TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT OF PRINCIPALS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AND CONFLICTMANAGEMENT OF PRINCIPALS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA BY ANURUGWO APPOLONIA OSITA PG/Ph.D / 07/ 42474.. 175 LIST OF TABLES T

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AND CONFLICT

MANAGEMENT OF PRINCIPALS IN SECONDARY

SCHOOLS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

BY

ANURUGWO APPOLONIA OSITA

PG/Ph.D / 07/ 42474.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION,

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

SUPERVISOR: PROF (REV FR) A.U AKUBUE

DECEMBER, 2012

TITLE PAGE

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AND CONFLICT

MANAGEMENT OF PRINCIPALS IN SECONDARY

SCHOOLS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

BY

ANURUGWO APPOLONIA OSITA

PG/Ph.D / 07/ 42474.

THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL

FOUNDATION, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PH.D) IN EDUCATION

(EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION/PLANNING)

SUPERVISOR: PROF (REV FR) A.U AKUBUE

DECEMBER, 2012

APPROVAL PAGE

THIS THESIS HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS,

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA.

BY

This thesis is dedicated to God Almighty, the fountain of all knowledge

The researcher’s greatest appreciation goes to her supervisor Prof(Rev Fr) A U Akubue whose immeasurable assistance brought greatprofessionalism and insight to this work

The researcher is highly indebted to Prof D N Eze, Prof N I.Ogbonnaya, Prof O A Umeakuka, Prof C U Onwurah, Dr G T U Chiaha,

Dr M A Obidua, and Dr J O Ezeugwu, for graciously giving their time andexpertise, in bringing this work to the desired standard

Completing a study like this requires sustained attention andpersistence The researcher’s husband Chief Casmir C Anurugwo hassacrificed much without which such a task could not have beenaccomplished, and to that the researcher is grateful

To her lovely children Amarachi, Chukwuebuka, Chinedum,Febechi and Makuochukwu, the researcher remains appreciative of the loveand encouragement offered her in the course of this study

Finally the researcher wishes to express her unreserved appreciation

to her parents Chief and Lolo Athanasius Obi Egeonu and to all those whocontributed to the success of this work

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL PAGE ii

CERTIFICATION PAGE iii

DEDICATION iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi

LIST OF TABLE ix

LIST OF FIGURES x

ABSTRACT xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 11

Purpose of Study 13

Significance of the Study 14

Scope of the Study 16

Research Questions 17

Hypotheses 18

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Conceptual Framework 20

Concept of leadership 20

Concept of transformational leadership style 25

Concept of conflict 47

Concept of management 57

Concept of Conflict management 58

Leadership and conflict management in organization 71

Theoretical Framework 73

Trait theory of leadership 73

Behavioral theory of leadership 74

Situational theory of leadership 75

Chaos Theory 78

Complexity Theory 79

Theory of Quantum Mechanics 80

Review of Empirical Studies 87

Studies on Conflict Management 87

Studies on Leadership styles 90

Studies on Leadership Styles and Conflict Management 93

Summary of Literature Review 96

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD Design of the Study 98

Area of the Study 98

Population of the Study 99

Sample and Sampling Techniques 100

Instrument for Data Collection 100

Validation of the Instrument 101

Reliability of the instrument 102

Method of Data Collection 102

Method of Data Analysis 103

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS Research Question One 105

Hypothesis 1: 106

Research Question 2 107

Hypothesis 2 108

Research Question Three 109

Hypothesis 3 110

Research Question Four 111

Hypothesis 4 112

Research Question Five 113

Hypothesis 5 114

Summary of Findings 115

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, RECOMMENDATION AND SUMMARY Discussion of Findings 116

Conclusion 129

Educational implication of the study 130

Recommendation 133

Limitation of the study 134

Suggestion for further researches 135

Summary of the study 135

REFERENCES 137

APPENDICES Appendix A: Population Distribution of Principals and Teachers According to zone 150

Appendix B: A Letter of Introduction to the Respondent 151

Appendix C: Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Self Rater) 152

Appendix D: Conflict Resolution Questionnaire 154

Appendix E: Initial Draft 158

Appendix F: Final Draft 163

Appendix G: Reliability Analysis of Transformational Leadership Style and Conflict management 167 Appendix H: Pearson product moment correlation coefficient

of transformational leadership style and conflict

management 175

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Correlation coefficient ® of the relationship between

idealized influence component of transformational

leadership style and conflict management of

principals in secondary schools in Imo State. - 105

Table 2: Pearson product moment correlation analysis of

relationship between idealized influence and

conflict management of principals in Imo State - 106

Table 3: Correlation coefficient ® of the relationship

between inspirational motivation and conflict

management of principals in Imo State - 107

Table 4: Pearson product moment correlation analysis of

relationship between inspirational motivation and

conflict management of principals - 108

Table 5: Correlation coefficient ® of the relationship

between intellectual stimulation and conflict

management principals in Imo State - 109

Table 6: Pearson product moment correlation analysis of

relationship between intellectual stimulation and

conflict management of principals - 110

Table 7: Correlation coefficient ® of the relationship

between individualized consideration and

conflict management of principals in Imo State - 111Table 8: Pearson product moment correlation analysis of

relationship between individualized consideration and

conflict management of principals in Imo State - 112Table 9: Correlation coefficient ® of the relationship between

overall transformational leadership styles and conflict

management of principals in Imo State - 113Table 10: Pearson product moment and correlation analysis of

relationship between transformational leadership style

LIST OF FIGURES

Fig 1: The additive effect of transformational leadership - 30Fig 1: Key Steps in conflict management - 68Fig.2: A model for conflict management - 69

The study was carried out to investigate the relationship betweentransformational leadership style and conflict management of principals

in secondary schools in Imo state The need for the study arose as a result

of the challenges faced by principals of secondary schools in their efforts

to handle conflicts which are unavoidably present in schoolorganizations The 4 major components of transformational leadershipstyle that were of interest were idealized influence (charisma),inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualizedconsideration 5 research questions and 5 hypotheses guided the study Acorrelation survey research design was adopted for the study which wascarried out in public secondary schools in the state The population of thestudy consisted of six hundred and twenty two principals and sixthousand, three hundred and seventy seven teachers in three hundred andthirteen public secondary schools in Imo state The sample of the studywas comprised of one hundred and twenty four principals and onethousand, two hundred and seventy seven teachers in sixty three publicsecondary schools randomly drawn from the six education zones in Imostate, using the simple random sampling technique The instrument forthe data collection was a set of two questionnaires adapted from twostandardized questionnaires- Transformational leadership stylequestionnaire (TLSQ) adapted from Multifactor Leadership Stylequestionnaire and Conflict management questionnaire (CMQ) adaptedfrom Conflict Resolution questionnaire The transformational leadershipstyle questionnaire comprised twenty items structured on a four pointrating scale of - Frequently Fr = 4, Fairly often Fo = 3, Sometimes S = 2,and Rarely R = 1 The conflict management questionnaire comprisedtwenty five question items equally structured on a four point rating scale

of Definitely True DT = 4, True T =3, Tends to be true TT = 2, and NotTrue NT =1 Cronbach alpha was used to establish the internalconsistency reliability of the instrument to arrive at the total reliabilities

of 0.92 and 0.93 for TLSQ and CMQ respectively Pearson productmoment correlation coefficient was used to analyze both the researchquestions and research hypotheses The results of the analysis revealed apositive and significant relationship between transformational leadershipstyle and conflict management of principals in secondary schools in Imostate The major findings of the study were discussed, implicationshighlighted while recommendations were made Limitations of the studywere identified and suggestions for further studies were also made

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background of the Study

Secondary education comes midway between primary and tertiaryeducation It is a level of education which children receive after primaryschool The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) in the National policy onEducation describes secondary education as the education which studentsreceive after primary education and before tertiary stage The policy statedthat the aims of secondary education include the preparation for useful livingwithin the society and preparation for higher education It is expected ofsecondary education to build on the basic literacy, numeracy and functionalknowledge acquired at the primary level and therefore offers students theopportunity to acquire more advanced and specialized knowledge and skillsrequired for further education, labor market and meaningful living Inpursuance of these aims/goals the school authority is confronted with a lot ofmanagerial challenges prominent among which is conflict management

Conflict has to do with disagreement, struggle or contest betweenpeople with opposing needs and ideas Peoples’ beliefs, values and interestsare likely to clash with those of others in the course of human events because

of diversity in personality types According to Obi (2004:40) “conflict can beseen as reflection of human and social problems which involves mutual

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hostility, differences, oppositions, use of violence, turning point or crisiswhich can escalate to level of psychological warfare or physical or namedwar” He further stated that conflict exists whenever an action by one person

or group of persons prevents, obstructs, interferes with, injures or in someway makes less likely the desired action of another person or group ofpersons This implies that conflict is bound to occur when ever people areconfronted with perceived incompatible interests, goals and values It may belatent whereby the underlying conditions are yet to be recognized, perceived,when the condition has been recognized, felt with the development oftension and manifested through open aggression or physical combat Itshows the degree of disparity in levels of peoples’ perceptions of issues andreactions to matters that negatively affect them From all indications conflict

is inevitable in every human organization including the school organizationsequel to individual and group differences

Ezegbe (1997) stated that school conflict as mutual hostility, can occur

in the form of insult, name calling, defamation of character, demotion,marginalization, deprivation, violent destruction among others In thesecondary school system, conflict can occur between the students and theschool authority, between the teachers and the students, between theprincipals and the staff and even between the school and the community.The human needs of teachers working in the school are likely to be

incompatible with the demands of the school itself This might be expressedthrough name calling, insult or abandonment of duties On the other hand theway a principal of a school perceives a particular situation may differ fromthe perception of a classroom teacher This might be expressed throughmarginalization or deprivation Students who felt their needs are not metmight express this through demonstration Furthermore communities whofelt that their expectations from the school environment are not met arelikely fall out with the school authority

Njoku (2004) is of the view that conflicts in secondary schools could

he attributed to lack of effective communication network, unconduciveatmosphere or work environment, leadership styles, inadequate furniture,teachers misusing their power, teachers negligence of their duties amongothers When the principal fails to communicate his staff and students of hisplans, programmes and decisions or does not involve them in school matters,

he indirectly paves way for conflict Lack of participative decision making,poor planning, poor team spirit and egocentrism on the part of the principalequally contribute to conflict When the above conditions prevail in a school

in the absence of effective management, the system will be in a state ofdisorder

Management literarily means the ability to deal with problems, control

or handle issues successfully Mac-Farland (1979) conceived of management

as the process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operatepurposive organization through coordinated co-operative human effort Thisimplies that management is not static; it is a continuous action which directsand controls the nature and extent of activities in any organization An act ofmanagement in the school system involves directing and controlling thehuman and material resources within the school for a positive result Conflictmanagement therefore implies the act of handling and controlling conflict sothat it will not negatively affect the growth and success of an organization According to Johnson and Holubec (1986) conflict managementinvolves the acquisition of skills related to conflict resolution, self-awarenessabout conflict modes, conflict communication skills and establishing astructure for management of conflict From the above conception of conflictmanagement, one can rightly assert that there are skills involved in themanagement of conflict which are of paramount importance to any manager

of conflict He should be knowledgeable about the conflict modes and thecommunication skills involved for him to manage conflict effectively Insecondary school administration the principal should not be found wanting inthese skills, once he treats the acquisition of such skills with disregard there

is bound to be non productive escalation of conflict situation which willjeopardize his administration

Individuals naturally exhibit two behavioral patterns known asassertiveness and cooperativeness while dealing with conflict as asserted byThomas and Kilmann (1978) Assertiveness refers to the degree to which onetries to satisfy ones own concerns Cooperativeness refers to the degree towhich one tries to satisfy other person’s concern From the interplay of thesebehaviors emerge five conflict handling modes These according to Thomasand Kilman (1978) are competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromisingand collaborating Competing mode is high assertive and low cooperative.One tries to satisfy ones own concern at the others expense Avoiding mode

is low assertive and low cooperative One tries to sidestep the conflictsatisfying neither himself nor the other person’s concern Accommodatingmode is low assertive and high cooperative One sacrifices ones own concern

to satisfy other person’s Compromising mode is partially assertive andpartially cooperative One partially satisfies ones own concern as well as theothers Collaborating mode is high assertive and high cooperative One tries

to find a solution that completely satisfies both persons

Despite Thomas and Kilman conflict modes, other researchers haveenumerated different strategies for handling conflicts These include Pondy(1969), Hand (1978), Ezegbe (1997), Obi (2004), Larson and Gray inKamalakkannan (2010) among others The strategies include dialogue,arbitration, boxing the problem, effective catharsis, super ordinate goals, and

use of Grit theory, dominance, and hierarchical appeal among others Thenew science theories have equally advocated a paradigm shift in themanagement of conflict This is seen in the application of quantum skills inconflict management, where conflict is encouraged and used fororganizational transformation

Furthermore, it has been argued that effective conflict management is

sine quo non to organizational effectiveness Morano (1989) contended that,

how managers handle conflict is an important determinant of how smoothly

an organization operates An organization cannot operate smoothly if theleader lacks the right leadership style The right leadership style is that,which is effective in attaining the global vision and mission of theorganization It is that which will articulate the organizational vision in such

a way that its members will devotedly work towards its attainment.Leadership styles which emphasize vision articulation and attainment areusually transformational in nature

Transformational leadership style according to Bass (1985a) occurswhen a leader raises the level of awareness about the values and importance

of desired outcome, alters or expands the wants and needs of followers and

or gets followers to transcend their own self interest for the sake of thegroup He stated that a transformational leader motivates followers byinspiring them, setting challenges and championing their personal

development Bolden, Gosling, Marturano and Dennison (2003) stated thatthe goal of transformational leadership style is to transform people andorganization, to change them in mind and heart, enlarge vision, insight andunderstanding, clarify purposes, make behaviors congruent with beliefs,principles or values and bring about changes that are permanent, selfperpetuating and momentum building A secondary school principal whoadopts transformational leadership style by implication would re-orientatehis staff and students by aligning their personal goals and interest with those

of the school Such a principal will provide the teachers with a sense ofpurpose that goes beyond mere exchange of rewards for their effort Thestaff and students under a transformational principal would work beyondexpectation because they are inspired and their confidence levels are raised.They will carry out their respective duties with less supervision because theprincipal has raised their motivational maturity

Transformational leadership style has been associated with four majorcomponents which include charisma or idealized influence, inspirationalmotivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration by thefollowing researchers: Bass(1985a), Avolio, Bass and Jung (1999) and HallJonhson, Wysocki and Kepner (2002) According to Bass (1985a) Charisma

or idealized influence has to do with the ability of the leader to live up to hisideals It involves establishing ones beliefs and values and being consistent

with it A leader with idealized influence builds in subordinates a strongsenses of purpose, champions existing new possibilities and inculcates inthem respect, trust and faith

According to Bass and Avolio (1994) idealized influence involvesboth idealized behaviors and idealized attributes In a school setting, aprincipal with idealized influence instills pride in both staff and students Heacts as role model, emphasizes high moral standards and goes beyond selfinterest for the good of the school

Inspirational motivation involves a leader’s ability to talkoptimistically about the future and enthusiastically about what needs to beaccomplished A school principal who exhibits this feature oftransformational leadership style articulates the school vision and inspiresstaff and students to strive for its attainment He expresses confidence thatgoal will be achieved in spite of hitches

Intellectual stimulation according to Bass and Avolio (1994) isexhibited by a leader when he seeks differing perspectives in solvingproblems, re-examines critical assumptions to questions and gets others tolook at problems from various angles A school principal who allowsteachers to air their views during staff meeting and seeks their opinions inhandling school issues demonstrates intellectual stimulation

Individualized consideration has to do with the ability of the leader torecognize the differences among his subordinates and helps them to attainself development A school principal manifests this attribute when heestablishes cordial relationship with staff and students in such a way thatthey can confide in him on sensitive issues that affect their private lives It isbeing argued by Lain (2007) that the components of transformationalleadership style make it a leadership of volatility that suits present daydynamic organizations with its associative conflicts

In Imo state public secondary schools, like in other organizationsconflicts certainly exist among principals, teachers, students and even thecommunity In some cases, people see one another as adversaries not asthose working towards a common goal Each tries to blame the other for thebreakdown in the culture of teaching and learning Alugbo in Achunine andIrondi (1998:8) asserted “some school principals have very poor humanrelationship with their staff; some do not show any human feelings towardstheir students” The resultant effect is obvious, it is manifested in loiteringabout, fighting with dangerous weapons, sexual abuses, bullying of youngerstudents by their seniors among others Teachers abandon their classes andengage in unnecessary discussions, they form cliques against the principaland only work for formality without dedication and commitment to duty

It appears the conflicts that arise in Imo state secondary schools systemcould be attributed to lack of effective communication, unconducive workingenvironment, administrative incompetence, poor team spirit, disagreement ofgoals among others as stated by Njoku (2004)

Davereaux (2003), Goulet (2003) and Eregha (2006) were of theview that leadership styles of principals are major determinants of schoolorganizational conflict This is in agreement with Ogbonna (2006) whofound out that some school principals have poor organizational experienceand are ineffective leaders who embezzle funds in their schools From theresearcher’s personal experience, there are instances of illegal collection offees by some public secondary school principals ranging from equipmentlevy to exam fees including fees for “miracle centers” Parents on severaloccasions have confronted the school authority as regards the levies whichtheir wards were asked to pay, when such issues are not peacefully resolved

it leads to conflict Probably such principals with poor organizationalexperience do not apply transformational leadership style which inspiressubordinates and raises their confidence level in attaining the school visionand mission This might account for the lapses in their leadership styles andconflict management capabilities

Obi (1998) and Enyi (2001) agreed that conflict engenders hostilityand hinders school effectiveness They traced low level of school

effectiveness to leadership failure which is manifested in increased conflictsbetween principals and staff, principals and students, and school authorityand students

Furthermore, the non challant attitude by some principals of secondaryschools who connive with top government officials to extort money fromstudents as demonstrated by Uneze (2006) help to stifle the education in thestate Oko (2009) alerted that a junior secondary school principal and herdeputy were kidnapped in Imo state A situation like this, calls to mindseveral questions including the existence of latent or manifest conflict in theschool administration

The presence of such realities as examination leakages, students’unrest, cases of indiscipline, drug abuse and other issues only reflect theunsatisfactory state of our school system that can be attributed toadministrative incompetence evidenced in unmanaged conflicts Theprevalence of conflict and its traumatic effect on school life cannot just beignored or wished away Functional educational settings like the secondaryschool will require an adequate conflict management strategy to arrest uglyevents that emanate from conflict situation Such strategies can only beeffectively utilized by principals well grounded in the knowledge ofeducational administration and planning more precisely in styles ofleadership

Against this backdrop therefore, the researcher intends to investigatethe relationship between the components of transformational leadership styleand conflict management with a view to finding out those components thatcorrelate positively with conflict management so that they can be applied foreffective conflict management in secondary school system.

Statement of the Problem

Many people including experts in the field of education haveexpressed concern on the declining trend in public secondary schooladministration This decline has been associated with lack of participativedecision making, poor planning, lack of communication, poor team spirit,unconducive working environment, disagreement of goals, administrativeincompetence and conflict management strategies Of all the several factorsthat have been found to account for this ugly state of affairs, ineffectiveleadership style evidenced in inability to handle conflict effectively has beenattributed to be the most critical

In Imo state secondary schools, there is no systematic way of givingnew principals orientation before posting them to schools Most of them didnot study Educational Administration as a course As a result of this a greaternumber of secondary school principals in the state have lapses in theiradministration which make them ineffective leaders Literature is full ofevidences that conflict have not been effectively managed by principals of

secondary schools Hence there seems to be frequent occurrence of conflict

in secondary schools amongst staff, principal and staff, students and schoolauthority and at times school authority and the community Evidencesabound on cases of staff falling out with their principals, quarreling amongstthemselves and students flouting of school rules and regulations.Observation in the school system show that issues in which conflict occurinclude lack of effective communication, unconducive work environment,role ambiguity, teachers misusing their power, teachers negligence of theirduties and principals leadership style For the fact that conflict is poorlymanaged, it negatively affects the smooth running of the school, principal –teachers’ relationships are smeared and the academic performance of thestudents are hampered

It has been contended that the ability to handle conflict effectively is anindex of good leadership Since leadership effectiveness is determined byleadership style, it is possible that the components of transformationalleadership style (idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectualstimulation and individualized consideration) would correlate positively withconflict management Probably, effective conflict management could beattained when those leadership styles that relate positively with it are appliedfor effective conflict management The problem of this study therefore is to

find out how the components of transformational leadership style relate withconflict management of principals

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship that existsbetween transformational leadership style and conflict management ofprincipals in secondary schools in Imo state

Specifically, the study will determine the relationship between thefollowing components of transformational leadership style and conflictmanagement

1 Idealized influence and conflict management

2 Inspirational motivation and conflict management

3 Individualized consideration and conflict management

4 Intellectual stimulation and conflict management

5 All the components of transformational leadership style andconflict management

Significance of the Study

From the theoretical angle, the new science theories (chaos,complexity and quantum mechanics) which characterize the universe as adynamic and unpredictable system held that, conflict is a precursor tochange, change leads to adaptation and adaptation leads to transformation.This was used to show that leaders should embrace conflict and use it for thepositive transformation of the organization By this a justification was made

for the need to establish the relationship that exists between transformationalleadership style and conflict management of principals in secondary schools This study on transformational leadership style and conflictmanagement of principals will expand the knowledge base of researchers onthe existing literature on leadership styles and conflict managementrespectively

Practically, the findings of this study will be beneficial to principals ofsecondary school, Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB),government, educational planners, zonal education authority, teachers,students, and the society at large The findings on the relationship betweenidealized influence and conflict management will provide a workingdocument that will facilitate the effort of secondary school principals inconflict management, when they are equipped with such knowledge throughworkshop and seminars Principals of secondary schools through this studywill broaden their horizon on idealized influence, inspirational motivation,intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration They will be betterfocused to apply these components in their administration for effectiveconflict management

The Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) through thefindings on the relationship between each of the components oftransformational leadership and conflict management will use the result in

designing curriculum for leadership development programmes to makeschool administrators function more effectively in their work Thegovernment and educational planners will equally benefit from this study The study will expose the dangers of the unhealthy climate caused byseries of unmanaged conflicts in our school system, hence informing thegovernment of the future danger if the situation should persist The studywill therefore serve as a basis for favorable policy making with regards tosecondary education It has been contended that, the determination ofsustainable peace, stability and justice are challenges to policy makers, henceeducational policy makers should not ignore such challenges.

The findings of this study which will be made known to teachers by theSecondary Education Management Board in workshops would help toreduce the sufferings of teachers and make them proud of their nobleprofession They will no longer form cliques against an uncooperativeprincipal This is because the principal’s use of transformational leadershipstyle will enhance cooperation, communication and good team spirit in theschool The students will equally benefit from the study in that a secured andserene environment will be created for them to learn

The findings on the relationship between components oftransformational leadership style and conflict management will raise the tone

of the school The school administration will effectively manage conflict and

use it for positive transformation of the school organization A school withhighly motivated and well disciplined staff and students, known for highacademic standards will definitely be the envy of others The generalpopulace will benefit from the findings of the study for the fact that theirwards’ future will no longer be threatened by unkempt and catastrophicschool environment caused by unmanaged conflict in the school system Finally this work would be of significance in providing a framework forfurther researches into the relationship between leadership styles and conflictmanagement The benefactors of the study will gain access to theinformation there in, through the following means of communication –electronic media, conferences, workshops and seminars.

Scope of Study

For the geographical scope, this study will be carried out in all thepublic junior and senior secondary schools in the six educational zones inImo state of Nigeria which include Owerri zone 1, Owerri zone 2, Okigwezone 1, Okigwe zone 2, Orlu zone 1, and Orlu zone 2 With regards to thecontent scope, the study is restricted to the components of transformationalleadership style among the various styles of leadership It also extended itsfocus to conflict management of secondary school principals It examinedthe relationship between the components of transformational leadership style(idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and

individualized consideration) and conflict management of principals in Imostate secondary schools.

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated for the study

(1) What is the relationship between idealized influence component oftransformational leadership style and conflict management ofprincipals?

(2) What is the relationship between inspirational motivation component oftransformational leadership style and conflict management ofprincipals?

(3) What is the relationship between intellectual stimulation component oftransformational leadership style and conflict management ofprincipals?

(4) What is the relationship between individualized consideration component

of transformational leadership style and conflict management ofprincipals?

(5) What is the relationship between all the components of transformationalleadership style and conflict management of principals?

Hypotheses

In order to carry out this research, the following null hypotheses werepostulated to be tested at P< 0.05 level of significance

HQ 1: There is no significant relationship between the ratings of idealized

influence component of transformational leadership style and conflictmanagement of principals in secondary schools in Imo state

HQ 2: Significant relationship will not exist between the ratings of

inspirational motivation component of transformational leadershipstyle and conflict management of principals in secondary schools inImo state

HQ 3: There is no significant relationship between the ratings of intellectual

stimulation component of transformational leadership style andconflict management of principals in secondary schools in Imo state

HQ 4 : There is no significant relationship between the ratings of

individualized consideration component of transformational leadershipstyle and conflict management of principals in secondary schools inImo state

HQ 5 : Significant relationship does not exist between the ratings of all the

components of transformational leadership style and conflictmanagement of principals in secondary schools in Imo state

CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The related literature has been reviewed under the followingsubheadings, conceptual frame work, theoretical frame work, and empiricalstudies

 Trait theory of leadership

 Behavioral theory of leadership

 Situational theory of leadership

 Chaos Theory

 Complexity Theory

 Theory of Quantum Mechanics

Review of Empirical Studies

 Studies on Leadership styles

 Studies on conflict management

 Studies on Leadership Styles and Conflict Management

Summary of Literature Review

Conceptual Framework

Concepts of Leadership

The term leadership has been of topical concern to administrators,researchers and students There are as many definitions of leadership as thereare people who have defined it Stogdill (1948) defined leadership as theprocess of influencing the activities of an organized group towards goalsettings and goal achievement Katz and Kahn (1966) saw it as “theinfluential increment over and above mechanical compliance with the routinedirectives of the organization” Nwankwo (1982) perceived leadership as

“the initiation, organization, and direction of the actions of the members of agroup in a specific situation towards the achievement of the objectives of thegroup”

Ukeje, Okorie and Nwagbara (1992) conceived of leadership asinvolving the achievement of an organization’s goals through the process ofinfluencing, directing, acquiring normative personal characteristics andpower and co-ordinating group activities to make individuals in theorganizations strive willingly towards the attainment of the set goals orsolution to a mutual problem Ogbonnia (2007) stated that effectiveleadership is the ability to successfully integrate and maximize availableresources within the internal and external environment for the attainment of

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organizational and societal goal Ann in Egg (2009) asserted that leadership

is about capacity: the capacity of leaders to listen and observe, to use theirexpertise as a starting point to encourage dialogue between all levels ofdecision making, to articulate their own values and visions clearly but notimpose them Leadership is about setting and not just reaching to agenda,identifying problems and initiating change that makes for substantiveimprovement rather than managing change

The implication of the above definitions is that leadership has to dowith one’s ability to influence others, directing and coordinating theiractivities towards attainment of an organizational goal Leadership isinevitable in every organization and it usually involves the leader, thefollower and situation Katz and Khan in (Ndu Ocho and Okeke 1997:65-67)gave four major reasons while organizations need leadership as: theincompleteness of organizational design, changing environmental conditions,internal dynamics of organization and the nature of human membership inorganizations

An organization in which every member does no more or less thanwhat is formally stipulated can not be effective; hence the proper andeffective utilization of legitimate authority calls for leadership Organizationsfunction in changing environment and their survival and effectivenessdepend on their ability to change in line with environmental changes which

could be technological, legal, cultural, economic or human This situationrequires leadership An organization in operation is subject to various forms

of imbalances arising from the need to maintain equilibrium, grow, meetdifferent needs of subsystems within it or needs of individual members,hence leadership is required Furthermore, every replacement brings into theorganization a new and unique personality with experiences different fromthat of a person being replaced which lead to changes in organizationalattitudes and performance Such changes required organizational adaptation

to the new inputs, which would necessitate leadership at various levels of theorganization

For any organization to be successful there is absolute need fordynamic and effective leadership Davis in Ukeje, Okorie and Nwagbara(1992:170) asserted “management activities such as planning, organizing,and decision-making are dormant cacoons until the leader triggers the power

of motivation in people and guide them towards goals” In other words, it isthe very act of leadership, which brings out the potentials in the organizationinto reality making such organization to be successful

Leadership Styles

Leadership style is the method or manner a leader adopts in leading anorganization The success of any organization to a large extent depends onthe leadership style of the leader Leadership styles have been classified into

Autocratic, Laissez-faire and Democratic leadership styles and more recentlytransactional and transformational leadership styles.

Autocratic Leadership Style

This style of leadership is task oriented It emphasizes production at theexpense of human consideration It is in consonance with McGregor’stheory McGregor’s (1960) believed that human beings have inherent dislikefor work and must therefore be controlled, coerced, directed and threatenedwith punishment to get them to work Obi (2003:55) asserted “an autocraticleader refuses suggestions, abhors oppositions and censors all reports, lettersand such documents that may concern his organization” In autocraticleadership, tasks and methods are imposed on subordinates, effectivecommunication is found wanting and policies and procedures are dictated It

is characterized by unfavorable organizational climate and more often thannot the organizational goals are not attained

Laissez-faire Leadership Style

As the name implies, this type of leadership style is characterized by afeeling of indifference towards group functioning and goal attainment Itallows complete freedom to the group and its individual members to do asthey wish A laissez-faire leader emphasizes sound interpersonal relationsamong subordinates at the expense of organizational goals Lawler in Obi

(2003) maintained that a laissez-faire leader is really no leader at all; heholds the formal leadership position and acts as the group figurehead.

Democratic leadership style

This type of leadership style comes mid-way between autocratic andlaissez-faire styles The leader is neither too strict nor too loose to thesubordinates He has concern for the attainment of organizational goals aswell as the interests of the subordinates at heart Decision-making is based

on consultation, deliberation and participation among the group The leadermakes constructive criticisms but does not blame unnecessarily There iseffective communication between the leader and the led Democratic leaders

do not demand for respect but they command respect They are favored inmodern organizations

Transactional Leadership Style

As the name implies, transactional leadership style is a leadership style

in which the leader motivates his subordinate by exchange process Theleader exchanges subordinates effort with organizational reward It is based

on a transaction or exchange of something of values the leader posses orcontrols that the follower wants in return for his as her services Burns(1978) stated that transactional leadership style focuses on theaccomplishment of tasks and good worker relationship in exchange fordesirable reward

Transactional leadership styles has been associated with the followingtypes of behavior; Contingent reward, Active management by exception andPassive management by exception (Avolio, Bass and Jung 1999; Bass1985a) Contingent reward-To influence behavior the leader uses rewards orincentives to achieve rewards Active management by exception: - Toinfluence behavior, the leader actively monitors the work performed and usescorrective methods to ensure that work is completed to meet acceptable standard Passive management by exception:-To influence behavior, theleader uses correction or punishment as a response to unacceptableperformance or deviation from the acceptable standards.

Transformational Leadership Style

Transformational leadership style is a leadership style where the leaderinsists on complete change and motivation of the followers by aligning bothindividuals’ and organizational interest Both leaders and led work withuniform objective in order to attain organizational goals According to Burns(1978) Transformational leadership style is founded on the belief that leadersand followers can raise each other to higher levels of motivation andmorality He stated that the chief element of transformational leadership isthe ability to cultivate the needs of the followers in a followers centeredmanner Focusing on needs makes leaders accountable to followers

Transformational leadership stems from empathy, understanding,insight and consideration A transformational secondary school principal byimplication should share in the feelings and ideas of his teachers Once aprincipal’s relationship with the staff is cordial, he will be mindful of theirneeds and values and put such into consideration in his administration.

According to Bass (1997) transformational leaders emphasize highermotive development and arouse followers’ motivation by means of creatingand inspiring vision about the future The leader motivates followers byinspiring them, setting challenges and motivating personal development.This implies that a principal utilizing this style of leadership does notconstitute a hitch to teachers who are updating their knowledge throughsandwich program He appreciates the efforts of those with higher degrees inhis school and encourages them to impart their knowledge in the attainment

of the school goal

Transformational leadership style encourages the achievement ofhigh collective standards through a sense of purpose and a common missionand vision Bass and Avolio (1990b) contended that transformational leadersare those who motivate their followers to act beyond expectations by raisingthe followers’ confidence level and providing support for developing tohigher levels This makes the followers feel a greater degree of respect andtrust for such leaders Weiss in Kotter (1999) had earlier stated that the value

congress of the leader and the led achieved by transformational leadersresults in leaders being seen by followers as more considerate, competentand successful, moreover followers, are more satisfied with their jobs Atransformational principal will always be appreciated by his staff andstudents because he inculcates in them a sense of purpose that makes themsee meaning in their job This accounts for their reason for working beyondexpectation.

According to Kotter (1999) authentic transformational leaders buildgenuine trust between leaders and followers They concentrate on terminalvalues such as integrity and fairness They see the responsibility for theirorganization and their impact on the society Kotter argued thattransformational leaders increase the awareness of what is right, good,important and beautiful, when they help to elevate followers’ needs forachievement and self actualization, when they foster in followers highermoral maturity and when they move followers to go beyond their selfinterests for the good of their group, organization or society When leadersand the led are moved by unity of purpose all their energy is focused toachieve maximum result because the leader has articulated the target goal soevery one understands the direction to move towards In other words whenthe leader and the led values are in sync (agreement), followers don’t have to

be supervised, they will know what to do when the time comes