Full Length Research Paper
Abstract
The study investigated the awareness of early warning, conflict management strategies, and their application in resolving conflicts within the sports industry in Nigeria, addressing three research questions and a hypothesis. The research employed a correlational design method, utilizing a logically validated 20-item self-structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.88. Data were collected from Presidents, Secretaries, Technical Directors, and Board Members of Sports Federations (n=82). The findings revealed that a majority of sports managers and administrators lack awareness of conflict early warning (60%) and possess insufficient knowledge of conflict management strategies (89%), although they actively apply conflict resolution methods (90%). Furthermore, the study indicated a positive correlation between early warning (r = 0.060) and conflict management strategies (r = 0.026) with the application of conflict resolution methods. However, additional tests demonstrated that awareness of early warning and conflict management strategies do not significantly predict (F=2.725) the application of conflict resolution in real situations. As a recommendation, the study suggests that sports managers and administrators should enhance their understanding of early warning and conflict management, applying them proactively to resolve conflicts and mitigate their impact.
Key words: Conflicts, early warning, sports, enterprises, conflict resolution.
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