Home > Social Science > Vol 1 No 1 June 2013 Abstract 2
Conflict: Challenges and Mechanisms Head Teachers can use to Manage Conflict towards an improvement Teacher Morale in Public Primary Schools in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya
Catherine Barmao
Journal of Social Science for Policy Implications, 1(1), pp. 14-22.

Abstract
the workplace. Boosting employee morale means that people will take more pride in their work, call in sick less often and be more productive. Happier employees mean happier employers, since the employer will not lose money due to inefficiency and lost time. Improving employee morale can be accomplished fairly easy. Studies have shown managers spend 24 to 60 percent of their time on trying to solve employee disputes (Bell, 2002).Since individuals all comprise of different mindsets it’s quite possible that there may be arguments or differences of opinion regarding certain issues. You’ll find this happening most often in places of work. Usually there are different types of conflict but the ones causing most tense environments are those pertaining tom the office. This is so as most of our time is spent there. So where there are more people, and you spend more time, you are likely to engage in heated arguments as well. In many cases, conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life.However, the role of the head teacher as pertaining conflict resolution is generally unknown. As such, the purpose of this study was to find out the challengeshead teacher’s face in conflict resolutions and to establish mechanism necessary in managing conflicts in schools without necessarily reducing teacher morale in the workplace. This study targeted head teachers and teachers in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality who are believed to have worked in their stations for over a minimum of three years. The units for analysis for this study was be head teachers and teachers in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality. The study adopted simple random, stratified and proportionate probability sampling techniques. The target population was 60 teachers and by sing simple random sampling the head teachers and teachers was stratified into stratas. Data collected was processed, coded and analyzed to facilitate answering the research questions. This was done using descriptive statistics. The study found out thatconflicts in the workplace are not solved because most of the head teachers are not capable of handling because they lack resolution skill and this hencelead to low teacher morale since no conflicts are effectively channeled in schools or organizations. This study therefore advocated for training and awareness of head teachers regarding conflict resolution processes.

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Barmao, Catherine. (2013).Conflict: Challenges and Mechanisms Head Teachers can use to Manage Conflict towards an improvement Teacher Morale in Public Primary Schools in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya. Journal of Social Science for Policy Implications, 1(1), pp. 14-22.

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Catherine Barmao
Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies
Moi University
P. O. Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya.