Conflict management model for secondary school principals in the North West Province

Abstract

In South Africa, little is documented on the strategies for addressing conflicts in schools and on the problems that are caused by lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools. Principals exist in a world of problems that always have the potential to result in serious conflicts. Their abilities to solve problems and manage conflict efficiently and effectively are important measures of their school leadership. Current literature in conflict management, particularly in developed countries like U.S.A and U.K concentrates on the issues that the frequency of conflict has destructive consequences for some schools. The apparent inability of those involve to manage conflict in schools constructively pointed to a serious need for programmes to be formulated with regard to actions to be taken and training that is needed for principals to manage conflict. These studies show that the very nature of schools invites conflict because schools are composed of individuals that have diverse and conflicting values, personalities, goals, perceptions and interests. the purpose of this study was to determine from the literature the nature and the scope of conflict management in schools and to investigate empirically the problems that are caused by the lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools. Furthermore, to examine the current conflict management models for schools with the ultimate aim of developing a conflict management model for secondary schools principals in the North West Province. The study also examined the existing conflict management models. The conflict management models investigated revolve around the idea that in any organization there is a we-them distinction between the parties. Energies are directed towards the other party in any atmosphere of total victory. Each party in a conflict situation, sees the issue from its own perspective, rather than defining the problem in terms of mutual needs. There are important theories that provide a background to the concept of conflict. Researchers have advanced different theories to explain the origin of conflict. Swindle (1996), Rahim (1990), Benyon and Solomon (1997), Cronk (1997), Bloch (1997) and others have proposed a wide spectrum of theories to account for the rise of conflict. According to bureaucratic theory, the existence of conflict in an organization is evidence of organization breakdown and that there has been a failure on the part of the management to plan adequately or to exercise sufficient power and control. On the other hand, the human relation theory view conflict as an especially negative and evidence of failure to develop appropriate norms in the organization. Maslow argues that there exists in people a wide range of needs, which determine behaviour and motivation. In his hierarchy of needs theory, he postulates that people have physical needs such as a need for shelter and food. He also states that, people have needs for security, for love, for recognition, for self-esteem and fulfilment. The theory of needs as a driving force for human actions has been advanced by other scholars, such as Adair (1995), Jones and Jones (1995) and Burton (1997). They state that the failure to satisfy the needs mentioned above, results in frustration, insecurity, withdrawal and a persistence to fulfil them even in socially unacceptable ways that may result in conflict. The majority of the respondents 378 (90%) viewed intensive training in conflict management as an extremely important required skill for the principals, meaning that not possessing this skill would render it highly impossible for the principals to manage conflicts in schools effectively and efficiently. Principals spend most of their time dealing with or resolving conflicts caused by teachers, parents and learners. Most of these problems emanate from not complying with some of the policies of the Department of Education. It is therefore, of paramount importance that the Department of Education organizes workshops on the modem trends of conflict management and resolution strategies for the principals. For the principals to manage conflicts effectively and efficiently, they must be prepared to undergo training in conflict management and resolution strategies. These findings support what is suggested by the literature consulted. The literature consulted revealed that lack of viable conflict management in schools could be ascribed to the fact that the Department of Education does not give conflict management in schools the attention that it deserves. The survey population was drawn from twelve educational districts of the North West Province. From all the secondary schools in the North West Province (N = 365) a random sampling (n=500) was selected by randomly samples of 5 secondary schools in each of the twelve educational districts of the North West Province. In each of the fitly (50) randomly selected secondary schools in the North West Province: 1 principal; 1 deputy principal, 3 heads of departments and 5 teachers were requested to complete the questionnaires. Thus the sample of (n=500) was composed of ten (10) respondents from each of the fifty (50) randomly selected secondary schools in the twelve educational districts of the North West Province. A computer-aided statistical analysis was employed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)-programme was used to compute the results of the study. The first step in the analysis of data was to compute descriptive data for each respondent in the study. These include statistics like frequency distribution, percentages, mean scores, standard deviation and chi-square. The study also revealed that the majority of the respondents were of the opinion that conflict is a product of many factors that go wrong in the school Evaluation of teachers and incompetence of certain teachers have emerged as one of the important causes of conflict in most schools. Misunderstandings, insulting remarks and racist remar1ts were ranked high under the causes of conflict in schools. Major findings of this investigation revealed that conflicts in schools are caused by problems arising from not complying with some of the policies of the Education Department; unprofessional behaviour of certain teachers; scarcity of resources; clash of personality traits and abrupt changes. Effects of lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools were also revealed in this investigation. Conflicts that drag over a period of time impede the culture of learning and teaching; conflict produces irresponsible behaviour; conflict decreases expected production; conflict destroys morale and conflict diverts energy that could have been used to achieve the vision and mission of the school. Problems identified by Everard and Morris (1990) and Robbins (1995) in the U.K. help us to understand problems in developed countries. For example, the problems caused by lack of viable conflict management strategies in schools as experienced by principals in the U.K. and U.S.A. However, it is noted that principals in developing countries are also concerned about the problems that are caused by lack of viable conflict management strategies, how lack of conflict management affects the overall performance of the school and essential skills needed by principals to manage conflicts effectively and efficiently. little attention is paid to develop comprehensive conflict management models for principals, more especially in developing countries like South Africa. Similarly, little is written about how the principals go about resolving conflicts in schools. The theoretical framewor1t provided forms the basic rationale for developing a conflict management model for principals; a comprehensive conflict management model was developed. The main purpose of this study was to develop a conflict management model that could be used by principals as a guide when solving conflicts that usually emerge in schools. The study recommends that, since lack of viable conflict management strategies affect the overall academic performance of the learners and conflict is inevitable; the principals must be well prepared and equipped to manage all forms of conflicts that emerge in schools. Principals have a great responsibility of managing conflict to such an extent that it does not escalate to a point where it ruins the aims of learning. The majority of the respondents indicated that it is extremely important for the principals to possess conflict management skills, styles, techniques and conflict resolution strategies if they want to curb conflicts in schools. A poor principal manages conflict in one of the following ways: He swallows it and develops ulcers, or he spits it out and digests his colleagues with a barrage of threats and bureaucratic cliches, or he avails himself of cloak-and dagger "strategies-whereby his integrity and credibility as a leader are sometimes permanently destroyed by his own senseless behaviour.