Conflict Management in Educational Institutions

By
Babatunde Sanusi
Kwara State College of Education, Oro.

Abstract
This paper reviewed available literature on "symptoms" of conflict in formal
organizations, enumerated its causes and treatments of conflict Also it
highlighted the permanence of conflict in formal organisations and proposed a
spiral model" in which educational administrators should perceive conflict as
ever recurring phenomenon. It also identified the potentialities of conflict to
generate improvement in aft organisation so that each succeeding epoch in the
spiral shall be superior to the preceding one in Structural arrangement,
provisions of resources, interactions and operations.

Introduction
Organizational behaviour is positively related to organizational output. For this reason,
the educational administrator needs to take conflict management issues as very important issues
because "conflicts and attempts towards resolution are perhaps the most powerful force existing
for bringing about changes in patterns of organizational behaviour" (Hanson, 1991 p. 282).
Indeed one of the commonly expressed concerns of organizational people in developing
countries, is that of permanence of internal conflicts in their organizations. Each institution has
share of the view that it is characterized by internal wrangling. Indeed, the disagreements are
often manifested in open conflicts.
Such conflicts together with other school factors trigger personal stress (Jones, 1988). It
is, however, sad that
"... dysfunctional stress is usually considered personal problem for which those
suffering must find their own way out (Hanson, 1991, p. 281).
This is sad because dysfunctional stress is negatively related to performance. It is
humane that management takes care of "mishaps that occur to labour while on duty". This paper
examines the nature, cause and contemporary administrative actions and effects of each of them
to arrive at a concrete resolution of the misery surrounding conflicts in formal organizations.

Sources of Conflicts In Formal Organisations

Literature
available provide enough information for meaningful discussion and
description of elements of this topic. Conflicts arise when interests collide usually as a result of
divergence in organizational goats, personal ambition, group loyalties, demands on scarce
resources and so forth. (Rahim, 1986). Therefore, conflicts originate from multitude of sources
found at personal and organizational levels in institutions. The following levels are identified with
each of them being interaction either (1) within and between informal organizational levels or
(2) within or between formal organizational levels or (3) between formal and informal
organizational levels. The crux of the explanation here is that every institution has potentialities
that spark off conflict. These potentialities are groped into three above and further subdivided into
twelve. Each of them is thus enumerated below.
1.
Intra-role conflict: This is when various members in a role set simultaneously and
legitimately make differing demands on a single role. An example is when college demands for
more paper writing and the departments demand for increases taught by lecturers.

2.
later-rote conflict: This is when an individual has to perform roles that negate rather than
supplement each other. Kahn, Wotfe and Rosenthal (1964 p. 19) defined it as "the simultaneous
occurrence of two (or more) sets of pressures such that compliance with one would make difficult
compliance with the other".
3.
Intra-departmental conflict: This is when members of the same unit are opposed to
another due to different viewpoints. This is usually complicated by the fact that both views are
appropriately informed and correct.
4.
Inter-departmental conflict: This is when two or more departments compete for facilities
and aids in the organization. Assembly hall, play ground and libraries are usually sources of
interdepartmental conflicts in educational institutions.
5.
Intra-organisational conflict: This form of conflict transcends departmental units, A good
example is when teachers complain of unrealistic demands of their time by school programme.
6.
Organization - environment conflict: This type emanates from outside the school system
in an attempt to influence policy, programme and.
7.
Inter - personal conflict: It stems from personal motives. Interests of persons involved
collide and the attempt of each of them to put his interest ahead provokes another's reaction.
8.
Inter-group conflict: Within the hierarchies, departments and along the lines of personal
interest, groups are formed in organizations. The
9.
"old guards for example may go head-to-head with "young activities".
10.
Intra-group conflict:
Here, an hitherto harmonious group splits to groups opposed on
an issue or a number of issues. This can degenerate to embittered relationship typical of factions
in staff or students union.
11.
Interpersonal conflict: This is when a person-environment social fit is unusual and the
behavioral outcome trigger trouble for him and others (Kahn and Boulding 1964). This is why
administrators generalize that trouble is caused by trouble makers. In actual fact behaviours here
are caused by personal peculiarities such as inadequacies or exceptionally good qualities.
12.
Inter-informal system conflict: Members of each informal group often develop and
sometimes manifestly express criticism of other groups. Such conflicts that put informal system
against one another are usually detrimental to cooperative actions.
13.
Informal system - environment conflict: Informal levels of action in the organization can
conflict with pressures from external environment. For an example, every organisational man
struggles with pressure from family and communal groups for more quality time and commitment.
The question next is, how do we study objectively, each specific occurrence of conflict in
the organization?

Conflict Analysis
One common characteristic of formal organization is that members deal with conflict
everyday. Sometimes it is between a few individuals. Sometimes it is between groups.
Sometimes, these conflict are contained within the operational systems of the organization.
Sometimes, the system actually comes to a standstill. This paper highlights the major approaches
of analyzing the conflict situations. Beyond this, it proposes a model for conflict management in
the organizations.
With a view to understanding and effectively handling conflicts in educational institutions
there are two distinct approaches to studying specific situations. These are structural and process
models. Thomas in Dunette (1976 p. 26) stated that process model "focuses upon the sequence
of events with the need to understand and intervene directly into the stream of events of an on-

going episode". The administrator traces dynamics of the events by recording the impacts of each
event on succeeding ones.
The structural model studies the conditions, which shape conflict behaviour in a
relationship. The parameters that initiate and direct behaviour in conflict situation are fired or at
least slow to change. Such parameters include formal organisational roles and informal group
membership. This approach is particularly useful in restructuring situation to facilitate desired
bahaviour patterns. Many organisational conflicts are natural consequences of the system. Take
for instance the union and management relationship and the controversy between school
coaches who want games period in the time table and subject teachers who say it should be
evening activity. The triggers of these conflicts are built into the system. The structural model
here advocates the study and reshaping of the conditions that trigger the conflicts.
When the degree of contest in conflict situation is no longer disruptive, conflicts is said to
be resolved. However, the conclusive position here is that any approach to conflict analysis be
extended beyond this to considering conflict aftermath. This is because there are attendant
residual baggage to conflict resolution. A resolution that leaves sense of success and hopeful
expectation facilitates mutual respect and understanding. Residuals of lingering unresolved and
hidden problems which Boulding (1964) called conflict traps trigger insignificant issues that are
sometimes not even related to anything, to explosive reactions. For an example, a decision to
forward the best academic performer in social science for a community service may spark off long
hidden resentment in applied science department that favouritism is the deciding factor of the
university authority. This is why comprehensive analysts of conflict situation in formal
organizations needs to consider aftermath of conflict resolution.

Field Work
Having established the need for related works In available literature with appropriate
reference, it is expedient to examine the consciousness of organisational men because they
experience the phenomenon in concrete realities. Which of these conflict types are more
frequent than others? Which of them are considered to be of more Serious consequences? Are
the perception and concerns of organisational men determined by length of service?
It was hypothesised that length of serving experience is a determinant of teacher's
perception of frequency and effect of conflicts in school It was also hypothesised that frequency
of conflicts is a determinant of Impact on individuals involved: Types and cause of conflicts in
schools were listed" in an instrument of four point scale in which very frequent is scored 4,
frequent Is score 3, undecided was scored 2 and not frequent was scored 1. The instrument was
administered on teaching staff of Local Government Secondary Schools at Oloru and Ipaye in
Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State with demographic distinction between experienced
and less-experienced teachers. Experienced teachers are those that have served for six or more
years while less-experienced teachers have less than six-year teaching experience. T test
conducted on the scores of experienced teachers and less experienced teachers found
probability of 827. Since this is greater than 0.5, it was inferred that there was no significant
difference between the perceptions of experienced arid less-experienced teachers. It was also
found that frequency of specific types of conflicts was not a determinant of intensity of impact
Items 9 and 10 had tow frequency rates but high intensity of impact while item that has high
frequency has. low impact intensity. How best do one manage the conflicts/ or, in what way can
one get rid of this affliction as it is often referred to?

Conflict Management
Conflict management is the process of removing cognitive barriers to agreement
(Greenhalgh, 1986. p. 50). Conflict is therefore considered managed when it ceases to interfere
with the activities of the parties involved. The positive aspect of collaboration has overcome
restraining aspects of conflict. In view of the .frequency of conflicts in these organizations and the

attendant effects on persons and activities as evidenced by the fieldwork, it is pertinent to

consider
strategies applicable as solutions. Literature available and indeed findings of the fieldwork
suggest specific strategies. One of such strategies is that of expanding resources. Since scarce
resources do induce conflict, skillful management of resources and expansion of resources base
is a potent tactic. Appeal system provides opportunity of format redress usually through an
ombudsman. Changing interaction patterns bring parties to operate together where there is lack
of trust and separates them if conflict originates from differences in principles. Modifying
reward system readjusts reward structure in an organization where reward is at the foundation of
conflicts,
Mergers bring conflicting units to a department to eliminate undue struggle for policy and
resource control. Role clarification is a process or decreasing task ambiguity. Job Expectation
Technique (JET) and Ro Analysis Technique (RAT) are good examples here. The third-party
consultation brings in a neutral person. who ensures that all parties want, to resolve conflict,
ready to compromise, with controlling power of the situation also been fair to all parties. Conflict
sponge
is
highly
tactical
and
demanding
art
of
redirecting
tension
and
conflict behaviuor toward oneself. It is employed by competent leaders to dear the atmosphere of
conflicting actions for more productive action to take place at lower levels.
In sum, it should be realized that each of the suggested strategies is actually applicable
to specific sample types. None of them is really applicable to all conflict situations. Other
approaches to conflict management give continuum from least involvement to total involvement.
Each
strategy
to
a
situation
falls somewhere along the continuum. Thomas in Dunette (1976) presented a model that is
comprehensive in the sense that it is a continuum that takes cognizance of all conflict types. Its
diagrammatic representation is shown below in figure 1. This conception explained that the
manager
is
either
assertive
or
unassertive. He is assertive when he is preoccupied by his own concerns. He is unassertive
when he is preoccupied with other concerns. Each of the two positions can be manifested at high,
middle or low level. In this way, high level of assertive position will produce domination which high
level
of
unassertive
position
will produce avoidance. The middle point will produce compromise while the low level shall
produce collaboration and accommodation for assertive and unassertive positions respectively.
The terminal along the continuum are avoidance domination, accommodation,
compromise and collaboration. Avoidance is used to delay reaction or as withdrawal, evasion of
indifference. Domination tactic subjugates opposing interests as one party wins at other's
expense. Accommodation some interests to' the .other party either as submission, generously for
conservation of err and resources Compromise "gives and takes" to involved. Collaboration
integrates and satisfies the interests of all parties involved in conflicts.

Figure 1

Conflict Management Strategies

Assertive
ATTEMPTING TO SATISFY
ONES OWN CONCERN

Domination

Collaboration

COMPROMISE
Unassertive
Uncooperative

AVIODANCE
Co-operative

ATTEMPTING TO SATISFY
ONES OWN CONCERN

ACCOMMODATION

Adapted from Thomas. K. in Dunnette, .M. (1976) Handbook of Industrial and Organisation
Psychology. New York: Wiley (p. 900).

Deduction: Centrality of conflict management in school administration

Do these strategies take care of all concerns generated by conflict situations in
organizations? Each conflict situation can be located within the range provided earlier on. in the
same vein, appropriate managerial approaches are provided within the continuum of suggested
solutions, in this sense, conflict management necessitates application of contingency theory. No
single strategy solves all types of conflicts that occur in organizations. Beyond is, it should be
realized that these strategies do not suggest "permanent" solution to conflict generated concerns
in organizations. This is because either a single one or the collection of all, forestall future
occurrence of any of the conflict types. The fieldwork, for example, found that the school system
manufactures the ingredients that initiates conflicts. It was found that in the school, conflicts are
triggered by factors that include "competition for facilities and placements" and" pressure of
work".
This implies that conflict situation will from time to time arise in so far as these factors of
limited resources and pressure of work are permanent features of formal organizations as
dictated by practical reality of life. Stress and every other symptom of conflict should not be seen
as a peculiar problem of any institution or administrative style. Rather, it should be realised that
pursuit of organisational and personal goals in natural formal system triggers it. Therefore conflict
management in educational institutions should be seen as a spiral movement from one level to
another. Every epoch is characterized by antithesis that is manifested in conflict. The resolution of
each conflict leads to another epoch, which carries along a new form of contradiction to be
climaxed later. In this form, conflict situation and its resolution is a continuous and permanent
feature of international relationships in educational institutions.
Figure 2: A Proposed model of Conflict Management System

Like human beings, educational organisations get sick, suffer from paralysis,
undernourishment, fatigue, pains, and from time to time die. In many instances organisational
"doctors" must be called in to put this system back to shape. These doctors are called
"organisation development specialists" (Hansbn, 1991 p. 332). Beckhard (1969 p.9). posited that
"organisational development is an effort (1) planned (2) organisational wide and (3) managed
from the top to (4) increase organisation effectiveness and health through (5) planned
interventions in the organisation" processes" using behavioural science "knowledge"
recommendation: In so far as formal arrangement and interpersonal relationships in organisations
are to be modified from time to time, either for purpose of organisational development in which
there is intervention of expert from outside or internal problem solving, improving effectiveness or
redirecting efforts, the administrator has to appreciate the fact that the art of conflict management
occupies a central position in his work. He should also realise that it is neither meant to forestall
conflicts nor is its consequential stress. Stress could be positively related to productivity
depending on the range. Gmelch (1982) explained how low range stress produce boredom,
fatigue, frustration and dissatisfaction. Optimum range stress produced creativity, rational
problem solving and satisfaction while over stimulated stress produced irrational problem solving,

exhaustion, illness and low self-esteem. Conflicts should therefore, no longer be seen as evil to
be completely forestalled. In the same vein, conflict management should not be seen as terminal
in process; rather, it should be seen as continuing, graduating from one stage to another. It is
equally necessary that appropriate analysis be made to ensure improvement. This is to say that
every succeeding epoch in the spiral should be inherently superior to the preceding epoch.

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