INDICACIONES PARA CONTESTAR EL CUESTIONARIO

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increase creativity by acting as a stimulus for developing new ideas or identifying methods for solving problems (Fakhry and Abou El Hassan, 2011).It can also help them to recognise legitimate difference within the organisation or profession and serves as a powerful motivator to improve performance and satisfaction (Hagel and Brown, 2005). Conflict tactics employed by teachers, as an immediate response to the actions of the other parties, can make conflict to escalate into violence action, or can make conflict to become a constructive element that will improve the existing level of relationship and interaction among teachers.

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which it is operating in an organisation. Rahim (1986) stated that little or no conflict in organisations may lead to stagnation, poor decisions, and ineffectiveness. On the other hand, organisational conflict left uncontrolled may have dysfunctional outcomes. Therefore, “too little manifestation of conflict is stagnancy, but uncontrolled conflict threatens chaos (Rahim, 1986). This may in turn lead to taking wrong decisions, and consequently poor performance may result. These ideas indicate that the level at which conflict is operating in an organisation has the potential to determine its future survival and development. An optimal or appropriate level of conflict may energise people in constructive directions and lead to maximum organisational performance (Peretomode and Peretomode, 2008). The degree of performance of an organisation is a function of the level at which conflict is operating in the organisation.

The relationship between conflict level and performance is illustrated below.

73 Figure 2.4: Conflict level and Performance.

Situation Level of Conflict

Type of Conflict Unit‟s Internal Characteristics

Unit Performance

Outcome

A Low or None

Dysfunction

Apathetic stagnant Nonresponsive to change

Lack of new ideas

Low

B Optimal Functional

Viable Self-critical

Innovative

High

C High Dysfunctional

Disruptive Chaotic uncooperative

Low

Source: Robbins and Judge (2007).

Robbins and Judge (2007) indicated that the level of conflict can be either too high or too low. Either extreme hinders performance (i.e. situation A and C). An optimal level (i.e situation B) is one at which there is enough conflict to prevent stagnation, stimulate creativity, allow tensions to be released and initiate the seeds for change, yet not so much as to be disruptive or to deter coordination of activities (Robbins and Judge, 2007). According to them, inadequate or excessive levels of conflict can hinder the effectiveness of a group or an organisation, resulting in reduced satisfaction of group members, increased absence and (High) Level of Conflict

C A B

(High)

Unit Performance

(Low)

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turnover rates and eventually lower productivity. In the school system, the existing conflict level is a prerequisite for determining the conduciveness of the school, the nature of interpersonal relationship among staff, performance of students and teachers‟ productivity.

Where optimal conflict level is evident, the school will experience positive changes which will impact on teachers, students and the entire system for good. Cetin and Hacifazlioglu (2004) posited that whether or not, conflict benefit academics (i.e. teachers) and colleges depends on two factors: first one is the intensity of the conflict and the other is the way conflict is managed. The numerous conflicts that teachers face daily in their schools can affect their level of productivity, when wrongly managed. Iravo (n.d) stated that for every organisation, an optimal level of conflict exists which is considered highly functional as it helps to generate good performance.

When conflict level is too high (dysfunctional), performance suffers (Iravo, n.d).

Security is an issue that is also associated with conflict level. A high conflict level will breed insecurity, which can jeopardise the work attitudes, commitment and performance of people.

Boucaut (2003) declared that for people to be able to perform their work to the best of their ability, they require ontological security or a feeling of trust that they are safe in their working environment. Dee and Henkin (2001) posited that teachers‟ commitment to duty is linked to school organisational climate, arising from trust, and team commitment. Insecurity has the tendency to deter teachers‟ productivity, which will in turn affect the academic performance of students. Insecurity is a visible realistic tendency of a school climate riddled with high conflict level. Ikoya and Akinseinde (2009) observed that they have separately and in consonance reported that students appear to learn better in a school environment with minimum conflict. When the conflict level operating in a school is high, it will heat up the school climate, making teachers‟ work commitment to decline. The illustration below shows how conflict level can impact on the conduciveness of the school climate.

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Figure 2.5: Conflict level and School Climate

Figure 2.5 revealed the use of thermometer to illustrate the degree of hotness, ideal and coldness of conflict in an organisation. When conflict is operating at 92degrees in a school, no meaningful result will be achieved. At 92 degrees conflict level , teachers‟ productivity will be paralysed, students learning will be distorted, and the school will be totally unconducive for any meaningful activity. This is a conflict level where the school climate is severely hot, and it is characterised by a “lot of dissension, anger, hostility, mistrust, conflict, suspension” (Sue, 1996) and so on. The degree of hotness generated by conflict at that level will not permit school staff, most especially, teachers to effectively carry out their

92 degrees – HOT, lot of dissension, anger, hostility, mistrust, conflict, suspensions

72 degrees – IDEAL

52 degrees – COLD, rigid, uncaring atmosphere,

apathetic faculty and students, low motivation and morale

Source

:

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responsibilities. This will result in decline in teachers‟ productivity, and will pave way for the manifestation of poor academic performance of students and poor quality education in a country. 72 degrees is the ideal conflict level for any organisation to operate efficiently to attain its goals. At that conflict level, the school will radiate a conducive climate that will induce optimal performance. This conflict level is considered as optimal level in which organisational conflicts are transformed into functional tools that will enhance performance.

Iravo (n.d) indicated that for every organization, an optimal level of conflict exists which is considered highly functional as it helps to generate good performance. Conflict, at this level, is characterised by mutual understanding, cooperation, and amicable resolution of conflict which will result in win-win outcome. A school climate characterised by these features will permit creativity and innovation, which are essential for better performance of teachers.

When the conflict level is at 52 degrees, the school climate will be too cold to permit effective interaction. The climate will feature the demonstration of “rigid, uncaring atmosphere, apathetic faculty and students, low motivation and morale” (Sue, 1996).

Teachers will find it difficult to effectively execute their duties in such a school climate.

Therefore, the productivity of teachers will be low because their morale and work commitment will be too cold to generate the level of impact needed to induce change in the system.