PRINCIPALS CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AS CORRELATES OF TEACHERS ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE.

Abstract

The study examined principals’ conflict management strategies as correlates of teachers’ organizational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Three research guided the study questions and three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. 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. There was no sampling because the population was small and manageable by the researcher. Three instruments were used for data collection: Conflict Management Strategies Questionnaire (CMSQ) and Teachers’ Organizational Behaviour Questionnaire (TOBQ). The instruments were subjected to face and construct validation. Face validation was done by three experts, two in Educational Management and one in Measurement and Evaluation, all in Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, COOU, Igbariam Campus  while construct validation was carried out by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with the help SPSS v.26. The reliability of the instrument was done using Cronbach Alpha technique and the average coefficient values of 0.83 for PCSQ, 0.77 for CMSQ and 0.83 for TOBQ were obtained and considered highly reliable and suitable for the study. Direct method of data administration was utilized by the researcher together with six research assistants. Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistical tool was used for the study at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is a positive and significant relationship among accommodating conflict management strategy (r=0.612, p=0.000), collaborating conflict management strategy (r=0.572, p=0.000) and teachers’ organizational behaviour while avoidance conflict management strategy (r = -0.285, p=0.183) exhibited a negative and insignificant relationship with teachers’ organizational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study concluded that principals mix applications of conflict management strategies jointly are positively and significantly correlated to teachers’ organizational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings, the study recommended that Ministry of Education in line with Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Awka should sponsor principals in workshops, seminars and conferences to enable them up-date their knowledge on communication and conflict management skills in order to create conducive school environment that would enhance and sustain teachers’ organizational behaviour in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study contributed to knowledge by establishing the empirical fact that teachers’ job organizational behaviour stemmed from accommodating strategy, collaborating strategy and avoidance strategy that are promoted by principals who jointly apply mix conflict management strategies in managing conflicts and running the affairs of the school. It established that Principals’ Conflicts Management Strategies are essential in developing motivated, committed and competent teachers who are willing to put extra efforts to discharge their duties which lead to higher organizational behaviour in school.