LANGUAGE USE IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION BETWEEN HODs AND STAFF IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSTIES: A STUDY OF NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA

Abstract

This research, the language use in conflict resolution between the Head of Department and the staff in Nigerian universities was carried out to access the implication of language use during conflict resolution in a Federal University in Nigeria. The study is anchored on three research questions. Previous literatures or studies in this area were reviewed and some gaps were discovered thus necessitating a study in this direction to close the gap. The researcher applied descriptive survey as the research design for this study. The population consists of three Departments in the Nigerian University under study. Stratified random sampling technique was applied by the researcher to select data for the study. Thirty-one items researcher-questioners were developed, validated, trail-tested and used to draw the data from the respondents. The instrument was administered by the researcher and data obtained were presented and analyzed using frequency and simple percentage to answer the study questions. The researcher discovered that HODs in the study Departments do not show consideration for the feelings of their counterparts in discourse, although they discuss calmly with their staff, greater number of respondents prefer to apply strategies for avoiding conflict rather than for minimizing conflict after it has ensued. The researcher therefore recommends that in addition to discussing calmly with their staff, HODs in the study Departments must begin to show consideration for the feelings of their staff in interaction.