Conflict Management Styles and Work Performance of Middle Level School Managers in Secondary Schools in a Selected Division in Metro Manila

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Over the years, the word organization, just like organizations nowadays, is defined in more ways than one.  Despite the diverse definitions, the word organization has basically three elements.  First, there should be a group or groups of working people.  Second, no organization exists without a common goal.  Third, of course, an organization will not run without money or financial resources.  To function smoothly and properly, it should be properly managed.  Management has a systematic process that is basically comprised of 5 functions: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling.  When these steps synchronize, an organization stands to be well managed.

Basically, a school, just like an organization, is composed of a group or groups of people – the teaching and non-teaching personnel working together towards a common goal.  Like a typical organization, the school needs money and others resources to function well.

Yet, a school is neither just an organization, nor a system.  Being a social system, it has three main internal elements of a system: individual, work group, and institution.  It is a system of social interaction; it is an organized whole comprised of interacting personalities bound together in an organic relationship (Waller, as cited by Hoy & Miskel, 1991).

For a school to have a proper distribution of functions, there must be delegation of authority.  Authority is the right to make decisions and direct the work of others (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2000).  Since there is a delegation of authority, these delegated authorities have specific responsibilities.  When there is responsibility, there is work.  In an organization like a school, work or job performance is expected of an individual who has a delegated authority.  Performance is the criterion by which most employees are evaluated.  Identifying an individual’s work performance is necessary.  If the work performance of an individual is checked, school administrators can determine the effectiveness of a personnel selection, identify employees with leadership potentials and make decisions about future staffing needs (Smither, 1998).  It provides data that indicate the organization’s overall strengths and weaknesses, prompting the decision-makers to make necessary adjustments like reorganizations, recruitment or retraining, or application of appropriate corrective actions (Baltazar et al., 2005).  Because each job description has a specific expected work performance, unmet expectations of a specific work performance leads to conflict.

Conflict, inherent in any organizations, doesn’t just happen.  It is a part of our everyday life.  When a person interacts with somebody or something, there are more or less chances that a conflict or two will arise.

Often times, this stance is viewed as negative.  Contrary to the popular belief, teachers who are handling leadership positions – be they principal or department heads – should realize that it is a mistake to stop all conflict.  Instead, the mindset of leaders should treat conflict as a phenomenon.  After all, conflict nowadays is being considered as the door for growth and development.  People with leadership post in school such as principals, head teachers, and head of the non-teaching force do recognize now that if their ideas were challenged, there would rise possibilities of more new ideas.  In addition, these school-based educational leaders (principals, head teachers, head of the non-teaching force) begin to recognize that if the ideas were unchallenged, they may end not having sound decisions.  Too much conformity can lead to organizational downfall.