ABSTRACT
The impact of conflict in Nigeria organizations has come under focus in recent times colleges of education are most exception within the last few years; the predominance of conflict in different form, arbitration panels, industrial actions and associated management problems. The aim of this study is to investigate the causes, effects and remedies of organizational conflicts in Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. Both primary dates were collected through questionnaire on a number of issues such as the causes, types and effects of inflict. Frequency table, mean and standard deviation were the quantitative technique used for data analysis.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The concept of conflict, because of its ubiquity and pervasive nature has acquired a multitude of meaning and connotations presenting us with nothing short of a semantic jungle. Like other terms, conflict generate considerable ambivalence and leaves many scholars and administrators quite uncertain about.
1. Its meaning and relevance
2. How best to cope with it.
3. Conflicts are inevitable
Conflicts are inevitable in one personal life in organisations or even between nations
Conflict is an inseparable part of people’s life. It is a perpetual gift of life, although many views conflict as being a negative situation which must be avoided at any cost. Others may see it as being a phenomenon which necessitates management. Still others may consider conflict as being an exciting opportunity for personal growth and so try to use it to his/her best advantage. Conflict is a fact of life in any organisation as long as people in any organisation as long as people compete for jobs, resources, power, recognition and security. In addition dealing with conflicts is a great challenge to management (Adomi and Anie 2005).
Conflict Theory is significant to be the role of the administration, but it emanates primarily from fields such as business, sociology and psychology.
According to Duke (1999) conflict between individuals may result from role-related pressures. Conflicts would arise between individuals and groups if the goals are not specified for individuals within a group.
It is also defined from communication perspective as ‘’an expressed struggling between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals scarce rewards and interference from other party in achieving their goals (Hocker and Wilmot (1995).
According to Wikipedia, organizational conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interest between formal authority and power and those individuals and groups affected. There are disputes over how revenues should be divided how long and hard people should work. There are jurisdictional disagreements among individual department and between unions and management. There are suitable forms of conflict involving reveries, jealousies, personality clashes role definitions and struggles for power individuals, between competing needs and demands to which individual respond in different ways.
Conflict management theory states that a healthy conflict management system should be in place in any organization. The conflict management systems should be integrated within the system of the organization and the integration should be at higher level of the organisation hierarchy rather than being interconnection, conflict management is a human sub-system which is achieved through typical development process. The process starts with assessment and inquiry, addresses the design, implementation and evaluation Ford (2007).
Conflict is good and necessary as suggested because conflict can stimulate innovative thinking when properly managed. Lacking conflict thought and action are performed because they are habitual. Conflicts allow an examination of necessity of the these thoughts and actions.
Organizational conflict is regarded as the discord that occurs when the goals, interest of values of different individuals or groups are incompatible with those of individuals or groups block on frustrate each others in an attempt to achieve their objective. Conflict are inevitable part of organization life since the goals of different stakeholders such as manages and staff are often incompatible (Jones et al, 2000).
However conflict in educational factor is a daily occurrence because a consensus of opinion concerning rules governing the organisation seldom exists among staffs. They see one another as adversaries, not those working towards a common goal as the case should be in the organization. There is potential for conflict in practically every decision which the administration must make.
More recently, research on organizational conflict as focuses primary on three types of conflict relationship, task and process and four conflict dimensions (Jehn et al 2008).
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Conflict is endemic to all social life. It is an inevitable part of living because it is related to situation of scarce resources, division of functions, power relations and role differentiation. (Jacob Bercovitch, 2011).
The conflict free company has never existed and never will exist since conflict is seemingly unavoidable, it is obviously necessary for managers to be able to recognize the source of conflict, to view its constructive as well as destructive potential, to learn how to manage conflict and to implement conflict resolution technique in practical way.
The incidence of conflict in tertiary institutions therefore, necessitates a proper investigation into the organizational frame work and function of the educational system.
1.2 RESEARCH QUESTION
1. What are the common causes of conflict among employee of FCE Abeokuta
2. What are the effects of conflict on the job performance of staff at FCE Abeokuta?
3. What are the usual approaches to conflict resolution at FCE Abeokuta?
4. Does conflicts have any negative effect on the attainment of the organizational goals and objectives.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is as follows
i. To examine the nature of organizational conflict at Federal College of education Abeokuta in order to determine their causes and effect.
ii. To examine the type of conflict that exists at federal college of education Abeokuta with a view to determining it impact on efficient of the workforce/employees
iii. To indentify how conflict is managed or handled at federal college of education Abeokuta and the extent to which it has impacted on the service delivery of the organization.
iv. To make recommendations based on the above findings.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is very important for the following reasons:
i. Result from this research work could help in reducing conflict in organizations specially federal college of education Abeokuta.
ii. It will pave way for better conflict management procedure.
iii. Result from it can induce industrial harmony in the organization if properly implemented.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study investigates the causes and remedies/solution of conflict and it effect on Job performance of the employees. The study area is Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta in Odeda Local Government of Ogun state.
1.6 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study is delimited to the employees of Federal College of Education Osiele Abeokuta since conflict is peculiar to every viable organization.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
· Causes: Something that gives rise to an action or condition
· Effect: The outcome of something
· Remedies: to ratify undesirable situation solution
· Conflict: An incompatibility between opinions or principles
· Organization: Living system consisting of interacting units performing a task in a mutually dependent manner within a structure of scarce resources.