Principals’ Leadership, Management and Administrative Roles as a Correlate to Conflict Management in Secondary Schools in the Fako Division Southwest Region of Cameroon

This study examines the various ways to improve principal leadership, management and administrative role and responsibilities approaches on conflict management in secondary schools in the Fako Division, Southwest Region of Cameroon. The study adopted a case study research design. Interviews and documentary review were used to collect data from principals. The target population for the study was 15 secondary school principals used to measure principals’ leadership, management and administrative roles on conflict management. Principals were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data collection. Data was analysed using pattern coding.
The findings revealed firstly, principal leadership role for resolving conflict management consists of a good visionary, innovative, influencing, establish psychological safety within the school, collaborating, communicating, experience, reduce the barriers to experimentation, create an effective communication system, foster an environment of diversity, give emphasis on the value of teamwork, listening and a means of mentoring younger colleagues and students against conflict. Secondly, the principal’s management role for conflict resolution consists of planning, organising, controlling, budgeting, training, negotiating and mediating. This as well can be adopted for the principals’ executing his or her administrative role to resolve conflicts in secondary schools consists of the social, financial and pedagogic functions.
The study recommends that principals, teachers and the administrative staff should all learn about the principal’s functions to resolve conflict management. This will enable them to become a much better future leader. It also recommends that; the government and school proprietors should think of security and safety before determining the location of a school, since the location of some of the school is what makes it prone to attacks and conflict. Principals should have the spirit of innovation which comes not only from being inspired by great books and experience, but also by admiring nature natured itself is a product of creativity.
Keywords: Principals’ Leadership, Management, Administrative, Roles Conflict, Management, Secondary Schools, Southwest, Cameroon.

Paidia Aboh Nteh, Master of Educational Administration Researcher, Department of Educational Foundations and Administration, Faculty of Education, University of Buea, Cameroon

Frederick Ebot-Ashu, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Foundations and Administration, Faculty of Education, University of Buea, Cameroon.