Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to explore the reality of organizational conflicts in some schools in the Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman as described by school principals. It sought to capture their experiences and practices in managing organizational conflicts occurring in their schools. Methods: The descriptive qualitative approach was employed, specifically using the phenomenological methodology. In-depth individual interviews were conducted to gather data about the phenomenon under study. A purposive sampling method was utilized to select a sample of nine school principals in the Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman. Results: The study findings regarding the first research question, which focused on describing how school principals perceive organizational conflicts in their schools, are as follows: school principals consider organizational conflicts to be a natural phenomenon within the school environment, resulting from social and hierarchical interactions within the institution. Organizational conflicts have a general impact on school performance and hinder the achievement of educational objectives. School principals face diverse organizational challenges and conflicts based on internal and external factors. They exercise self-reflection skills in their daily practices but without documenting or recording management mechanisms to refer to in case of similar conflicts. Regarding the second research question, which explored the experiences and practices of school principals in managing organizational conflicts, the study revealed the following results: school principals rely on their administrative and educational experiences in managing organizational conflicts. They employ various strategies, including negotiation to mitigate the escalation of conflicts, effective communication, and fostering a culture of dialogue and cooperation among faculty members and staff to overcome organizational conflicts. They also promote a culture of tolerance and mutual respect among the educational team members. Furthermore, school principals strive to enhance the capabilities of their teams in managing organizational conflicts through training, workshops and experience sharing. Conclusions: The study was concluded with several recommendations, including the adoption of a professional learning communities approach to facilitate knowledge exchange among school principals in the Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate regarding managing organizational conflicts. It also suggested that school administrations utilize self-reflection records in daily practices for managing organizational conflicts. Additionally, the study proposed the development of a school leadership program targeting school principals at the specialized training institute for teachers, incorporating a dedicated module on organizational conflicts and effective management strategies.