Impact of Industrial Conflict on Organizational Performance Using Public Tertiary Institutions in Ekiti as a Case Study
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
The main objective is to find out how industrial conflicts are managed in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions with emphasis to the public tertiary institutions in Ado-Ekiti. The definite objectives:
- To determine and examine the causes of industrial Disputes between workers and management in The tertiary institutions in Ado-Ekiti
- To appraise the management of conflict as well as how it affects the morale of workers.
- To find out the consequences/implications of industrial unrest in the Nigerian university system
- To know the strategies used by the union, the government, the university management in solving disputes in the Nigerian university system and how they can be managed.
- To examine the management approaches often adopted to mitigate industrial dispute in issues.
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
CONCEPT OF CONFLICT
The concept of conflict has to do with individual having a disagreement based on incompatible goals/dissimilar interest. Conflicts are inevitable in everyday occurrences and their resolution can result to a constructive change. Park and Burges (1921) and Simmel (1995), sited in Colser (1964) argue that every interaction between men is socialization, so is conflict. Ikeda (2005) observes that organisational conflict involves interpersonal conflicts with colleagues or supervisor and intergroup conflicts within different sections of an organisation. They are analysed on interpersonal, group /community and national conflicts. They can turn into a violent conflict where there is no proper channel for dialogue and disagreement when grievances cannot be communicated to. Robin (2005) has defined as a process that begins where one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affects something that the first party cares about. This definition shows that conflict is about perception not necessarily about the hard fact.
Robin (1998) outlined 2 types of conflict, horizontal and vertical. Vertical conflicts occur in groups of different hierarchical levels such as supervisor and employees. Causes of vertical conflicts are scarce resources: disputes regarding benefits, salaries and work conditions in value and ideology, psychological distance, power and status. When resources are limited, conflict potential in an organisation is enhanced especially when not shared equally among workers, tension will rise. Scarce resources like poor funding, unpaid salaries, and operating funds of organisation. Past unresolved conflict: this causes anxiety, tension and stress thus intensifying the existing conflict. Horizontal conflicts occur between individuals of the same level like managers/admin of an organisation. Conflicts of the horizontal form occur between organisations of the same type, enterprises that might work together, directly or indirectly– say manufacturers that want a powerful wholesaler to carry only its product. This is a healthy type of conflict because it can be driven by competition. There are other types of conflict like line-staff conflict and role conflict. Conflict is not a battle btw the rational and irrational but however the manner which conflict is controlled establishes whether it is constructive or destructive.
Studies have been conducted by many scholars on the issue of conflict to investigate and explain why it is inevitable in the work organisations and possible ways to manage it. Kenneth W. Thomas identified 5 conflict management styles: accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing and compromising. Conflict management are techniques and idea designed to reduce the negative effects of conflict. They are depending on the types of conflict that needs managing. Conflict resolution can be an aim of conflict management techniques or styles have conflict resolution as the ultimate target as it may be feasible. Conflict management involves acquiring knowledge related to conflict resolution, conflict communication skills, self-awareness etc. and establishing a structure for management of conflict in your environment.
MEANING OF INDUSTRIAL CONFLICTS
Section 55 of Trade Union defined industrial conflict as any conflict between employer and worker, workers between workers which are connected with employment or condition of employment or workers of any person – They are situations where disputes and disagreement arise between employees and employers over matter relating to its working conditions. In tough economic times of now, conflicts occur over matters like wages and benefits, working conditions, management policies, political and social issues and other issues related to the existence of the same union and inter-union. Ogunbameau and Oribare (2000) conceived that industrial conflicts take place whenever there is a conflict of interest and objectives to labour management relations. Aleiousu Akintoye (2007) noted that Industrial Conflict emerges as a result of employers not taking into consideration the need and sought by human beings are so varied and complex, that is all too easy for conflict to develop accidentally in the absence of any conscious or overt desire by one individual to thwart the concern of another. Various areas identified in the attached table conflict in a works environment when this occurs either at an individual or group level, it can escalate into industrial conflict with groups or individuals having union taking up their cause against, management or employer thus an individual conflict may be declared. Ubeku (1975) observed that conflict in organisation is a consequence of enduring power struggle between workers and employers over the control of basic aspects of work, job security of the worker, inequality in distribution of proceeds of industry and poor management control. Disorientation of workers can arise, when workers are put under severe restrictions and control, lack of payment of bonuses.
In Nigeria, industrial conflicts and union dispute has consumed a lot of time and hours wasted. With the increase in diversity, conflict in the workplace hasn’t been ruled out even with the presence of labour unions. There are different types of conflict that can happen in the industries: conflict over the production and distribution of wealth, conflict of adolescence conduct, conflict of credible leadership, conflict over production and distribution of power and authority, conflict of population/infrastructural facilities and more to be expanded on. The existence or emergence of conflicts in Nigerian educational system demands urgent attention and action in order to avert disastrous or undesirable consequences. Nigerians need orientation, sensitization, national rebirth and rebranding and true patriotic spirit to facilitate progress in Nigeria. Stumbling blocks need to be removed from the path of progress, growth and development of the nation. They need to stop turning the hands of the clock backward.
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research is a systematic organized effort to investigate a specific problem to provide a solution. It is the conceptual framework within which research is conducted. It provides the basic research design: exploration, description, and explanation. Research design deals with a logical problem, not a logistics problem. These categories differ in several aspects including research purpose, the way they research questions or hypotheses are formulated, and the way data are collected. Consequently, its output is to add knowledge, develop theories as well as gathering evidence to prove generalisation. Research can be classified into three basic categories; quantitative, qualitative and mix methods research.
According to Smith (1979) quantitative research employs the traditionalist approach employs the traditional, the positivist, the experimental, or the empiricist method to enquire into an identified problem. Quantitative is based on testing theory, measured with numbers, and analysed using statistical techniques and a particularly objectivity and reproducibility. Fraenkel and Wallen (2003) argue that the goal of quantitative methods is to determine whether the predictive generalisation of a theory hold true. Thus it is more concerned with how much, how well, or to whom that particular issue applies. It can be classified as either descriptive or experimental research. The purpose of descriptive research is to become more familiar with phenomena, to gain new insight, and to formulate a more specific research problem or hypotheses and experimental research is to test cause and affect relationship among variables and in descriptive research, researchers do not have direct control over independent variables because their manifestations have already occurred or because they are inherently not manipulable
This study adopts a descriptive and explanatory research design as to achieve the study objectives. A descriptive study describes/defines a subject, often by creating a profile of a group of problems, people or events, through the collection of data and tabulation of frequencies on research variables or their interaction (Cooper and Schinder, 2011). In contrast, a study based upon a qualitative process of enquiry has the goal of understanding a social or human problem from multiple perspectives. Qualitative research is multi-method in focus, involving an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter.
RESEARCH POPULATION
According to Cooper and Schinder (2010) a population is defined as a set of all the individuals of interest in a particular study. This study takes particular interest in the public tertiary institutions in Ekiti State of which there are three: Ekiti State University, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Federal Science and Technical College, University. There are 1,538 staff population of which 555 are teaching and 983 are non-academic staff. In Federal Polytechnic, they have 1500 staff including both academic and non-academic staff.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESSENTATION AND ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the researcher presents and analyses the data collected from the respondents. Out of the 150 questionnaires that was distributed 132 was returned and validated for the study.
Table 4.1: Sex Distribution of Respondents
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY,CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The following are the major findings of the study;
* The causes of the conflict include poor communication, organizational policies, individual goals, management style, ineffective reward system and poor superior- subordinate relationship. Others include unconducive work environment, poor condition of service, personality traits, bad economic policies among others.
* The conflict management strategies adopted include avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise and collaboration‟s. Others include mediation, counseling, team resolution and modifying organizational policy.
* Specific conflicts re occurs in the bank. But this is not mainly due to poor conflict management.
* Organizational conflicts lowers workers‟ morale, discourage commitment to work, de-motivates workers and breeds distrust and suspicious. It also hampers effective inter-personal and group relationships. Besides, it hampers workers‟ productivity.
* Organizational conflict leads to loss of time, slows down production process, reduces output and profit levels and output and profit levels and hampers organizational growth.
* Effective conflict management enhances organizational performance by creating conducive and harmonious work environment.
CONCLUSION
Industrial conflict is a regular feature in corporate organizations such lingering ASUU strike in tertiary institutions across the country which arises whenever there is disagreement between individual or group of individuals and management. Various strategies are adopted in managing the conflicts but the strategy adopted in each instance depends on the nature of the conflict and the person involved. The strategies adopted are largely effective in resolving the conflicts. However, the re- occurrence of specific conflict is not mainly due to ineffective conflict management but the dynamic socio-economic situation.
Organizational conflicts adversely affect employees and management as well as their relationships. It impacts negatively on workers‟ productivity and over all performance and growth of the organization.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Management should ensure that there is effective communication between the management team and subordinates. This will ensure that all are aware of management policies and actions as well as contributory to decision-making in the organization. This will eliminate alienation and communication gap.
- Individual aims and organizational goals should not be congruent. Individuals should ensure that their selfish interests do not conflict with organizational goals. Otherswise, personal interests should be re-align with organizational interests.
- There should be effective interpersonal relationships, as well as effective management employee relationships. This should be underscovered by democratic management style. This will ensure that employees‟ problems are well addressed and opportunities are always offered to them to achieve their goals.
- There should always be adequate reward system or compensation plan for employees. These include adequate pay packages, prompt promotion and advancement and effective welfare and social security programmes.
- There should always be regular training and development programmes which will not only improve the skills and intelligence of employees but should also make them well- disposed to their work. This will in assignments competently as tasky assignments are an important source of conflict and stress in the work environment.
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