PRINCIPALS’ CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES AS PREDICTORS OF TEACHERS’ ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study examined principals’ conflict management styles as predictors of teachers’ organisational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study was a correlational research design. The population of the study was 267 principals in the 267 public secondary schools from the six Education Zones in Anambra State. Census sampling technique was employed in the study to select the entire population of 267 principals for the study. Two instruments were used for data collection: Principals’ Conflict Management Strategies Questionnaire (PCMSQ) and Teachers’ Organisational Behaviour Questionnaire (TOBQ). The instruments were subjected to face and construct validation. Face validation was done by three experts while construct validation was carried out by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with the help of SPSS v.26 and the results showed that construct validity was met. The reliability of the instrument was done using Cronbach Alpha technique and the average coefficients were established at 0.76 for PCMSQ and 0.82 for TOBQ. Simple linear regression analysis was used for the study at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that accommodating and collaborating conflict management styles exhibit a positive and significant predictive value on teachers’ organisational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study concluded that principals mix applications of conflict management styles jointly are positive and significant predictors of teachers’ organisational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that secondary school principals should not rely totally on one conflict management strategy as the best for all situations, instead they should learn how to use various conflict management strategies and apply any one based on the type of conflict and the people involved in it.