Communication And Work Place Conflict Resolutions

Effective communication is a crucial element in our lives and it is the basis for the organizational objective achievement. Moreover, as it is known quality of communication has a direct impact on the quality of relationship. This is why effective communication is crucial. The general objective of this study is to assess the role of effective communication in conflict resolution process in Ado-Odo local government area. Both primary and secondary data were obtained and used from top manager and the non- managerial employees of local government area by interview and questionnaire methods of data collection. The secondary data was collected by reviewing records, journals and brochures of the local government area. The study has used stratified sampling technique that is a good way to give equal chance for all departmental employees who had different responses. To analyze the findings of the study and the collected data qualitative analysis method was used. Based on the findings of the study, work over load, communication gap to resolve conflict, less attention given by management for discussion, less response of management for employees" grievances, less contribution of communication on conflict resolution process, and difference in attitude towards communication were the major problems that affect communication not to achieve its goal (conflict resolution).

Finally, the student researcher recommended that management should understand the source of conflict, stimulate functional conflict, and prevent dysfunctional conflict, giving attention for discussion by management, sufficient response of management for employees" grievance, using effective communication to resolve conflict and encouraging employees" positive attitude of communication to resolve conflict can be solutions to resolve the above-mentioned problems.

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Communication is an indispensable tool in interaction among people. It is a means by which relationship is created and fostered among people. Everybody has a way of communicating with people in his workplace. Adequate information is a necessity to profer solution to wrong impression of the people in a workplace and also to prevent conflict. If communication is lost in a work place, it may result in conflict. Therefore communication is required in a workplace to give solution to problems.

Communication is the channel or exchange of information by speaking, writing or using other mediums and it is also the act of conveying meanings from one place or group to another through the use of mutual understanding, signs, symbols and semiotic rules.

M.T Myers and G.E. Myers (2015) refers to communication as a special kind of patterning: a patterning which is expressed in symbolic form. For communication to take place between or among people, two requirements must be met (i) a symbolic system must be shared by the people involved (we need to speak the same language or jargon or dialect) and (ii) the association between the symbols and their referents must be shaped.

Communication is a tool in the resolution of conflicts especially in official workplaces to resolve conflict in a work place. It has been observed that poor communication results in misunderstanding and eventually brings about conflicts. Communication must therefore be clear and precise to avoid conflict.

For an organization or a work place to be stable and reliable, there must be effective communication flow between staff and management. Poor communication in a work place can generate uncertainty and indecision team will not work as a team, instead, they turn into a group of people working under the same roof. Team member must communicate well, and each role must be clear or specified.

Conflict can also be seen as the result of competing desires, or the presence of obstacles that need to be overcome. Problems can be reduced by paying attention to how well you send and receive messages. Both managers and workers are responsible for the outcome of communication in an organization. It can be resolved in a work place through mutual understanding and communication. Conflict resolution can be viewed way by which one, tow or more parties reach a peaceful resolution to a dispute. There can be varieties of conflict in a workplace. Conflict may occur between a service provider and their client or customers between co- workers, subordinate and supervisors.

Conflict may occur in different ways in different organization and could be resolved by using different approaches. Ado-Odo Local Government area in Ogun State is one of the local governments in Ogun State which execute the duties, functions and responsibilities of local government as directed by the 1999 Nigerian constitution.

The Local Government should be sound and honest to earn the people"s confidence, support and respect. There cannot be good local government activities without public awareness.

Local government is a structure which provides for goods and services needed by the people and also brings development and good governance to the local level. Despite the attribute, development has not satisfy public expectations at the grass root level in Ado-Odo Local government area due to lack of accountability, transparency and good communication strategy in the administration of the local government to the public.

Iyeh (2014) stated that traditional institutions are still an integral part of every organized society. Apart from caring for the lowest level of the people"s survival, traditional institutions are custodians of cultural norms and values.

These norms and values have helped in sanitizing various societies. They also form the basis upon which traditional rulers exercise their act of governance, power, authority and influence on their subjects.

The Traditional institutions which include the Oba, chiefs, counselors and among others are valuable support system to the local government because they could influence their subjects at the grass roots positively or negatively to either support a sitting government or rebel against it. In order to have a continous beneficial relationship with the people of Ado-Odo and to be able to communicate any developments with them, it will be necessary to prevent conflict in the local government and allow adequate communication flow and co-operations.
Ado-Odo Ota Local Government requires effective communication to solve conflict issues

Conflict means different thing to different people. It is the presence of hostility or absence of peace. It could also mean disagreement over an issue. Peace and conflict cannot occur at the same time. Conflict in Ado-Odo Local Government is inevitable, but how can it be resolved amicably to prevent it from escalating to crisis. Efforts are being geared towards containing conflicting problems by the administrations of the Local government. These efforts have not yielded the desired results, hence conflicting situations has continually been lingered.

Ado-Odo Local Government is an administrative structure designed to bring government closer to the people. This enable a two way communication to brings about dividends of governance and development. There are arguments since the local government have not lived up to expectation of the public. In spite of the enormous achievements of the state government, the local government and chieftaincy domains operate in the midst of poverty, diseases, lack of good access roads, electricity, pipe-borne water, lack of good health care centre and other infrastructural facilities leading to high rate of rural to urban migration.

Communication as a tool is used for creating awareness, public relations, communication and not conflict resolution and relationship activities in the local government area.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

As long as people in organization work together, conflict is inevitable or unavoidable. This means as people work together the incompatibility of goals, attitudes, emotions or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between them. Conflicts occur because people do not agree on goals, issues, perceptions and people inevitably compete for the scare resources (Many Cullinan; 1996: 407).

Same authors say that any organization has no meaning with out communication. To reduce or if possible to avoid the above inevitable conditions, communication have a vital role. Communication is not only used for conflict resolution but also it is the basis for the organizations objectives achievements:- increasing productivity, job satisfaction , getting information about competitors dimension , to cope with modern information technology and any activates in any field of study . Thus, the fact is that communication is the crucial element in our lives.

The factors that motivated the student researcher to study the problem on communication of local government area were poor and not sufficient service that the employees of the local government area provide for their customers as the researcher is one who takes service from them. Moreover, from compliant of other customers, the student researcher thinks that poor and not sufficient service may be from lack of communication on resolving conflict.
Before this study, as the manager of local government area told to the student researcher, there is no study under taken on effective communication in resolving conflict, which is a burning issue to be discussed and solved by the management of the organization.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

This research seeks to realize the following objectives:

To examine communication and work place, conflict resolution in Ado-do local government area, Ogun State, Nigeria.

To analyse medium of communication among staff of Ado Odo Local Government

To analyse areas of conflict that exist among staff

1.4 Research Questions

This study intend to provide answers to the following research questions

What are the channels of communication that exist among the staff

What are the perceived conflict among staff of Ado Odo Local Government

What are the measures of resolutions employed by staff in the resolution of conflict

What are the effect of workplace conflict in the administration of local government activities?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The findings of the study will help the local government to formulate policies to curtail conflict or help to resolve conflict in organization. The study will also serve as a base for further research and reference materials for academic institution.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The research work is restricted to communication and conflict resolution in organization, Ado-Odo Ota Local Government as a case study. It will also examine communication in work place and how conflicts can be resolved in Ado-Odo Local Government Area. The research topic is chosen because of the different administrative reform going on in the local government basically aimed at sustaining peace and to contribute to the healthy promotion of relationship among the people.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

Every human endeavour undergoes limitation due to constraint imposed on human nature. In carrying out this study, some problems are inevitable that invariably serve as limitation to the research work. The problem with timing was the first challenge since the research work was carried on along with normal lectures and school activities. The field work became so tasking. The problem of finance due to transportation cost along with bad roads and stationery materials were quite expensive.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

In view of this research, some technical terms will be defined for clear understanding:

Communication is a dispute or disagreement between two or more parties. Local government refers to the governance of the public in the local levels under the state government. It is the lowest tiers of public administration within a sovereign state.

Communication is the process of sharing ideas, information, relationship and interactions messages between two or more people.

1.9 Organizations of the Study

The chapter one consist of the introductory part of the study which includes the study background, the statement of the research problem, the study objective and scope of the study.

The second chapter is a critical review of other literatures relevant to the study and its objectives including the theoretical framework for the study. While the third chapter is methods of data collection, sampling and data analysis used in conducting the study. The fourth chapter centres around the research findings including an analysis of how it relates to previous findings. The fifth chapter consists of the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations base on the study objectives.

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