CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AS A CATALYST FOR ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A STUDY OF ISA MUSTAPHA AGWAI I POLYTECHNIC, LAFIA.

ABSTRACT The emphasis of this study has been conflict management as a catalyst for organizational performance with reference to Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia. Conflict among employees in an organization is not simply inevitable; rather it is the nature of complex organization. Specifically the study seeks to; ascertain the extent to which negotiation as a conflict management strategy influences organizational performance, establish the extent to which third party intervention as a conflict management strategy influences organizational performance, determine the extent to which communication as a conflict management strategy influences organizational performance. The study employed Marxian conflict theory. Questionnaire based on the research was adopted for the study and data collected were analyzed with the aid of simple percentage. Following the discoveries and findings highlighted in the discourse the study concluded that conflict if managed will increase the performance of the organization and that poor conflict management will have a negative effect. The study proffered recommendations as to how the problems identified could be ameliorated; that the organization should focus on increasing the utilization of conflict management strategies like negotiation and third party intervention to increase organizational performance among others.