ABSTRACT

This research work examined the issue management of organizational conflict in Nigeria higher institutions with special reference to Enugu state university of science and technology (ESUT) Enugu. The responsibility to maintain cordial relations in an organization rest on the part to be played by the management, the staff and all the entire member of the organization, some works in the organization have be known to have strained the relationship with those at the heim of affairs in organization by forming charges against the management on their part to exploit the workers, payless attention to them genue request or demands for theirs or other. The inability of the management and the workers to inclement atmosphere pervading the entire organization. Such type of situation usually brings about the purpose for which an organisation was established.

To carry out this study, both primary and secondary data were extensively made use of.

Questionnaire was the major source of data used for the analysis of primary data collected tables, simple percentages and absolute numbers were the tools to analyses the data collected for study.

Several findings were made in the course of   this study, prominent among which is that the major souses of organizational disharmony in higher institutions include the insensitivity of the management to works demand, nonpayment and irregular payment and non- implementation of welfare policies or programmes of the workers. Several recommendations were also made by the researchers among which is that such the government and the government and the management of the institution should avoid bring insensitive to the genuine demand of the workers, as this will not only help demands of the working as this will not only help to motivate the worker but will at the same reduce the possibility of being a potential source of organisational conflict.

Finally, for a successful research work to be carried out, this study was divided into five chapters. Each of the five chapters was exhaustively treated in the main text.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     GENERAL BACK GROUND TO THE SUBJECT MATTER

In every society, the desire to solve the physiological and other needs of man have compelled people to form groups, corporate bodies or organizations with the intent to achieve this aim. This is what in the contemporary times, there is the presence of organizations such as markets churches, public service, educational institutions, transport service and the likes. All these and more different aim.

According to worsley (1977.305) “organisation are bodies persisting overtime, which are specifically set up to achieve specific aim” He went further to explain that political parties  churches, public service, educational institutions etc are all organizations where people work for a livelihood. Some organizations have existed to facilitate production of goods, while some others do exist to render service in order to better the conditions of man.   The man in our contemporary world is shape more and more by organizations which he has little or no control and coupled with the fact that because of various developments in the  world we are living in what has been known as organization society people by man.

Consequently, organizations by their very nature bring together people of different and desire orientations and background in their bid to achieve stated goods. More often then not members of an organization may have individual goals which may stand in their way of submitting themselves to organizational goals and this may be counter productive. at that point, it may be said that  personal interests have come into conflict with official aims. As noted by Adewumi (1992.1) a conflict situation is one in which there is no difference and divergence of particular issue or views and positions on particular issue or development “on the other hand, Thomas (1976.131)define conflicts as “a process which begins when one part perceive that the other has frustrated or is about to frustrated or is about to perceive that the other has frustrated or is about to frustrate  some concern of his Nwankwo (1988.2) complemented this by asserting that conflict implies” any perceived (convert) or demonstrated (overt) difference of interest between groups or individuals or groups to the job and  the condition or circumstances in which it is to Nwankwo, could be non-co-operation, strict adhere Nwankwo, could be non- cooperation, strict adhere to rules no matter the conditions absenteeism and general low turnover; while demonstrated conflict can be a political satotaye or actions. Thus in many organisation in spite of actions.  Thus in many organisation in spite of the fact that the two groups (labour and management) are bonded by the common interest of rendering or producing goods/ services interest of rendering or producing goods/ services to the public events have proved that there is always a latent antagonism among them concerning the realization of these common interest and mutual desires.

In the opinion of Balogun (1992.1) social groups by their nature are infact characterized by conflict. This is so because aims objectives and interest of the social units (individuals that constitute any social groups differs. One psychological concept that make thus so is the self. Self is the totality of an individual as perceived by him in relation to his environment. This could be influenced by what, whom, how and why he seems himself to be what he is and what he wants to be  a threat towards the hence the unavoidable conflict between individual and the perceived source of threat. This source could be another individual issue, policies behaviors of other people at Balogun (1992.1) explained that things to most people, connotes heyatire things or destruction phenomenon. However “this is not the case because conflict at times properly manage can be constructive. Some degree of conflict is necessary from time to time if only to help in bringing “life” to rather monotones and boring social life in any social group consequently, a higher institution like Enugu state university of science and technology (ESUT) is an organisation which is known in the world of literates as a citadel of knowledge which as it system as assemblage of intelligent men and women. Often time, conflicts here extend in this institution. These conflicts in some occasion have been between the management and the labour (i.e the workers) and sometimes between the government and the institution itself. Given the fact that the institution parades a bundle of intellectuals, these conflicts when they occur (or arise) where always intelligently and expertly managed the outside world were always taken a back at how these conflicts were quelled in this institution many times without interference many organizations in recent twins have either folded up, gore into obtirion or have had most of there workers thrown out because of the accuracy of conflicts in such organization. However, in Esut conflicts occur and re occur but at each occasion such conflicts are dealt with totally with and incredible equanimity by these at the helm of affairs in the institution as if higher institution has been able to handle such phenomena without any eternal arbiter. The researches believe that the secret behaving their ability to achieve such remarkable fault is dependent to a large extent on their expertise in conflict management. The ability to manage a conflict has been a major source of success for many organizations in this country. However, the questions in this country. However, the question them is what exactly is conflict management? And how far and to what extent can conflicts be management in organization especially higher institutions.

It is as a result of the above analogy and in response to the question posed that this study looked critically at the issue management of organizational conflicts in higher institutions with special references to Enugu state University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu.