THE IMPACT OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATIONAL SECTOR

THE IMPACT OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATIONAL SECTOR

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND

Conflict resolution through peaceful, nonviolent means has a long history in the field of education. This field is known as conflict management. There is a yearning for peaceful conflict settlement along the lines that are taboo in practically every African civilization. The community, not the individual, must be the sanctioning authority in the rare instances where it may be allowed, and due process must be followed when meted out punishment. In all civilized regions of the world, the use of nonviolent conflict resolution inside organizations is becoming more widespread. The way conflict is portrayed in the media is not an accurate representation of the primary strategy for resolving contention in organizations. There is a considerable degree of conflict in various organizations, towns, groups, even on a global scale.

There is now a wider range of nonviolent conflict resolution techniques available in the field of conflict transformation. These strategies have advantages at the individual, family, group, neighborhood, and global levels.

Limiting conflict’s negative and destructive potential by collaboration with the parties involved and a variety of strategies is the practice of conflict management. This term is occasionally used interchangeably with “conflict resolution.” It covers the full range of conflict resolution at all levels and makes an effort to avoid conflict via practice. It includes things like limiting conflict, confining it, and litigating it. This could involve, in the words of (John Barton), “conflict prevention” (Barton 1990), which he described as “conflict containment by procedures adopted to establish settings in which collaborative and valued relationships regulate conflict parties’ conduct.” The phrase “conflict management” may be used to recognise and handle the reality that certain conflicts cannot be resolved but that conflict is inevitable. Therefore, the only recourse for practitioners is to command and control them.

Conflict resolution is described by Miller (2003:8) as “a variety of ways focused at eliminating conflict from management or transformation via the constructive settlement of issues, as opposed to conflict management.” Miall et al. (2005;21) claim that the goal of settlement is to deal with the fundamental causes of conflict and change the conflict’s structure such that no longer hostile or violent behavior or attitudes exist. According to Mitchel and Bank (1996), a satisfactory resolution of a conflict is “an outcome in which the issues in an existing conflict are satisfactorily resolved through a solution that is mutually acceptable to the parties, self-sustaining in the long run, and productive of a new, positive relationship between parties who were previously hostile adversaries,” as well as “any process or procedure by which such an outcome is achieved.”

The Eastern Mennonite School of Peacebuilding’s John Paul Leaderach developed the idea of conflict transformation. This is thought to go beyond simply resolving the conflict and encompass the growth of long-term relationships, the circumstances that gave rise to the disagreement, the process of changing the parties’ perceptions and attitudes, as well as their relationships and perceptions.

By Miall and associates (2001). Conflict transformation (Jeong, 2000) is the emergence of new situations involving conflict issues, viewpoints, relationships, and communication patterns.

According to John Ledorah (1995), conflict transformation is defined by change. It could be prescriptive in the case of third-party involvement to bring about change or descriptive in the case of social conflict-induced change. Conflict transformation takes place in a variety of contexts and approaches. It incorporates elements of personal development aimed at the person on an emotional, perceptual, and spiritual level. Additionally, it affects interpersonal interactions, particularly the way that parties communicate with one another. Structures that encourage conflict through injustice, exclusion, and other forms of deprivation need to be altered as well. It also seeks to understand cultural expectations and ideals.

Statement of the issue (1.2)

The challenge for conflict management theory is to examine actual circumstances rather than hypothetical ones. The issues in practice part introduces and discusses a number of difficulties that theoretical and practitioners on all levels of activity face in light of theoretical techniques. The majority of these issues are either cross-cutting agendas that need to be resolved in order for theoretical approaches to effectively address conflict realities, or solutions to issues that go beyond the scope of the entire field of conflict management. It requires evaluating conflict management’s effectiveness as well as its readiness to handle fresh difficulties and crises, like terrorism.

There are many causes of conflict inside organizations, but the following are the most prevalent:

There is a lack of resources (money, tools, facilities, etc.).

Values, perceptions, and attitudes vary.

disagreements on the demands, goals, priorities, and interests

communication that is ineffective.

an inadequate or nonexistent organizational structure.

an absence of cooperation.

1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES:

The study’s goals are as follows:

i. To define the types and traits of conflict in organizations.

ii. To investigate the methods currently used to handle interpersonal conflicts in organizations.

iii. To ascertain how organizational conflict affects productivity.

iv. To highlight the shortcomings and future potential of the currently employed strategies.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

i. Does conflict among employees in an organization result from management decisions, policies, and organizational charts?

ii. Can inadequate employee management and motivation cause conflict inside an organization?

Does management’s obvious display of personal differences in an effort to remove themselves from the organization cause conflict?

iv. Does conflict transformation result from conflict management?

v. How does production rise as a result of conflict resolution?

Is there a connection between conflict transformation and conflict management?

1.5 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE:

Conflict arises when individuals are unable to reach a compromise with one another due to disparate interests, beliefs, and practices. It is usually preferable to make some accommodations and look for a solution to the situation than to complain and argue. Arguments and conflicts only serve to spread negativity, and they never result in an acceptable resolution. It only makes things more tense and damages your reputation. Instead than attempting to address conflict after it arises, everyone should take all reasonable steps to avoid conflict in the first place. Precautions must be taken at the appropriate time to avoid a confrontation.

The goal of this research is to identify the benefits of dispute settlement for businesses, governments, and academia.

Conflict resolution manages tensions within organizations, throughout society, and within the government. Playing the victim never helps anyone and only makes life more challenging. No idea will be implemented if individuals fight among themselves.

A person’s conflict management skills enable them to look into all of the likely reasons for worry. Later, this results in significant problems, which are then tried to be fixed as rapidly as possible.

Conflict resolution reduces stress, makes people more motivated and joyous, and makes the planet a much better place to live.

disagreement management helps to avert disagreement to a considerable extent, which lowers employee stress and anxiety. Nobody likes to carry their anger home with them, and if you are at odds with your coworkers or other people, you will undoubtedly feel unsettled and restless even at home.

1.6 THE STUDY’S SCOPE:

In a case study involving SIAT Limited Rivers state (the education sector), this research is limited to identifying the actual causes of conflict. greater profitability and productivity as a result. Management may, among other things, take action to deal with conflict in the workplace directly without involving employees, in addition to offering alternatives to traditional conflict management techniques.

Outside of the corporate world, such as in social clubs, gathering communities, states, or the country as a whole—areas where the SIAT limited (River State) line would unquestionably constitute sub-optimality because they are tainted by unwarranted bias and prejudice that are not in the organization’s best interests—are not covered in this study.

1.7 STUDY LIMITATIONS:

The following limitations were faced by the researchers as they conducted the research.

Lack of money, lack of time, and adding schoolwork.

The respondents failed to provide the information that was necessary.

erroneous reading and recording of the responses.

sampling technique.

Unresponsiveness mistake

The pace of the research was slowed down by a lack of tools like computers. speed of the investigation.

Insufficient database.

insufficient statistics

inadequate interview subjects, insufficient interviewers’ mobility, and insufficient interview subjects.