Introduction
1.1 General Background To The Subject Matter
In every society, the desire to solve the physiological and other needs of man have compelled people to form groups, corporate bodies or organizations with the intent to achieve this aim. This is what in the contemporary times, there is the presence of organizations such as markets churches, public service, educational institutions, transport service and the likes. All these and more different aim.
According to worsley (1977.305) “organisation are bodies persisting overtime, which are specifically set up to achieve specific aim” He went further to explain that political parties churches, public service, educational institutions etc are all organizations where people work for a livelihood. Some organizations have existed to facilitate production of goods, while some others do exist to render service in order to better the conditions of man. The man in our contemporary world is shape more and more by organizations which he has little or no control and coupled with the fact that because of various developments in the world we are living in what has been known as organization society people by man.
Consequently, organizations by their very nature bring together people of different and desire orientations and background in their bid to achieve stated goods. More often then not members of an organization may have individual goals which may stand in their way of submitting themselves to organizational goals and this may be counter productive. at that point, it may be said that personal interests have come into conflict with official aims. As noted by Adewumi (1992.1) a conflict situation is one in which there is no difference and divergence of particular issue or views and positions on particular issue or development “on the other hand, Thomas (1976.131)define conflicts as “a process which begins when one part perceive that the other has frustrated or is about to frustrated or is about to perceive that the other has frustrated or is about to frustrate some concern of his Nwankwo (1988.2) complemented this by asserting that conflict implies” any perceived (convert) or demonstrated (overt) difference of interest between groups or individuals or groups to the job and the condition or circumstances in which it is to Nwankwo, could be non-co-operation, strict adhere Nwankwo, could be non- cooperation, strict adhere to rules no matter the conditions absenteeism and general low turnover; while demonstrated conflict can be a political satotaye or actions. Thus in many organisation in spite of actions. Thus in many organisation in spite of the fact that the two groups (labour and management) are bonded by the common interest of rendering or producing goods/ services interest of rendering or producing goods/ services to the public events have proved that there is always a latent antagonism among them concerning the realization of these common interest and mutual desires.
In the opinion of Balogun (1992.1) social groups by their nature are infact characterized by conflict. This is so because aims objectives and interest of the social units (individuals that constitute any social groups differs. One psychological concept that make thus so is the self. Self is the totality of an individual as perceived by him in relation to his environment. This could be influenced by what, whom, how and why he seems himself to be what he is and what he wants to be a threat towards the hence the unavoidable conflict between individual and the perceived source of threat. This source could be another individual issue, policies behaviors of other people at Balogun (1992.1) explained that things to most people, connotes heyatire things or destruction phenomenon. However “this is not the case because conflict at times properly manage can be constructive. Some degree of conflict is necessary from time to time if only to help in bringing “life” to rather monotones and boring social life in any social group consequently, a higher institution like Enugu state university of science and technology (ESUT) is an organisation which is known in the world of literates as a citadel of knowledge which as it system as assemblage of intelligent men and women. Often time, conflicts here extend in this institution. These conflicts in some occasion have been between the management and the labour (i.e the workers) and sometimes between the government and the institution itself. Given the fact that the institution parades a bundle of intellectuals, these conflicts when they occur (or arise) where always intelligently and expertly managed the outside world were always taken a back at how these conflicts were quelled in this institution many times without interference many organizations in recent twins have either folded up, gore into obtirion or have had most of there workers thrown out because of the accuracy of conflicts in such organization. However, in Esut conflicts occur and re occur but at each occasion such conflicts are dealt with totally with and incredible equanimity by these at the helm of affairs in the institution as if higher institution has been able to handle such phenomena without any eternal arbiter. The researches believe that the secret behaving their ability to achieve such remarkable fault is dependent to a large extent on their expertise in conflict management. The ability to manage a conflict has been a major source of success for many organizations in this country. However, the questions in this country. However, the question them is what exactly is conflict management? And how far and to what extent can conflicts be management in organization especially higher institutions.
It is as a result of the above analogy and in response to the question posed that this study looked critically at the issue management of organizational conflicts in higher institutions with special references to Enugu state University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu.
