Effects of principals' conflict management styles on performance of teachers' duties in public secondary schools in Masaba South area, Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of principals' conflict management styles on performance of teachers' duties in public secondary schools in Masaba South area, Kisii County, Kenya. The study sought to address the following specific objectives; examine how the principal's collaborative conflict management style influences performance of teachers' duties in public secondary schools in Masaba South area; to identify the effects of principal's compromise conflict management style on teacher performance in secondary schools in Masaba South area; to establish the influence of principals avoidance conflict management style on teacher performance in secondary schools in Masaba South area; to determine how the principals accommodation conflict management style affect performance of teachers in secondary schools in Masaba South area; to identify the influence of principals competing style of managing conflicts on teacher performance in secondary schools in Masaba South area.

Descriptive survey research design was used in this study. The population of this study comprised of39 principals and 252 teachers in the targeted schools. Simple random sampling method was used to select the 37 schools. From the 37 schools 5 heads of departments were used in the study making a total of 185 teachers. 37 principals were also included in the study. The total population included 185 heads of departments and 37 principals. The study used two types of instruments namely; The Thomas Kilmann Mode instrument and the structured interview. The research instruments were tested in order to assess their' reliability. To test the reliability of the instruments, test retest was used.

Data analysis applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches to process, analyze and interpret the data. The study made the following conclusions: that the principals who use collaborative conflict management styles are able to resolve conflict, since there is cooperation between himself and the teachers. Hence the teachers perform their duties well. The principal who chooses to use accommodating conflict management style should realise that this style may affect teachers' performance of their duties. The principal using compromise conflict management style should be more carefulsince this can lead to the conflict re-emerging among the teachers. A principal who uses competing conflict management style should realise that there is need to incorporate other people other than himself and his own interest while paying no attention to others.

In view of the findings and implication of the study, it is recommended that: there is need for the principals to examine other factors that may be affecting teachers' performance of their duties; there is need for all the conflict management styles to be incorporated when solving conflict among teachers to encourage them perform their duties effectively. During staff meetings the principals allow teachers to express their views on various areas in the institutions that cause conflict amongst them and then address them amicably.