Management strategies of conflict between academic and non-academic staff

Thesis Overview

<p> <strong>INTRODUCTION</strong><br><strong>Background of the Study</strong><br>Conflicts are inevitable in any organization. This is more so in an<br>organization as a university with a structure that allows two or more units or<br>groups to share functional boundaries in achieving its set objectives. In<br>universities, people with differing nature -students, lecturers and administrative<br>staff – have to work harmoniously together. The organizational structure is such<br>that staff and staff, students and students, staff and students share functional<br>boundaries to exchange knowledge.<br>The goal of university education is pursued through its main functions and<br>activities of teaching, research, dissemination of existing and new information,<br>service to the community, and being a storehouse of knowledge (Federal Republic<br>of Nigeria, 2004). In carrying out these functions, there are always conflicts within<br>and among the categories of people within the university community, namely<br>students, academics, non-academics and their unions. These categories of people<br>have different purposes and expectations from the university. In pursuance of their<br>individual and group purposes and expectations they sometimes disagree with one<br>another due to their differing ideals which result to conflict.<br>Several definitions of conflict have been given by different scholars.<br>According to Enyi (2001), conflict can be regarded as a situation where disputants<br>are hostile to each other in their efforts to achieve goals which are at variance with<br>each other. Best (2006) defined conflict as pursuit of incompatible interests and<br>goals by different entities. It is the struggle over values or claims to status, power,<br>and scarce resources in which the aims of the groups of individuals involved are<br>not to obtain the desired values but to neutralize, injure or eliminate rivals (Louis<br>and Coser, 1996). Conflict is a disagreement between two or more parties who<br>perceive that they have incompatible concerns. This incompatibility can be about<br>needs, interests, values or aims (Bloisi, 2007). Nye (2001) conceived conflict as<br>‘mutual hostility’ at interpersonal, inter-human, inter-group, inter-ethnic, intercultural<br>and inter-national level. From the above definitions, conflict is a fact in<br>human existence and a natural part of our daily lives.<br>Conflict means to come into collision, clash or being in opposition or at<br>variance with other person or group of persons. It equally mean strife, controversy,<br>discord of action, disagreement in opinions and antagonism of interest or principle<br>(Harks, 2001). Conflict could also be seen as a disagreement over social issues,<br>beliefs and ideologies (Horowitz and Borden, 1995). Adejuwon and Okewale<br>(2009) defined conflict as the result of interaction among people, an unavoidable<br>concomitant of choices and decisions and an expression of the basic fact of human<br>interdependence. Ejiogu (1998) postulated that conflict is a condition of<br>disharmony or hostility within an interaction process which is usually the direct<br>result of clash of interests by the parties involved. Whenever an action by one<br>party is perceived as preventing or interfering with the goals, needs or actions of<br>another. <br></p>