Conflict Management Strategies and Employee Productivity in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki

Workplace conflict in Nigerian public universities has emerged as a significant inhibitor of academic and administrative productivity, disrupting teaching activities, research output, and institutional governance when left unresolved or poorly managed. This study examines the relationship between conflict management strategies and employee productivity at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki. The research is anchored on Thomas and Kilmann's Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) Theory, which categorises conflict management responses along two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness, yielding five distinct styles: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The population comprised 798 academic and non-academic staff at Ebonyi State University. Using stratified random sampling proportionate to faculty and department size, a sample of 261 respondents was drawn. Data were gathered through validated questionnaires and analysed using regression analysis and ANOVA. Findings indicate that collaborative and compromising conflict management styles are most significantly associated with high employee productivity outcomes, while competing and avoiding styles are inversely related to team effectiveness and task completion rates. The study further finds that management's adoption of structured grievance resolution mechanisms reduces the duration and intensity of interpersonal conflicts significantly, translating into measurable productivity gains. It is concluded that institutionalising collaborative conflict management practices is essential for sustaining academic and administrative productivity at Ebonyi State University. The study recommends that university management establish a conflict resolution committee, train departmental heads in constructive conflict facilitation, and review the grievance procedure to ensure timely and impartial resolution.

Keywords: Conflict management, employee productivity, Ebonyi State University, TKI theory, workplace conflict