Evaluation of Conflict Management Styles of Construction Companies in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Managing conflict during construction process should an essential skill to be possessed by managers as conflict is inevitable in evolving complexity nature of the industry. Hence, the study examined the level of adoption of the conflict management styles (CMSs), and identified and assessed the key factors influencing the choice of conflict management styles by employees of the construction companies in the study area. A cross-sectional quantitative research designed was adopted in this study. It involved the contracting firms that were registered with Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI). Only twenty-five (25) active members are currently registered with FOCI. Due to the small number, a total enumeration technique was adopted as the target population. Three (3) members of each contracting firm were purposely chosen. The purposely selected employees were lower-level managers (supervisors), middle level managers and senior level managers. This made the sample size of this study to equate seventy-five (75). Of the 75 questionnaires administered, only 55 were returned and used to collect data for this study. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, RII and spearman's correlation. For managing task-related conflict among the employees of the construction companies, the results revealed that the level of adoption of CMSs is above average (61%) and that compromising style was frequently used whereas dominating style was least used. It was also revealed that ‘personality trait', ‘cultural diversity', ‘leadership style', ‘work experience', and ‘power of contenders' were the top essential factors influencing the choice of CMSs used in the surveyed construction companies. This study provides construction managers in the better understanding of CMSs and also highlight the important influential factors, especially when task-related conflicts arise.