Types of Conflicts and Their Management Strategies in Ministry of Education and General Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Agency in Addis Ababa
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Date
2008-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The primary concern of this study was to examine workplace conflicts
between administrators, experts and supportive staffs in MOE and
GEQAEA in Addis Ababa. It was aimed at investigating the major types of
conflict incidents, causes, conflict management styles and awareness of
employees to functions of conflicts.
To this end, descriptive survey method was employed. The subjects of the
study were 216 respondents. These a re: 17 administrators, 95 experts,
99 supportive staffs and 5 interviewees. Informa tion was solicited from
the subjects through both quantitative (a survey questionnaire) and
qualitative (key informant interviews, the researcher's personal
observations and open ended questions in the questionnaire) research
approaches. Various statistical analysis tools such as percentage, mean,
chi-squire, weighted mean , t-test and coefficient correlation were used to
analyze the data.
The findings of the study revealed that there were some significant
opinion or perception differences on the occurrence of conflict incidents
and application of conflict management styles. This study depicted that
respondents' awareness to functions and outcomes of conflict was low.
They tend to perceive conflict generally as negative or destructive to
organizations.
The study identified the various types of conflicts, their major causes
and handling styles. Individual characteristic, situational and structural
factors were the major causes to intra-personal inter personal, intragroup
and inter group workplace conflicts. Besides, employees used
collaborating, accommodating, compromlsmg, avoiding and forcing
resolution styles to regulate or control conflicts m educational
organizations.
Finally, the study recommends designing short term trainings to
administrators, experts and supportive staffs to have appropriate
awareness to outcomes and functions of conflict and try to identify the
major types of existing conflict incidents and their causes to regulate
them properly using effective conflict management styles.
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Keywords
Management Strategies in Ministry of Education, and General Education Quality