SECTOR ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Conflict among workers in an organization is inevitable. If it manages properly, it will bring catalyst for change and can have a positive impact on employee satisfaction and performance of the organization. Conversely, unmanaged conflict negatively impacts both employee satisfaction and job performance. When organizational leaders ignore workplace conflict, they send a message that unsatisfactory job performance and inappropriate behavior are acceptable. Awan & Anjum (2015) says that properly managed conflict promotes open communication, collaborative decision making, regular feedback, and timely resolution of conflict. Open communication and collaboration enhance the flow of new ideas and strengthen work relationship, which can have a positive effect on employee morale. Regular feedback and timely resolution of conflict has the potential of improving employee satisfaction and job performance. Henry, (2011) argue that a negative work environment that does not promote conflict resolution can result in poor employee behavior and job performance. Unmanaged conflict promotes dysfunctional communication and poor behavior among staff. Poor behavior on the part of one employee has the power to affect overall employee morale, which results in lower productivity. If individuals do not have the communication or interpersonal skills to resolve their disputes, the conflict can grow and spread to others, eventually affecting their job performance, which, in turn, affects the job satisfaction of others, as well in addition to the staff not having the communication skills to address their disputes, their leaders often lack the necessary skills to be effective in conflict resolution (Hynes, 2011).
Once human resources personnel are involved, the process becomes punitive and results in disciplinary action, which contributes to an even greater reduction in employee morale and employee satisfaction. Within any organization, there are usually different positions and jobs. People occupying these positions have different perceptions, goals, thought and concerns (Kazimoto, 2013).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Conflict can occur in any organization when employees with different backgrounds and priorities work together. Conflict can be expressed in numerous ways such as insults, noncooperation, and anger. Interpersonal conflict in an organization results from disagreement in some ways which can be emotional, physical and personal between two or more employees. Such disagreements could have negative effects on productivity owing to the ability to create organizational climate that makes it nearly impossible for employees to work together (Hickman, 2010). Furthermore, interpersonal conflict in an organization can not only affect morale but also impact the efficiency. It can also lead to strained relationships, grievances, absenteeism, and employee turnover. Unfortunately, interpersonal conflict is a common occurrence in an organization due to different personalities that must mesh and it against this background that this proposed study seeks to examine conflict management and organizational performance.
MTN, as a telecommunication Firm has being suffering one form or the other of conflict, mostly interpersonal conflict among her staff which has affected the smooth operation of the institute overtime. The effective management of these conflicts will go a long way to enhance performance of the organization in meeting to its mandate.
1.3 Research Questions
1) To what extent avoidance as a conflict management strategy influences employee’s performance?
2) How has collaboration as method assisted as conflict management strategy in organization?
3) Is accommodation effective as conflict management strategy in organization?
4) How has compromise as conflict management strategy affect employee’s performance in organization?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this proposed study is to examine conflict management and organizational performance. Other specific objectives include:
1) To know how avoidance can be used as conflict management strategy in organization.
2) To evaluate the methods of collaboration as conflict management in organization.
3) To assess the effective of accommodation as conflict management strategy in organization.
4) To determine how significant compromise is as conflict management strategy in organization
1.5 Statement of Hypothesis
H1: Avoidancestrategy has significant relationship with employees performance.
H2: collaboration strategy has significant relationship with employees performance
H3: Accommodation strategy has significant relationship with employees performance
H4: Compromise strategy has significant relationship with employees performance
1.6 Significance of the Study
This proposed study will be of value to organizations both public and private in order for them to identify some silent causes of conflicts and to be able to manage the situation judiciously using some of the conflict management strategies. The study will also arouse government interest to see the need in providing adequate resources to public organizations in order to minimize the rate of conflict in these organizations. The study will also provide a platform for management of organizations to direct resources appropriately in order to minimize conflicts situations in the workplace. The study is also expected to be of great value to academicians and practitioners in the field of conflict management, public relations and public administration. The proposed study can also be useful to researchers for further studies.
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The study will be carried out on the effect of conflict management and employee performance in MTN Nigeria. Employees of the MTN Nigeria, Abuja would be sampled for their opinion in this proposed study. This organization is chosen because of ease in accessibility and being a Telecommunication Firm that requires performance in order to meet up with excellent service.
SECTION TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This section of the proposal study review related papers, journals, articles and literature from past writers, authors and researchers related to conflict management and organizational performance. In addition, the conceptual and theoretical frameworks that underpin the proposed study will be explained in this section. The review will be done in the following subheadings;
2.2 Conceptual Framework
Fig:1: Research Conceptual Model, Source: Field Survey, (2020).
2.2.1 The Concept of Conflict
Darrington, & Brower, (2012)defined conflict as ‘’ a process that begins where one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect something that the first party cares about’’. This is a very apt definition, emphasizing that conflict is about perceptions, not necessarily real hard facts. It points to the emotional nature of conflict, by referring to a word like ‘’care’’, it states that more than one party is involved and that there may be a future component attached to it. Kazimoto, (2013)in relation to the above states that, conflict is a process of social interaction. It involves a struggle over claims to resources, power, status, beliefs, preferences and desires. Hynes (2011) linked this idea to the organization by stating that, even when conflict is a natural phenomenon in social relations (as natural as harmony), it can nevertheless be managed within organizations.
They add that conflict may have both positive as well as negative consequences within the organization, the submission above blend with the fact that, conflict can never be totally eliminated within organizations but can be efficiently managed in order to move organizations to greater height and performance level.
2.2.2 Effective Management of Conflict
The successful management of human resources is one of the keys to the effective operation of an organization. For any organization to be effective and efficient in achieving its goal, the people in the organization need to have a shared vision of what they are striving to achieve, as well as clear objective for each team/department and individual. One also needs ways of recognizing and resolving conflict amongst people, so that conflict does not become so serious that co-operation is impossible. All members of any organization need to have ways of keeping conflict to a minimum and of solving problems caused by conflict, before conflict becomes a major obstacle to your work. Conflict management is the process of planning to avoid conflict where possible and organizing to resolve where it does happen, as rapidly and smoothly as possible.
Conflict management is the use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict (Fox, 2010). Conflict management is a way of managing organizational conflict so as to keep it at a level where it will not result in disorganizing the activities of an organization thereby resulting in not allowing effective attainment of organizational objective (Awan & Kaleemullah, 2015).
2.2.3 Organisational Performance
One of the important questions in business has been why some organisations succeeded while other failed. Organisation performance has been the most important issues for every organisation be it profit or non-profit one. It has been very important for mangers to know which factors influence an organisation’s performance in order for them to take appropriate steps to initiate them. However, defining, conceptualising and measuring performance have not been easy task. Researchers among themselves have different opinions and definitions of performance, which remains to be a contentious issue among organisational researchers (Scott, & Gerardi, 2011).
For example, according to Hickman, (2010), organisational performance is the organisation’s ability to attain its goals by using resources in an efficient and effective manner. Richardo & Wade (2010) defined organisational performance is the ability of the organisation to achieve its goals and objectives. Organisational performance has suffered from not only a definition problem, but also from a conceptual problem.
2.3 Theoretical Framework
Mary Parker Follett conflict management strategy was adopted as theoretical base for this study. The theory was developed by Mary Parker Follett in her ‘Creative Experience’, a paper she wrote in 1925. Conflict to her is not warfare, but is only an appearance of differences – differences in opinions, interests, not only between employers and employees, but also between managers, between directors or wherever differences appear. She further submitted that, conflict may move from more verbal or attitudinal disagreement to physical or even bloody confrontation. She opined that conflict could be bad or good or neither good nor bad depending on the situation. Conflict also provides good or bad results or outcome depending on the manner it is interpreted, understood and resolved by the affected parties (Sapru, 2009).
2.4 Existing the Gap of the Study
Darrington, & Brower, (2012), carried out a research on effective communication skills as a means of conflict management, Kazimoto, (2013) analyzed conflict management and leadership in an organization, Hynes (2011), assessed managerial Communication, Strategies and Applications as effective means of conflict management and Scott, & Gerardi, (2011) evaluated a strategic approach for managing conflict in hospitals. However, their studies and works did not consider or explore areas such as the collaboration strategy, avoidance strategy, accommodation strategy and compromise strategy of conflict management in organization. Therefore, the existing gap considered the missing pieces in literature which this proposed study would bridge the existing gap in literature in these areas.
2.5 Summary
This section reviewed papers, journals, articles and literature from past authors, writers, researchers as related to the current topic being investigated. This section further explained some conceptual and theoretical frameworks that underpinned the proposed study. The next section will present the methodology for the proposed study.
SECTION THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
Research design according to Berg & Lune, (2012), relates to the general approach adopted in executing a study. The proposed study would employ mixed methodology that systematically and scientifically examines desired characteristic of a given event and population.
3.2 Sources of Data
The proposed study will adopt primary and secondary sources data. A well designed questionnaire would be used for the collection of the primary data while the secondary data would be obtained from books, journals, previous researchers.
3.3 Methods of Data Collection
The proposed research will use the questionnaire for the data collection process. An in-depth interview would be used as well. The secondary data would be sourced from books, journals, previous researches.
3.4 Population of the Study
Population can be defined as the total aggregate of the people living in a particular environment (Bill, 2013). The target population for the study is 325 Staffs of MTN Nigeria, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
3.5 Sample Size/Sampling Techniques
Saunders, (2015), observed that in academic research, it is almost impossible to study a whole population; therefore, a portion of population is usually studied. Thus, a portion of population selected for any study is referred to as sample size and the method(s) of selecting a sample from larger population is also referred to as sampling or sampling size determination. Taro-Yamane’s expression/formula would be applied to determine the sample size as stated below;
n = N___
1+N(e)2
Where n = sample size
N=Total Population
E=level of significance or error or Margin of error disturbance =0.05 or 5%
3.6 Methods of Data Analyses
The proposed study will employ simple percentages and chi-square in analyzing the data that would be obtained from field survey.
3.7 Validity and Reliability of the research instruments
Reliability is defined as “the degree to which the finding is independent of accidental circumstances of the research” (Hennink, Hutter, & Baily, 2011). During the process of the investigation, the research will pay keen attention on the reliability and validity. In order to ensure the reliability of this proposed study, all interviewees would be interviewed individually. The proposed study would use content validity to validate the instruments and Cronbach’s Alpha test for reliability.
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Awan,A.G. & Taufique Tahir (2015) “Impact of working environment on employees Productivity: A case study of Banking and Insurance industry in Pakistan.” European Journal of Business and Management, Vol.7 No.1 pp 329-345.
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