ABSTRACT

This study investigated the impact of conflict management on employee productivity in five hospitals of Imo State. Respondents comprised 237 employees selected through stratified sampling technique. Data were generated through the use of validated structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Hypotheses were tested using the chi-square (X2 ) test. The results of the empirical tests showed that vulnerable organizational structure and personality conflict arc causes of conflict within organization that affect performance. The result of the Chi-square analysis also indicated that motivation and negotiation are ways of managing conflict in organizations. In addition. results indicated that reduction of work performance efficiency and competition are prominent impacts conflict has on employee productivity. Furthermore, findings revealed that there are positive and negative effects that conflict imposes on the work performance in the organization. The study concluded that conflict was an unavoidable phenomenon in organizational life and it could contribute or detract from organizational performance depending on the conflict management methods adopted in the work place. It was recommended that organizations should encourage efficient and effective communication between and among all categories of the employees in the organization and employees should be timely remunerated and motivated.