A Self-Affirmative Discourse on the Place of Strategic Communication in the Management of Conflict between Management and Students of Tertiary Institutions

Abstract

The paper examined the strategic role of communication in managing conflict between management and students of tertiary institutions. The paper is hinged on frustration-aggressive theory of conflict. The paper emphasised that conflicts between management and students of tertiary institutions are as a result of non-adherence to the principles of participation, over concentration of control, the constitution of youths; proliferation of cultism on campus, lack of adequate communication, strict adherence to a particular tradition or pattern by management. The paper concluded that communication can be very active in management and transformation of conflict situations due to its ability to build bridges of understanding and reduce uncertainty. It was, therefore, recommended among others that tertiary institutions management should develop an understanding of effective communication process coupled with a good feedback mechanism and employ effective communication tools such as persuasion, dialogue among others in managing conflict.