Effect of Workplace Conflict on Teacher Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Homa Bay Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Workplace conflict is a global organizational phenomenon present in all organizations including schools. Many schools in Kenya have experienced a general wave of conflict characterized by destruction of property. Between 1980 and 2008, the number of conflicts in public secondary schools increased from 22 to more than 300, with property of great value destroyed and learning time wasted. Homa Bay County in the past three years experienced increased incidences of workplace conllict which resulted into massive destruction of school property in more than five Secondary schools and 37 teachers interdicted among others. Many studies have been done in the area or conflict management and the effect of conflict management strategies on organizational performance. However, they focused on conflict in general without looking at specific dimensions of conflict and their effects on teacher performance. This study, sought to analyze the effect of workplace conflict on teacher performance. Specifically it intended to establish the effect of task conflict, role conflict, structural conflict and relationship conflict on teacher performance in I-Ioma Bay Sub County. The study was guided by the lntcractionists view or organizational conflict. Correlation research design was adopted with a target population or the 456 teachers in the 56 public secondary schools in Horna Bay Sub County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to draw individual respondents ranging from principals and deputy principals, HODs games, Director of studies and assistant teachers totaling to 224 respondents. Questionnaire was used to collect primary data. A pilot study was done on eight principals from eight public secondary Schools. Split half technique was used to test the reliability where a correlation coefficient 01'0.83 was computed showing reliability of the test instrument. Data were analyzed by computing Pearson correlation coefficient that revealed a significant but weak positive association among the independent variables, suggesting absence of serial correlation. Relationship conflict (r = -0.667, P = 0.00), structural contlict (r = -0.582, P = 0.00), Task conflicts (I' = -0.493, P = 0.00) and goal conflicts (r = -0.362, P = 0.000) had significant negative association with teacher performance suggesting a negative influence on teacher performance. Regression results showed that, task conflict (B = -0.263, p< .05, Goal conflict (B= -0.253, p<.05), Structural conflict (-0.394, p <. 05) had significant negative effects on teacher performance while relationship conflict (-0.009, p< .05) had statistical Iy insign ificant negati ve effect on teacher performance. The study cone Iudes that . apart from the relationship conflict, all the other dimensions of conllict have a negative significant effect on teacher performance and thus should be reduced to enhance teacher performance. Likert scale was used, more studies in the same area should be done using time series data to check the accuracy of the findings. The study findings may help in policy making in the academic arena and provide literature for further research.