The Role of Third-Party Intervention in Trade Dispute in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Universities

Abstract

The study investigated the role of third-party intervention in trade dispute. Litigation is one of the popular ways of disputes settlements. Hence, there are other appropriate pragmatic and adaptive models of resolving disputes apart from litigation, such as arbitration, mediation, and conciliation. The study examined the challenges before the third party by way of conciliation, mediation and arbitration and conclude that motives of the third parties in disputes resolution are to prevent disputes, resolve it if it has developed, or manage it from being dysfunctional. Again, the choice of alternation/appropriate dispute resolution (ADR) model(s) to be employed depends on the peculiarities of the disputes. A sample size of 631.7 was determined from a population of 2,021 employees using Taro Yamme's approach. Data obtained from pilot survey were committed to test of reliability using Cronbach alpha statistic and computed using SPSS version 19 and the result reported a Cronbach alpha of 0.771. In analyzing the data, the descriptive statistics of simple percentage, mean, Variance and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were adopted to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses. To further this research, F- value was used to calculate the test statistics, treatment mean square (TRMS), Error mean Square (EMS), and Treatment Sum of Squares (TRSS) at 5% significant level. The study however concludes that the role of third Party and the resolution model(s) it uses have significant impact in dispute resolution. Thus, recommended these model(s) in settling disputes because it is convenient, cheap, flexible, adaptive, dignity-protecting, less time-consuming, friendly enhancing, among others. Immediate and remote causes of dispute should be properly addressed and substantive effort should be made towards reducing disputes in the institutions because of its negative consequences.