CAUSES OF ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICT IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA: A STUDY IN TAMALE HIGH COURT

Organizational conflicts are generally inevitable in public institutions. However, there seems to be paucity of studies on the causes of organisational conflict in public institutions in Ghana in general and Tamale High Court in particular. This article seeks to bridge this knowledge gap by determining the causal factors of organizational conflicts in the Tamale High Court. The research gathered data from both primary and secondary sources and used the case study approach. The key instruments used for the data collection were interview guides. A total of fifteen (15) participants; eight (8) senior staff and seven (7) junior staff who took part in this study were purposively selected. The study found out that ineffective organisational system, unpredictable policies, tribalism, incompatible goals, poor communication, distribution of duties, lack of benefits, varying views on accountability, poor relations between senior and junior staff, disagreement between employees and employers, clashing of one’s role, selfishness among employers and employees, politics and difference in educational background, personal experiences, religion and gender are the factors causing conflict at Tamale High Court. It is recommended that the staff of Tamale High Court should be cordial and work harmoniously towards the administration of Justice in Ghana. It is further recommended that the management of Judicial Service in the Northern Region of Ghana apart from the Complaint Unit design a system where grievances can be tackled easily when there are conflicts. Keywords: Causes, Organizational Conflict, Public Institutions, Tamale High Court, Northern Region, Ghana.

Beyond Rational Systems: Managing Organizational Conflicts From Pluralistic, Open Systems and Stakeholder Perspectives

This paper examines organizational conflict in the context of rationalist, pluralist, open systems and stakeholder approaches. It argues that the prevailing rational and unitary approaches which dominate organizational analysis are inadequate theoretical tools for understanding the dynamics of organizational conflicts in a pluralistic society. Methodologically, the research approach is built on meta-synthesis. A meta-synthesis is a research approach that brings together qualitative data to form a new interpretation of a research field. From this approach, the paper critically examines three of the dominant approaches in organizational theorizing (the rational, pluralist and open systems perspectives) and their implications for understanding and managing organizational conflict. A synthesis of the literature combines the three perspectives to propose a framework for managing conflicts in organizations. The paper suggests that the open system perspective, in line with a pluralist perspective, is an appropriate framework for studying the relationship between stakeholder management and conflict management and for understanding the dynamics and the forces shaping conflicts in organizations. A stakeholder approach for understanding interests and sources of organizational conflicts is presented including stakeholders’ sources of power and legitimacy. Finally, a framework encompassing strategies for managing organizational conflicts by applying principles of stakeholder management are suggested.

Organizational conflicts in hospitals and their impact on employee turnover: A case study of Jordan

The research aims to investigate the most common types of organizational conflicts among employees in private hospitals and discover the impact of organizational conflicts on employee turnover. The research outlined the relationship between the variables to present the idea of organizational conflicts and employee turnover. The hypotheses were tested using a survey data of 340 questionnaires distributed randomly to employees working in four private hospitals in Jordan. Random selection of private hospitals was made among eight hospitals in the northern governorates of Jordan (Irbid, Jerash, Mafraq, and Ajlun), which are considered the largest districts in the country. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS program, and initial statistical techniques were applied. The results showed that the highest level of impact of organizational conflicts on the internal turnover of employees was related to the conflict between employees and direct supervisors. However, the highest level of the impact of organizational conflicts on the external turnover of employees was related to the conflict between employees and top management. The low-level job conflicts of employees were those with owners and middle management. Thus, to create stability, prevent work pressure, and retain employees, managers of private hospitals necessarily need to provide an appropriate work environment, develop high level of well-being, and decrease the workload. AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank Al-Balqa Applied University in the Kingdom of Jordan and the Institute of Public Administration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their kind support and for giving us access to the research facilities.

Relationship of Depression and Organizational Conflicts with Job Performance in Professors and Staff of Larestan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Considering the importance of maintaining the energy and health of the staff and faculty members as human beings, organizational conflict can have a significant impact on public health, performance, and the rate of depression in these individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between job performance and depression with organizational conflicts in professors and staff of Larestan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 on 82 professors and staff of Larestan University of Medical Sciences selected by census sampling method. In order to collect information in the present study, three questionnaires (organizational conflict, job performance, and Goldberg depression) were used. Results: The mean of depression was 58.20 with a standard deviation of 17.16, the mean of job performance was 30.55 with a standard deviation of 27.5, and the mean of organizational conflict was 93.20 with a standard deviation of 42.5. Conflict with subordinate had a higher mean score and conflict with peers had a lower mean score. The frequency distribution of depression among the participants showed that healthy individuals had the highest frequency (27.7%) and individuals with severe depression had the lowest frequency (4.8%). Conclusion: The findings showed an inverse relationship between depression and job performance, but a direct relationship was observed between depression and organizational conflict. By identifying and modifying the causes of stress in the workplace, we can see the improvement of performance and the creation of desirable and efficient feelings in medical personnel

Organizational Conflict Management: The All Important Public Universities Performance Strategy Under Neglect in Kenya

Workplace conflicts are inevitable in any work-organization. However, there is contestation as to whether management of organizational conflicts enhances or deteriorates employees’ performance. This study sought to determine the effect of organizational conflict management techniques, namely negotiation, mediation, collaboration and avoidance, on employees’ performance in selected public universities in Kenya. The study was based on the human relations, human capital and contingency theories. The study adopted a positivist quantitative approach - a methodological approach that seeks to quantify data and generalize results from a sample of a target population in an objective manner using statistical means. The study adopted descriptive research design. The study population was employees of the selected public universities in Kenya. A sample of 160 participants was chosen using stratified and simple random sampling methods. Gathered data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Both ANOVA and regression analysis were utilized in analysis of the data. The study established that there was a strong positive and significant relationship between negotiation, mediation as well as collaboration and employees’ performance in the selected public universities in Kenya as the three variables had positive beta coefficients and p-values less than the set significance level threshold. However, avoidance was found to have a negative and significant relationship with employees’ performance in the selected public universities in Kenya as denoted by its negative beta coefficient value and a p value less than the set significance level threshold. The study concluded that negotiation, mediation and collaboration positively influenced employees’ performance while avoidance adversely affected employees’ performance. Consequently, the study recommends that the managements of public universities in Kenya may apply a mix of these organizational conflict management techniques to achieve optimal outcomes in resolution of organizational conflicts.

Conflicts and Islah Strategy of Muslim Women Organization: Case Study of ‘Aisyiyah in Intra and Inter-Organizational Divergence

Indonesians have witnessed the rise and fall of women organizations, at both micro and macro levels. In 1928, there were at least thirty women’s organizations from various religious and regional backgrounds, and working on various issues, succeeded in holding the first Indonesian Women’s Congress. But a century later there were only three organizations that survived, one of them is ‘Aisyiyah. This current paper aims at exploring factors that contribute to the survival of the organization from a perspective of conflict resolution; it investigates what strategies they use to address intra and inter-organizational conflicts, by employing a qualitative analytical approach by way of the case study. The data were collected through interviews and documentation. From studying several cases of organizational conflicts encountered by ‘Aisyiyah at different times it is found that the organization constantly encounters intra and inter-organizational conflicts. It applies various strategies to deal with them in accordance with the situation and necessity. What is pivotal is ‘Aisyiyah’s willingness to explore possibilities to find win-win solutions, such as silence, inaction, negotiation, mediation to conflict transformation, to find islah ways. However, when foundational values are at stake, ‘Aisyiyah would not be reluctant to contend and use the strategy of threat.[Bangsa Indonesia telah menjadi saksi bermunculan dan berjatuhannya organisasi perempuan, baik tingkat nasional maupun lokal. Di tahun 1928 terdapat kurang lebih 30 organisasi perempuan yang terlibat aktif dalam Kongres Perempuan Indonesia pertama. Namun seabad kemudian hanya tersisa tiga organisasi yang bertahan, salah satunya 'Aisyiyah. Dengan pendekatan resolusi konflik, artikel ini menjelaskan faktor dan strategi pendukung untuk bertahan menghadapi ketegangan internal dan eksternal organisasi. Data yang dikumpulkan melalui wawancara dan studi arsip menunjukkan bahwa 'Aisyiyah dalam beberapa periode yang berbeda telah menghadapi persoalan di dalam dan antar organisasi yang mana membutuhkan strategi yang tepat dalam penyelesaiannya. Terpenting bagi 'Aisyiyah adalah usaha mencari solusi yang sama-sama menguntungkan menuju jalan damai seperti mendiamkan, negosiasi, mediasi hingga transformasi konflik. Namun jika nilai-nilai dasar organisasi menjadi taruhan, 'Aisyiyah tentu tak segan mengambil langkah tegas].