Mechanisms of Conflict Management in Tanzania’s Local Government Authorities: A Case of Bukoba Municipal Council

Abstract

Conflictmanagementinfluencesindividualwellbeing, groupperformanceandorganizational effectiveness. The study was set out to investigate ways of managing conflicts between councilors and employees in Tanzania’s local Government authorities with particular reference to Bukoba Municipal Council. It also investigated mechanisms used to solve conflicts between councilors and employees of Bukoba Municipal Council. In this study, both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used; and the result indicates that, there are conflict between councilors and employees which arise due to different level educations, delay in project implementation, personal interests, scarcity of resources and negative attitude, interference on duties between councilors and employees at BMC. Also, the respondents revealed that, conflicts between councilors and employees had negative effects to Bukoba Municipal Council, such as delay in project implementation, low morale, resignation of potential employees, and increases of unnecessary costs. Moreover, different mechanisms were used to solve conflicts between councilors and employees, among others, were through mediation, negation, meetings, collective bargaining and accommodation.