ABSTRACT
Crises
of different types occur between managements and students of tertiary
institutions in Delta State, Nigeria. Communication is all embracing as far as
crisis resolution is concerned. Communication is very vital to life and
effective communication has the ability to resolve crises of all sorts
amicably. This is why communication is seen as important aspect of crisis
resolution between managements and students of tertiary institution. This is
what motivated this study to assess communication as a tool for crisis
resolution in selected tertiary institutions in Delta State, Nigeria. Social Judgment and Frustration Theories were
used as the theoretical perspectives. Delta State has 15 institutions of higher
learning with a total population of 77,600. Out of the 15 institutions, the
multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 20 percent
from the institutions, faculty/schools, departments and class level. As
a result, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku
and Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro were selected. Therefore, the total number
of sampled students were 1,720.
The
survey research design was adopted with questionnaire and interview as
instruments of gathering quantitative and qualitative data respectively.
Quantitative data were analyzed using parametric and non parametric method. The
qualitative data on the other hand was analyzed using content analysis to
report the interview responses. The
study answered the five research questions and one hypothesis raised for the study.
Some of the findings of the study included a
very high level of information flow and usage between managements and
students of tertiary institutions in Delta State. Some of the respondents 757
(56%) which are above average said that information flow and usage was very
high. Also 679 (50.9) said that information flow regularly from management to
students.
Findings
also revealed that managements employed good communication strategies in
resolving crises between them and the students. Majority of the respondents 911
(68.3) strongly agreed that managements employed communication strategies in
the resolution of crises between them and students. This is in tandem with the
data generated from the students which confirmed that the institutions’
managements employed different communication strategies in resolving crises between managements and
students. Findings also revealed that the state of peace in any institution of
higher learning are due to lack of effective information management between
management and students.
It was concluded that
communication is a very viable tool for the resolution of crisis, between
managements and students of tertiary institution in Delta State. Therefore all
tertiary institutions should always endevour to use appropriate and effective
communication in resolving crisis between managements and students. The
managements of tertiary institutions should envolve the use of communication
rather than force. Communication strategies that are favourable to both the
managements and the students should be used in resolving crisis between them.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
Communication is indispensable to
human existence, it is central to all aspects of life, hence, it occupies a
vital parts of our everyday living. Communication has the ability to change
behaviour of aggrieved person from negative to positive. This is why it is
regarded as a useful tool in crisis management between management and students
of institutions of higher learning.
There are different types of communication which mainly include
intra-personal communication, inter-personal communication, group
communication, extra-personal communication, public communication, traditional
communication, cultural communication, international communication and mass
communication.
The different types of communication
can be used at various times for various purposes to manage and resolve crisis
between the management and students of institutions of higher learning. At any
point in time, the use of traditional,
interpersonal and mass media (newspaper, magazine, radio, television and the
internet), have been acknowledged by communication scholars such as Nwabueze
(2014), (Daramola, 2003), Dike (1988) as
playing crucial roles in providing information or messages that can shape or change people perceptions. Crisis has been
defined as a struggle or contest between people with opposing needs, ideas,
beliefs, values or goals ((Foundation Coalition, 2001)
Crisis management is the ability to
put crisis under control or the handling of a crisis situation with the
intention of achieving peaceful co-existence between the parties involved in
the crisis. According to Olajide (2011), crisis management is the process of reducing
the negative and disruptive capacity of crisis through communication.
Communication plays a number of roles in crisis management such as helping to
calm fray nerves, educating parties involved in crisis, establishing and
interpreting meanings, information exchange, instrument for growth and
development, social transformation
during crisis, promote better teamwork, stimulating debate and
sensitization of people amongst others. Crisis between management and students
of Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities in Nigeria is at
alarming rate especially with government institutions of higher learning. Some
of the crises in the institutions of higher learning are caused by a number of
factors ranging from struggle for political participation, contest for access
to resources, struggle for identity, welfare problem in the institutions, lack
of respect for constituted authorities, etc. Crises between management and students occur on regular basis in institutions of
higher learning in Delta State and this tend to disrupt academic activities in
the institutions. For instance, in March 2016 a Higher National Diploma Student
of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku was arrested by the Police due to
cult related issue. Based on this, the Student Union Government in company of
other students chased away the security men and locked the school gate as early
as 6.30 a.m. It took the timely
intervention of the Commissioner for Education and Senior Special Assistance to
the Governor on Education for the gate to be opened.
The absence of communication or
ineffective use of communication may result to a state of unrest in higher
institutions of learning. Communication is the grease that keeps social
relationship in motion or ongoing without or with minimal frictions. Once there is a breach or non-functionality
of communication between management and students of higher institutions of
learning, such may trigger crises or result to a state of unrest. Communication
is very vital to crisis management and resolution in higher institutions of
learning. Benard (1978) posits that in any exhaustive theory of organizations,
communication occupies a central place because the structure, extensiveness and
scope of every organization are almost entirely determined by the communication
techniques employed.
Communication tools can be used to
incite violence as well as carry messages that could help to prevent or manage
unrest in higher institutions of learning. Recognizing the importance and
potential of communication as instrument for crisis prevention, management,
resolution and peace building field, The United States Institute of Peace
(USIP) has planned to launch a new grant program, on communication which is
designed to support learning and improved practice in the area of crisis
resolution. USIP is interested in exploring ways that communication can be used
to support the creation of new horizontal and vertical communication to assist
in improving crisis monitoring, management, resolution, community-based
responses to crisis, and participatory peace building.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
This research is on the use of
communication as a management tool for crisis resolution in selected tertiary
institutions of learning in Delta State. Institutions of higher learning in
Delta State experience crisis between management and students on regular basis
despite the good roles of communication in crisis resolution. In 2011 the
students of the Delta State University, Abraha went on rampage because of
increase in school fees. The Student Union Government (SUG) who led the riot
claimed that the students were not consulted before the increment. Similarly,
in 2012, the students of the College of Education, Agbor, Delta State went on
rampage due to increase in school fees. Also, in November, 2013, the students
went on another riot because of blackout in the institution’s hostels for 9
months. In 2014, the students of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku went
on rampage during the first semester’s examination. The rampage was caused due
to the fact that one of the students was asked to stand-up during one of the
papers because he was cheating. In addition, the staff and students were locked
outside the gate in 2015 based on the fact that management arrested one of the
students for cult related activity. Most of these crises disrupted academic
calendars in one way or the other. These crises could have been prevented and
better managed with the use of communication. This goes to show that the use of
communication in the resolution of crisis in the institutions is not effective
or out rightly neglected. There are also indications that the channels and
strategies employed in the resolution of crises were in appropriate. As a
result, the advantages that emanate from effective use of communication tools
in the management and resolution of crisis between managements and students in
tertiary institutions of learning are not attained by the institutions’
authorities. This therefore means that there could be lack of effective
dissemination of information between management and students of institutions of
higher learning which may invariably affect their cordial relationship on
campus.
1.3 Objective of
the Study
The general objective of the study
was to determine the role of communication in the resolution of crises between
managements and students of tertiary institutions of learning in Delta State.
The specific objectives are to:
- determine the level of
information flow and usage between managements and students of tertiary
institutions in Delta State;
- ascertain the communication
strategies that managements of Delta State institutions of higher learning
employ in crises resolution between the managements and students;
- determine the level of
communication usage in crisis resolution between managements and students
of tertiary institutions in Delta State;
- determine the extent of usage
of inter-personal channel of communication by managements in the
resolution of crises between the managements and students in institutions
of higher learning in Delta State and
- find out the effectiveness of
information management on the relationship between managements and
students of tertiary institutions in Delta State
1.4 Research
Questions
The following research questions
guided the study
1. What
is the level of information flow and usage between managements and students of institutions
of higher learning in Delta State?
2. What
are the communication strategies employed by managements in crisis resolution
between managements and students of tertiary institutions in Delta State?
3. What
is the level of communication usage in crisis resolution between
managements and students of tertiary
institutions in Delta State?
4. What
is the extent of usage of inter-personal channel of communication in crisis
resolution between managements and students in tertiary institutions of
learning in Delta State?
5. How
effective is information management on the relationship between managements and
students of tertiary institutions in Delta State?
1.5 Hypothesis
The following hypothesis was tested
at 0.05
Ho1: There is no significant relationship
between the level of information flow and effective relationship between
managements and students in institutions of higher learning in Delta State.
1.6 Significance
of the Study
This study is geared towards
creating the consciousness of the importance of communication for a peaceful
co-existence between managements and students of tertiary institutions. The
study would enable managements of higher institutions to determine
communication strategies and approaches that can be used to ensure peace on
campuses. Apart from higher institutions of learning, it would serve as
essential tool for different organizations to know the importance of effective
channels and process of communication in ensuring peace between organizations
and workers. The study would also make management of higher institutions of
learning to be conversant with the communication strategies to be employed
between it and the students.
In summary, the study would provide
a working guide to the management of every higher institution or the communication
patterns between it and students as a panacea for peace on campuses.
1.7 Scope of the
Study
This study deals with the use of
communication as a tool by management in resolving crisis in tertiary
institutions of learning in Delta State. The work covers all the institutions
of higher learning in Delta State. Meanwhile, the entire institutions of higher
learning in Delta State are 15, namely: Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka,
Federal University of Petroleum Resources,
Effurun (FUPRE), Western Niger Delta University, Oghara, Novena
University, Ogume, Celilia and Micheal Ibru University, Agbara-Otor, Edwin
Clark’s University, Kiagbodo, College of
Education, Warri, College of Education Agbor, College of Physical and Health
Education, Mosogar, College of Education (Technical), Asaba,
College of Health Technology, Ofuoma, Ughelli, Delta State Polytechnic,
Ogwashi-Uku (DSPG), Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro (DSPZ) and Delta State
Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara (DSPO). The
time frame for the study is between June 2016 to March 2017.
1.8 Operational
Definition of Terms
The following terms were defined in
accordance to how they were used in the study:
1.
Peace: A state of harmony, smooth and
uninterrupted operation of laid down plan to maintain its academic calendars in
higher institutions of learning.
2.
Conflict or Crisis: Crisis is a dispute; an argument; a
struggle; a fight, a serious divergent of opinions, wishes and anger that occur
between managements and students of tertiary institutions of learning.
3.
Communication: Communication is the exchange of
information, ideas, figures between two
or more persons. It is also the sharing of meanings between two or group of
persons.
4.
Crisis Resolution: This is settlement of dispute
between two persons, groups or among communities or between communities in
order to ensure peace and harmony.
5.
Management Tools: These are those tools that
management used in the process of maintaining cordial relationship between her
and the students of higher institutions of learning.
6.
Communication Strategy: This refers to communication plans
of higher institutions. It is the communication plan that management of
institutions of higher learning employ in dealing or relating with the
students.
7.
Tertiary Institutions: This refers to as third stage,
third level and post secondary education.
8.
Communication Channels: This refers to the way information
flows within tertiary institutions
between their managements and students and with other institutions. It
is also a medium through which a message is transmitted to its intended
audience.
9.
Communication System: This refers to as a collection of
institutions’ communication networks, transmissions etc within the institution.
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