Publication Details
Abstract
This article explores the role of organizational communication in preventing and managing interpersonal conflicts among the Administrative, Technical, and Service Personnel (PATS) at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar, Senegal. A study of 356 PATS, including 220 women, 40 bac+5 graduates, and 10 division heads, reveals that 240 perceive themselves as victims of injustices, 306 have overlooked an injustice at least once in the past year, 333 believe in the virtues of dialogue, but only 130 trust institutional conflict management mechanisms. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Jean-Louis Le Moigne (systems theory), Christian Le Moënne (organizational communication), François Cooren (communication as constitutive of organizations), and the dimensions of internal communication (Cheney, 1991; Welch & Jackson, 2007), the study analyzes the causes of conflicts, their impact on the organizational climate, and the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. The findings highlight issues of communication, perceived injustices, and low institutional trust. Recommendations include improving information flows, providing conflict management training, establishing neutral mediation committees, and adopting digital tools suited to UCAD’s context.
Keywords
Organizational communication
interpersonal conflicts
conflict management
internal communication
organizational climate.