Management Principles and Conflict Determinants in State and Federal Hospitals in South-South, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was to compare perception of conflict determinants in state and federal hospitals in South-South Nigeria with implications for healthcare service delivery. The setting cuts across Edo and Bayelsa States. A total of 181 respondents were purposively sampled from both hospitals and they comprised doctors, nurses and others. The instrument for data collection was the researchers' developed structured questionnaire which was validated by 2 experts in management and policy. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Chi square test statistic was used to determine levels of statistical significant difference in perception. There were more female respondents (n = 126, 70%) than male respondents (n = 55, 30%), and a mean age of 39.7 in the study. Perception of wrong application of management principles based on predefined conflict determinants in the state-owned hospital (M = 47.0) and in the federal owned-hospital (M = 45.0) was reported but there was no evidence of statistical significant difference between the two hospitals (X² = 0.112; 1df, p > 0.05). Conclusively, the need for positive adjustment in the management of public hospitals is advised by the research outcome.