okonkwo, 2020).

Ejiogu (2017) described effective job performance as the worker's ability to produce higher than predicted gains or standard for achievement. It is also the degree of agreement between organizational goals and observable outcomes. According to Bukar (2018), effective job performance in an academic setup implies the extent to which the teacher successfully carries out the tasks of teaching, manage students’ problems, relate well with colleagues, accept responsibilities and professional improvement. Academic staff job performance is an important element that has consequential implications on the performance of students and the quality of education generally which can be thwarted by unsolved crises.

Unresolved conflict is one of the variables that can cause negative influence on the job performance of academic staff. Booker (2003) agreed that a high level of interpersonal conflict negatively affects organizational commitment of academic staff. One could deduce from these and say that the job performance of academic staff heavily rests on the approach of conflict management style adopted by the school manager. Adamawa State government had established tertiary institutions for some social and economic benefits and for these

institutions to achieve their set goals, it would be necessary for all the stakeholders to constructively manage emerging and existing conflicts amicably. This would go a long way to improve academic staff job performance for it overall impact on the quality of education in the State. These institutions at one time or the other have experienced conflicts that affected the performance of their academic staff. Since the establishment of these institutions, there had been incidences of conflicts. Some of these bordered on issues that included poor staff conditions of service, desire to participate in school decision-making cycle/process, non-adherence to institution’s recruitment and promotion procedures, training, and low staff work motivation. Although several attempts have been made to resolve these conflicts, more efforts were still required by the management to douse the embers of latent conflict-prone issues in the institutions. This study is therefore an attempt to determine the conflict management strategies used in these institutions and their adverse effect on academic staff job performance.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Schools are learning environments that need peace and a silent atmosphere as intended (Takwate, 2021). Conflicts are inevitable where people coexist. Most tertiary institutions have been noted to be having high levels of conflicts despite administrators’ efforts to curb its occurrence through different management styles. Academic staff are supposed to maintain good attitudes towards instruction of learners and colleagues under an ideal condition. They are supposed to do this with all amount of effectiveness in terms of having a positive attitude to work and many other good attitudes. Such effectiveness is expected to yield positive results in terms of improved academic performance of students. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case in Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions where many staff are observed to be ineffective in performing their duties as manifested in their irregular attendance to classes, lack of self-discipline, poor attitudes towards research and several other unacceptable professional attitudes that cannot contribute to the attainment of set educational objectives.

In an attempt to know why the above situation exists in these institutions despite all efforts by school administrators, many teachers if asked attributed their ineffectiveness and inefficiencies to poor staff motivation, unresolved issues with school management or colleagues, poor working facilities, unfairness in recruitment and promotions, poor and irregular payment of salaries by the government, and so on. However, in recent time school managements have attempted to improve teachers’ effectiveness, by allowing them go for retraining and development workshops on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) sponsorship. The Adamawa state government have also improved in terms of prompt payment of salaries. Sadly, these efforts have not yielded any corresponding improvement. Conversely, many academic staff are still adamant and unwilling to change. It is as a result, the researcher wonders whether academic staff persistent ineffectiveness in these institutions could be due to poor conflict management strategies utilized in resolving crisis by the school administrators. Thus, the problem of this study put in question form is: what are the causes of conflict in Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions? What are the conflict management strategies utilized to resolve conflicts in the Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions? What is the effect of these strategies on academic staff job performance in Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions? An attempt to provide answer to this questions, made this study necessary.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study was to determine the the interplay between conflict management and academic staff performance

Specifically the study:

1. Determine the causes of conflict in the Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions.

2. Identify conflict management strategies used in resolving conflicts in Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions.

3. Examine the       effect of conflicts on academic staff job performance in the Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions were used to guide the study:

1. What are the causes of conflict in Adamawa State owned tertiary institutions?

2. What are the conflict management strategies utilized in resolving conflicts in Adamawa State tertiary institutions?

3. What is the effect of conflict on academic staff job performance in Adamawa State owned tertiary institutions?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.

HO1: There is no significant difference in the opinion of school management and academic staff on the causes of conflict in Adamawa State owned tertiary institutions.

H02: There is no significant difference in the opinion of school management and academic staff on the conflict management strategies used by the school management in resolving conflict in the Adamawa state owned tertiary institutions.

H03: There is no significant difference in the opinion of management and academic staff on the effect of conflicts in Adamawa State owned tertiary institutions.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study investigating the interplay between conflict management and academic staff performance holds significant implications for organizational effectiveness, student experiences, institutional reputation, staff well-being, and addressing research gaps. By understanding how conflict management strategies impact academic staff performance, educational institutions can cultivate healthier work environments conducive to productivity and collaboration, ultimately enhancing student learning experiences and institutional reputation. Additionally, effective conflict management promotes staff well-being by mitigating stress and job dissatisfaction. This study contributes to filling existing research gaps by providing valuable insights and practical recommendations for optimizing staff performance and organizational effectiveness in educational settings.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on the interplay between conflict management and academic staff performance specifically within tertiary institutions in Adamawa State, Nigeria. It aims to explore the various conflict resolution strategies employed within these institutions and their impact on the performance and well-being of academic staff members. By narrowing the scope to Adamawa State tertiary institutions, the study seeks to provide context-specific insights that can inform targeted interventions and improvements in organizational practices within this particular geographical area.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

While this study offers valuable insights into the relationship between conflict management and academic staff performance in Adamawa State tertiary institutions, several limitations should be acknowledged. Firstly, the findings may not be generalizable to tertiary institutions in other regions or countries due to contextual differences in organizational culture, policies, and socio-economic factors. Additionally, the study's reliance on self-reported data and a specific sample of institutions within Adamawa State could introduce bias and limit the generalizability of the findings. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of organizational environments and interpersonal dynamics may pose challenges in capturing the full complexity of the relationship between conflict management and academic staff performance within the scope of this study.

1.9 Definition of Terms

1. Conflict Management: The process of identifying, addressing, and resolving disagreements or disputes that arise within an organization, often involving the implementation of strategies and techniques to minimize negative consequences and promote constructive outcomes.

2. Academic Staff: Individuals employed by educational institutions who are primarily engaged in teaching, research, and/or administrative duties related to academic programs and scholarly activities, including professors, lecturers, researchers, and academic administrators.

3. Performance: The degree to which academic staff members effectively fulfill their duties, responsibilities, and objectives within an educational institution, typically measured by various indicators such as teaching effectiveness, research productivity, administrative competence, and contributions to institutional goals and mission.

4. Interplay: The dynamic interaction or relationship between conflict management practices and academic staff performance, encompassing how conflict resolution strategies influence staff behavior, attitudes, and outcomes, and vice versa, how staff performance impacts the occurrence and resolution of conflicts within the organizational context.

5. Organizational Context: The broader environment, culture, structure, policies, and norms within which conflicts arise and academic staff operate, shaping the nature, dynamics, and outcomes of conflict management processes and staff performance within educational institutions.

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