Conflict Management Strategy and Employees Performance in Private Sector Organizations in Kano State: A Proposed Moderating Model

1.0 Introduction and Background of the StudyEmployee performance is an important building block of an organization. A good employee performance is necessary for the organization, since an organization's success is dependent upon the employee's creativity, innovation and commitment (Otley, 1999; Devonish 2013). Employee performances and productivity growth are also important in stabilizing any economy; by means of improved living standards, higher wages, an increase in goods available for consumption, (Ehikioya, 2009; Fitz-Enz, 2000.) Devonish (2013), also argue that research on employee performance is important to society in general. Therefore, every organization cannot progress by one or two individual's effort; it is collective effort of all the of the organization (Rum; Troena & Hadiwudjoyo 2013). Performance is a major multidimensional construct aimed to achieve results and has a strong link to strategic goals of an organization (Osibanjo, Adeniji, Falola, & Heirsmac, 2014). Conflict is a solid problem for employee's performance (Adebisi 2014). But on the other hand it is generally believed that conflicts are the fact of organizational life. Employees cannot be committed to the organization whenever conflict exists (Nair, 2008). Conflict that occurs among employee might reduce mutual understanding and thus hinder the performance of employees to complete their tasks. It also causes employees to be short tempered, distrustful and resentful (Obasan, 2011). This will result in negative consequences on group members commitment towards the organization, hence increasing the intention to leave the organization. For this reason, conflict must be managed effectively to enhance employee performance towards the organization (Karatepe 2013; Azamosa 2004).In organizations employees face conflicts while working in groups, teams, and departments (Adomi and Anie, 2006; Liu, Fu, and Liu, 2009). Employees' intra-group conflicts affect their job performance negatively (Rahim & Psenicka, 2004). Within teams or groups, relationship conflicts reduce team cohesiveness while both relationship and task conflicts were found to be negatively associated with firm performance (Bass; Liu et al., 2009). However, moderate amounts of team and task conflict yield higher level of satisfaction among team of a project (Leung, Liu, & Ng, 2005). Interpersonal conflict involves negative emotions and it was found that interpersonal conflict affect project outcomes consistently and negatively even when managed well (Barki & Hartwick, 2001).Consequently, question arises on how an employee can work more efficiently and effectively to increase the productivity and growth of an organization (Crossman, 2010). An effective servant leadership can be of an immense assistance to help identify and build leadership qualities among individuals within the organization (Gregoire & Arendt, 2014). The relationship between leadership and performance was indirect as well as direct (Salami, 2009), which proves the importance of servant leadership. (Ahmed, 2015; Weinstein 2013) provide that organizations heavily invest in human resource development interventions to update the skills of the employees in order to attain job performance, job satisfaction and job involvement. These skills can be impacted by providing necessary technical/non-technical training and coaching (Rowold, 2008). Training and coaching subordinates to help them grow and excel are parts of the priority activities of servant leaders (Bambale, 2014)Many of the studies on the effect of workplace conflict management on employee performance done in Nigeria focused on Public sector (Ahmed 2015; Joseph 2015; Kagucia & Poipoi 2014; Lazarus 2014. These study particularly focus on workplace conflict management, servant leadership and employee performance in private sector in kano state. A large number of studies on workplace conflict management were undertaken to explain the principles and employee performance (Akanji, 2005; Adebisi, 2004; Adomi & Anie, 2005; Ayoko, 2007; Ajala & Oghenekohwo; Boddy, 2014). …