Bolstering conflict management strategies and sustainable commitment of academic staff in selected public universities

Events and periods of strikes are inextricably linked to the history of higher education in Nigeria. Strikes of various types and for various reasons have become a common occurrence as the gov-ernment and academia's policymaking relationship has become increasingly inconsiderate. This study was necessitated by the apparent non-recognition and reluctance to plunge into interper-sonal conflict in universities. Hence, this study investigated the influence of avoidance, domi-nating, compromise, obliging and integrating conflict management strategy on the commitment of faculty in selected public universities in Southwest Nigeria. Smart PLS 3.0 was used to analyse only 416 copies of the questionnaire, representing an 83% response rate. The findings demon-strate that conflict management methods such as avoidance, dominating, compromise, obliging, and integrating substantially impact academic faculty affective, normative, and continuance commitment. The study finds that academic staff at various universities should encourage compromising, integrating, and obliging conflict management tactics to be more involved in the settlement of the conflict. As a sequel to the findings, it was recommended that when settling conflicts, academic staff and management should always consider the feelings of other parties involved, as this will go a long way in satisfying all affected parties. Furthermore, parties in disagreement should be open-minded and willing to listen to each other to make the best and most sensible conclusion when resolving conflict. Universities administration should teach the different techniques of handling conflict so employees will be able to choose the appropriate approach when faced with conflict situations, especially when faced with interpersonal conflict.

Automated summary

Strikes have a long history in Nigerian higher education due to the strained relationship between the government and academia. This study examined the impact of different conflict management strategies on the commitment of faculty in public universities in Southwest Nigeria. The findings suggest that conflict management methods such as avoidance, dominating, compromise, obliging, and integrating significantly influence faculty commitment. The study recommends encouraging compromising, integrating, and obliging conflict management tactics among academic staff to better resolve conflicts.