A constructive Approach to Managing Faculty Conflict: An Action Research Study

Type
Indicators
Direct Costs Indirect Costs Opportunity Costs	Labor-Time and Compensation Overhead Litigation Settlements Replacement Workers Compensation Health Care Security Quality Defects Lost Productivity Lost Revenue Compensation Premium Excess Capacity Missed Opportunities

Conflict between faculty and administrators, according to the findings of the study, is also affecting educational policy. The institution is responsible for setting the parameters to which it governs and how it operates. The absence of addressing how faculty and administrators should manage conflict, outside of formal reporting to the Office of Human Resources, effects the way in which faculty and administrators teach, lead and serve the university. Conflict between faculty and administrators, as key stakeholders in the institution, educationally can cause serious alterations in the growth and development of the institution.

Reflections

Participant-Leader/Participant-Researcher. As an organizational leader who additionally assumed the role of participant-leader and participant-researcher, leading this mixed methods action research study provided context of the study from different

perspectives. As a participant leader, the researcher was able to empathize with those participants in the study due to her own experience with conflict and was overwhelmed by the similarities shared. It truly validated the reasons the researcher identified conflict as an issue and the interest in conducting this particular study. There was significant value in this study that allowed all involved to gain insight into our own approach to conflict. Working through the conflict management strategies workshops and sharing experiences demonstrated a need to discuss the issue of conflict by many. Discussing conflict in small pockets versus discussing conflict in a group with like-minded individuals from across campus, confirmed conflict on campus is not only a real issue but one that many are exhausted in dealing with.

The researcher learned, while various strategies of conflict resolution exist, this study proved useful as an effective approach to managing conflict between faculty and administrators and conflict management strategies workshops are widely used by professional conflict resolution companies. While not one factor can pinpoint the cause of conflict between faculty and administrators on Morehead State University’s campus, this study demonstrated a need for conflict resolution sooner rather than later. The researcher recognizes as a participant-researcher the study may not have fully addressed every aspect of organizational conflict or other conflict management strategies offered in the literary research, but it did address the problem of practice examined through the guided research questions.
The researcher’s observational notes indicated while the workshop seemed to be an effective method to provide conflict management strategies for faculty and administrators and it satisfied the objective of the action research study, even if not every

participant perceived the workshop to be of value. The researcher did state to the participants the conflict management strategies workshop was designed to be a moderated version for the purposes of a research study. Therefore, the researcher appreciated the value in receiving both positive and negative feedback to truly assess the workshops effectiveness. The research study addressed the issue of conflict between faculty and administrators, sought to provide an intervention, and reported on the results of the study. While the research study provided evidence that conflict exists on the campus of Morehead State University between faculty and administrators as an issue that needs to be addressed, the research study also emphasized the need for the institution to recognize conflict between faculty and administrators as an issue in order to provide methods to manage conflict.

Leading Organizational Change/Leadership. This study could not have been effective without the support of the co-facilitator and the openness of the participants in discussing conflict and their experiences in dealing with conflict. The researcher recognizes for many, this may have been difficult to do, but they all did it with bravery. The participants recognize a change is needed in the institution regarding conflict and conflict management, therefore the researcher believes the participants were willing to have open and honest discussions about conflict in order to incite and express their vision for change. As a faculty member, I understand and as an administrator I am committed to being a voice for that change. These were the effects of the study, it allowed those of us who participated to be a change agent within the organization.