CONFLICTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: CAUSES AND MANAGEMENT

Conflict can be a serious problem in any organization. It might not bring about the demise of an organization, but it certainly can hurt an organization's performance as well as lead to the loss of many good employees. However, as we shall discover in this study, all conflicts are not bad. Conflict has a positive side as well as a negative side. The focus of this study is on conflict and its management in formal organizations with particular reference to tertiary institutions in Nigeria comprising universities, colleges of Education, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Technology. This paper attempted to review relevant works of experts and scholars in conflict and its management. As a conceptual framework, the paper discussed (a) the meaning and nature of conflict in formal organizations (b) causes/sources of conflict and its consequences, and (c) conflict management as a strategy to curb conflict episodes in Nigerian tertiary institutions.