Work-place Conflict Management a Predictor of Employees' Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to ascertain conflict management styles as a predictor of employees' performance at National Horticultural Research Institute in Nigeria. Survey research method was used in eliciting information from the employees. Taro Yaman sampling size technic was used to determine sample size. From the 850 employees, 90 employees were sampled using a random sampling technique. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and regression statistic. The findings showed that 68.3 percent of the employees were within the age range of 20-40 years while 56.1% were male. The employees' educational status indicated that 98.8 % of the employees obtained a Bachelor of Agriculture. The predominant causes of work place conflict were the anti-union disposition to management (x̄ =2.91) and perceived autocratic styles of the managers (x̄ = 2.79). The result of the regression analysis revealed that conflict management styles used by the management were integrating, obligation, compromising, dominating and avoiding. These conflict management styles predicted 72.1 percent variation in employee job performance.