ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to
investigate the conflict resolution mechanisms in public secondary schools in
Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Four research questions and three hypotheses were
formulated to guide the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design.
The population of the study comprised of all the public secondary school
principals and teachers in Ebonyi State. The sample for the study is 260
respondents, out of the total population of 5228 respondents. The instrument
for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled conflict resolution
mechanisms questionnaire. The data generated for the study was analyzed using
mean and standard deviation for answering the research questions while t-test
statistics was used for testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of
significance. It was discovered from the findings that cause of conflicts in
schools include: individual aggressiveness, authoritarianism, frustration due
to uncoducive working atmosphere, poor motivation and stress from the job, misunderstanding,
not taking instructions, poor communication, lack of commitment, poor
management and differences in opinion. Conflicts in schools are manifested
through destruction of public properties, blocking the highways and preventing
others from attending to their work peacefully, writing of petitions against
authority by staff, students/community riots, teachers strikes, verbal
hostility expressed in for of rebukes and defamation of character,
demonstration and carrying of placards and of songs. Conflicts encourage
indiscipline, breeds non -charlant attitude to work, and adversely affects
students’ performance and drag reputation of schools to mud. Conflicts could be
resolved by involving both parties to a conflict in a discussion, involving
teachers and student in decision-making; being fair and firm, and holding
regular meetings with the PTA. Based on the finding the researcher recommended
that educational administrations and planner should appreciate the causes of
conflict and put in place mechanism for handling then when they come up.
Government at all levels should reduce and avert conflict by providing good
working environment in the schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Conflict
is experienced within the individual, between individuals, among groups, states
and sometimes transcend to other creatures. The fact that this phenomenon
exists in all creation makes it difficult to understand and almost impossible
to resolve successfully, especially when its causes are natural. When conflict
is resolved there is bound to be peace. The major concern has been how to give
meaning to this phenomenon, diagnose its structure, locates its causes and
attempts finding solution. In spite of all the efforts, by the Government
conflict appears to defy solutions by drawing individuals at daggers points,
groups as well as institutions at war and nations at loggerheads. It has been a
central concern not only to these mentioned categories but also to
international community and development agencies. According to Onu (2005), One
major reason for the concern about conflict resolution and transformation is
because if it becomes protracted, conflicts can wrap up a society, economies or
regions where they are situated in complex emergencies which can in turn be
extended to global environment, and become obstacle to peace and progress. For
any organization to perform effectively, interdependent individuals and groups
within the organization must establish relationships across organizational
boundaries, between individuals and among groups.
Individuals
or groups may depend on one another for information, assistance, or coordinated
actions. Such inter-dependence may foster either cooperation or conflict. Conflict
connotes disagreement, distortions inconsistencies and antagonisms existing in
a particular system. It could equally mean discord in actions, lack of
concordance in opinion in order to achieve one’s own goal.
Conflicts
arise in virtually every human organization, secondary schools inclusive. This
is so because in every human organization, the individual characteristics such
as aggressiveness, authoritarianism, and frustration due to un-conducive
working atmosphere, poor motivation, and stress from the job create tension in
the organization. According to Ikejiani-clark (2009), conflict is a natural and
inevitable part of people working together, sharing diverse thoughts, concerns,
perspectives and goals. It may occur at inter-organizational, organizational,
inter-group and interpersonal levels. For example, there may be conflicts
involving a school and the community; where the school is located the
principal, the staff and students, students and the school authority, a staff
and a fellow staff or between two students, or among staff or among students.
Ezegbe (1997) defines conflicts as mutual hostility in inter-human
relationships. The mutual hostility, according to her, can occur in form of
insults, name calling, defamation of character, blackmailing, sarcasm, false
accusation, withdrawal of services, salaries, fringe benefits or incentives,
strikes and demotion. White and Bednar cited in Imhabekhai (2000), defines
conflict as the interplay of interdependent people or groups who perceive
incompatible goals and interference from each other in achieving those goals.
According
to Nye (2001) conflict is conceived as “mutual hostility” at interpersonal,
inter-human, inter-group, and inter-ethnic, inter-cultural and at
inter-national level. It is a situation where the disputants are hostile to
each other or to one another in order to achieve their set goals or objectives,
which are usually regulated by hierarchy of human needs, selfishness,
possessiveness, greediness, as well as sociological, political, cultural,
psychological and religious motives. According to Harks (2001), conflict means:
to come into collision, clash or be in opposition or at variance. It equally
means ‘strife’, controversy, discord of action, disagreement in opinions, and
antagonism of interest or principle. Kemper (2001), while relating conflict behavior
to conflict concept, defined inter-personal
conflict as “that role situation in which the organizational conditions,
practices, needs or goals of different members appear incompatible to those
other members. Imobughe (2005) sees conflict as a state of disharmony in an
interactional process describing it thus, as an inevitable universal phenomenon
affecting all cultures irrespective of size, political, social and economic
development. Udomo (2000) sees conflict as disagreement and misunderstanding
between two parties concerning an issue(s). Conflict he said exists where there
is divergent or different ideas to a matter under consideration. People who are
in conflict are termed to be quarreling, disunited, struggling and fighting
over things. He concluded that where there is conflict people tend not to
cooperate with each other; cold war exists and things fall apart. Conflicts are
part and parcel of human organizations world over. This indeed is a paradox
because of the amount of energy and resources expended by organization to
prevent and or resolve conflicts. Flippo (2005) attempted an explanation why
there must be conflict when he remarked that, a total absence of conflict would
be unbelievable, boring, and strong indication that conflict is suppressed. The
inevitability of conflict was also established by Kerzner (1998) when he
asserted that conflict is part of change and therefore inevitable.
It is
therefore not an aberration to expect conflicts in the administration of
secondary schools in Ebonyi State. The nature and types of conflicts that occur
in secondary school administration vary from one school to another. These types
of conflicts include internal and external conflict. Internal conflict is
person versus self, while external is person versus nature and environment.
According to Kirkwood (2002), various types of conflict that exist in
organizations include data conflicts, structural conflicts, relationship
conflicts, and interest conflicts. Conflicts can lead to disputes, grievances,
lawsuits, complaints, strikes, and disciplinary actions. Conflicts can occur at
a number of levels of human functioning. Conflict which lies on the shoulder of
an administrator between opposing
motives or ideas is shown by its “internal dialogue” and is at the intra-
personal level. According to Okeibunor and Anugwom (2002), the primary concern
here is with the social conflict, that is, conflict between people whether they
are acting as individuals, as members of groups, or as representatives of
organizations or nations. Interpersonal conflicts occur when two or more people
have incompatible needs, goals, or approach in their relationship.
Communication
breakdown is often an important source of interpersonal conflict and learning
communication skill is valuable in preventing and resolving such difficulties.
However, very real differences occur between people that cannot be resolved by
any amount of improved communication. “Personality conflict” refers to very
strong differences in motives, values or style in dealing with people that are
not resolvable. For example, if both parties in a relationship have a high need
for power and both want to be dominant in the relationship, there is no way
both can be satisfied, and a power struggle ensues. Common tactics used in
interpersonal power struggle include the exaggerated use of rewards and
punishments, deception and evasion, threats and emotional blackmail. Unresolved
power conflict usually recycles and escalates to the point of relationship
breakdown and termination. Role conflict involves very real differences in role
definitions, expectations or responsibilities between individuals who are
interdependent in a social system. If there are ambiguities in role definitions
in an organization or unclear boundaries of responsibilities, then the stage is
set for interpersonal friction between the persons involved. Unfortunately,
role conflict is often misdiagnosed as interpersonal conflict rather than role
conflict, and resolution is then complicated and misdirected. The emotional
intensity is often quit high in role conflict since people are directly
involved as individuals and there is a strong tendency to personalize the
conflict (Fisher, 2000)......
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