Influence Of Leadership Style on Conflict Management in Private Secondary Schools In Kayunga District, Uganda

Management

Conflict is an inherent aspect of organizational life, particularly within educational institutions where diverse stakeholders operate under structured authority systems and increasing performance expectations. In Uganda, the rapid growth of private secondary schools has expanded administrative responsibilities and heightened managerial pressures, thereby intensifying both interpersonal and structural conflicts. This study investigated the influence of leadership style on conflict management in private secondary schools in Kayunga District, Uganda. Anchored in Transformational Leadership Theory and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model, the research adopted a mixed-method approach to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Data were collected from head teachers, deputy head teachers, teachers, and student leaders using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed through descriptive statistics and correlation techniques, while qualitative responses were examined using thematic analysis to capture contextual insights. The findings indicate that transformational leadership significantly strengthens collaborative conflict resolution by fostering participatory decision-making, open communication, and mutual trust. Transactional leadership contributes to procedural stability and rule compliance but demonstrates limited capacity in addressing relational and emotional dimensions of conflict. In contrast, autocratic leadership was negatively associated with sustainable conflict management, often resulting in suppressed grievances and recurrent disputes. The structural model further confirmed a strong positive relationship between transformational leadership and effective conflict management, a moderate association for transactional leadership, and a negative linkage for autocratic leadership. The study concludes that leadership style plays a decisive role in shaping institutional harmony and recommends targeted leadership development initiatives to enhance transformational competencies among school administrators.

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