A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Abstract

The study was carried out to compare the conflict management styles and organizational environment in the old and newly established universities of the Punjab. The population of the study was comprised of four public sector universities of the Punjab including two old and two newly established universities. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 500 faculty members including 40 heads of the departments and 460 faculty members from the old and newly established universities of the Punjab. Two instruments namely conflict management styles inventory (CMSI) and organizational environment scale (OES) were used to conduct the study. The responded questionnaires were 38 from heads of the departments and 336 from the faculty members. So the response rate was 95 % from the heads of the departments and 73 % from the faculty members. According to the study, no significant difference was found in the conflict management styles and the organizational environments of the both types of universities. The study also inferred that, in the newly and old established universities, the integrating, obliging and dominating styles were being used. These styles showed impact on the organizational environmental factors like guidance & support, participation & coordination and teamwork. The frequently used style was avoiding in the newly established universities and its corresponding environmental factors were facilitations, participation & coordination and rewards & benefits. The compromising style negatively affects the professional development of the teachers. The age, gender, qualification, teaching experience and administrative experience had no impact on the use of conflict management styles.