CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

Conflict is an inherent aspect of organizational life, and its effective management is crucial for promoting employee performance and overall success.  This study examines the relationship between conflict management and employee performance, using the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Benin, as a case study. The research investigates how ASUU's conflict management strategies affect the performance of academic staff, exploring the impact of strikes, negotiations, and collective bargaining on employee productivity, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. This study investigates the relationship between conflict management and employee performance, with a focus on the strategies and approaches used to resolve conflicts in the workplace.A sampling techniques adopted, combining both quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of 100 employees and 10 in-depth interviews with Human resourceteam leaders. The Findings obtained after due analysis of the data retrieved from the respondents showed, a moderate application of both collective bargaining, arbitration, and joint consultation by the asuu organization.A statistically significant relationship exists between the strategy of conflict management employed and employees performance; with all three dimensions having strong causal effect on employee performance. The study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the importance of conflict management in promoting employee performance and providing practical recommendations for organizations to improve their conflict management practices