Examination of Conflict Resolution Skills of Female Administrators in Educational Organizations

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to present a general picture of the attitudes and behaviors of female administrators in conflict situations in schools. Design/Methodology/Approach: In this study, what kind of conflicts are experienced in schools, What kind of solutions women administrators adopt when resolving conflicts with higher authorities, teachers, parents and students, emotions experienced during and after the conflict and the positive and negative effects of female school administrators in conflict situations compared to male school administrators were examined in the light of the answers collected from 20 participants by semi-structured interview method. Findings: Research results; reveals that female administrators are positive in conflict situations in the school environment and meet the expectations of teachers. Highlights: It is thought that the effects of female managers will be positive, especially in situations that await a solution such as conflict and cause disruption of the functioning of organizations.


INTRODUCTION
Human is a social entity.People have chosen to live as an organization because their needs are diverse and they need others to meet a large part of these needs.For this reason, people are seen as members of various groups in all areas of social life.If we take a look at the different definitions of the word organization, Aydın (1994) defines the organization as a system in which one or more people have coordinated activities that they perform with their own will.According to Bursalıoğlu (2000), the organization is a system that has come together to achieve a specific purpose and is ready for action.Important points that stand out in the definitions of the organization; common goals, division of labor, hierarchy of responsibility (Schein, 1978) and people coming together voluntarily.
As long as people live together, no matter how understanding and tolerant they are, it is natural to have disagreements, communication problems and conflicts among them.Many times, conflicts between individuals and groups may arise due to various reasons.Some social and psychological needs may cause conflicts from time to time.If this conflict is not managed well, it can cause some damage to the organization.In such a situation, managers have a great responsibility.Managers should know how to resolve conflict in case of conflict.The task of the manager is to try to achieve positive results by eliminating the destructive effects of conflict.If the manager manages the conflict well, he can make this situation beneficial for the organization.
However, if it is not managed well, the conflict can cause serious problems within the organization.Such unmanageable conflicts in the work environment cause uneasiness.Conflict sources have been explained in different ways in research and thesis studies.According to Eren (1998), the main reasons that affect the occurrence of conflicts are intra-organizational dependencies, differences in goals and differences in perception.Kılıç (2001) describes the sources of conflict; task distribution, mutual obligations, lack of resources, position differences, communication problems, uncontrollability of the organization, differences in organizations and members, personal characteristics, unresolved conflicts and unfair competition systems for reward.Bursalıoğlu (2002), on the other hand, states that intra-organizational conflicts will be based on reasons such as giving more importance to position, attributing crime, paperwork and conservatism.Individuals are in constant interaction due to their position within groups and organizations.During this communication, disagreements and inconsistencies may occur if both parties have different choices and have different values, behaviors, beliefs and principles.On the other hand, conflict; It is a social process that can be seen as a contest for resources, power, status, beliefs, interests, and other aspirations (Karip, 2001).
Conflict situations in organizations are actually a must for the dynamic structure that keeps the organization alive.If there is no conflict or conflict in an organization, this does not mean that there is no problem in the organization.Because the inactivity of the organization also indicates a kind of problem.It is almost impossible to achieve positive change in stable organizations.For this reason, conflict situations occurring in organizations should not always be seen as negative.If the conflict can be managed well, we can say that there is a positive change for the organization.
Even if the conflicts that arise in organizations are seen as destructive, it is possible to contribute to the organization if it is managed well.According to Gedikli and Balcı (2005), organizational conflict can contribute to the change and development of individuals' cognitive perceptions, to increase their willingness to work, and thus to organizational productivity.According to the modern approach, conflict is seen as a positive force and important for effective performance, and it has been argued that it is necessary to encourage a certain level of conflict between groups and individuals for self-criticism, empathy, change and innovation (Mullins, 2002).
One of the most important duties of managers in order for organizations to achieve their goals that enable them to exist is to manage conflicts correctly, effectively and in the most beneficial way for the organization.An effective manager in this field is a manager who knows the sources of conflict and conflict resolution methods.According to Fairman and Clark (1983), one of the most important roles of the manager in the organization is to accept that there is a conflict in the organization and to deal with the conflict with a constructive approach in order to direct the problems that need to be managed in the organization in line with the goals of the organization.On the one hand, the diverse and diverse nature of conflicts, on the other hand, its contribution to organizational success and development, if well-managed; If it is not managed well, the risk of negative consequences for the organization makes conflict management important (Özmen, 1997).If conflict is well managed, the organization and its members can reap many benefits.Karip (2001) these benefits; Establishing better relationships, increasing the maturity level of individuals, developing individuals' self-esteem, improving personal effectiveness and productivity, identifying problems and finding better solutions, providing organizational change, reducing stagnation, and creating a harmonious teamwork.
It is inevitable to experience some conflicts in educational organizations.In fact, according to educational scientists, it may even be beneficial to experience some conflicts in order to achieve school goals more effectively.The primary purpose of the school administrator should be to manage this inevitable conflict in a way that does not harm the goals of the school.
The administrator has to know the existing groups in his school, the relations of the groups with each other and with the members, and who the leaders of the groups are.In addition, the manager should aim to see the problem in the source that creates the input to the conflict by accepting the conflict situation as an output in the conflict resolution process (Açıkalın, 2002).
At this point, the importance of the school administrator and its effect on the process are striking in the management and resolution of conflict situations that occur in educational organizations.In the study, it was aimed to deal with the conflict resolution skills of female managers.Because the lack of women in managerial positions has been a controversial issue for a long time, and their scarcity in management status always draws attention.The idea that men have higher characteristics such as making decisions, using superiority, taking risks and being courageous while taking charge in these positions kept women one step behind in management.This situation arises not only from the thoughts of men towards women, but also from the thoughts of women towards women.Some women stated that management is not a suitable position for women and stated that they cannot compete with men in this way (Arat, 1995;Tat, 2015).
However, women face many conflict situations in their daily lives and try to resolve these conflicts.For this reason, the idea whether female administrators can be effective in conflict resolution emerged and formed the basis for this study.The subject of the effects of female administrators in conflict situations that arise at school has been wondered and this study was needed.In this respect, the importance of this study is increasing.Factors such as who the parties to the conflict are, the importance of these people for the organization and their mental readiness have revealed that not every conflict can be resolved by using similar methods.Here, the characteristics that distinguish women from men, such as intuitive powers, feminine abilities, and the strength they display in coping with difficulties, come to mind.For this reason, the effects of female administrators in conflict situations were examined.

Purpose of the Research
People experience many conflict situations throughout their lives.The aim of this research is to obtain findings about how female administrators resolve conflict situations in these conflict situations, which are seen in educational organizations as in every organization.Within the scope of the purpose of this study, answers to the following research questions will be sought:  What kinds of conflict situations do teachers encounter in schools?

 In cases of conflict between teachers and parents, what is the effect of female administrators in resolving this conflict?
 What is the effect of female administrators in resolving this conflict in situations where teachers have conflicts with their colleagues?
 In cases of conflict between teachers and students, what is the effect of female administrators in resolving this conflict?
 What is the effect of female administrators in resolving this conflict in situations where teachers have conflicts with higher authorities?
 What are the positive effects of female administrators compared to male administrators in conflict situations in schools?
 What are the positive effects of female administrators compared to male administrators in conflict situations in schools?Importance of Research With this research, it is aimed to examine the conflict resolution skills of female school administrators working in 4 schools, which are determined as 1 kindergarten, 1 primary school, 1 secondary school and 1 high school in Osmangazi district of Bursa, and what kind of difference is found in these conflict resolution skills compared to male school administrators is intended to reach.
In different studies, it has been frequently emphasized that women do not take enough place in managerial positions and that they remain in the background compared to men in management and decision-making processes.However, the study of Neft and Levine (1997) states that female managers establish good relations with group members and support the individuals in their team.Bass and Avolio (1994) discussed eighty different characteristics in the transformational leadership style as male and female; They found that female managers encourage their subordinates to increase their efforts more, and that female managers tend to be more sensitive, more compassionate, and more concerned than men (Owen at al., 2004).For this reason, it is important to investigate the effectiveness of female administrators in resolving and managing conflict situations that may occur at any time in educational environments and in the outcome of them in favor of the institution.

METHOD/MATERIALS
If it is desired to learn the reasons of a person's behavior and his thoughts or feelings about any situation, the most appropriate method is to get information from this person.It is possible to learn about the thoughts, feelings or opinions of the person, thanks to the free and comfortable answers to the open-ended questions directed to him.In this context, the 'interview' method stands out as a research technique that will provide data of different quality and depth compared to other methods.As a research technique, interview is a controlled verbal communication between the researcher and the person for a specific purpose (Cohen & Manion, 1994).
The universe of the study consists of teachers working in kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and high school in our country.İt is not possible to reach the universe, teachers from different branches who actively work in public schools in the Osmangazi district of Bursa province were selected as the accessible universe.The study group consisted of 5 boys, 15 working in 1 kindergarten, 1 primary school, 1 secondary school and 1 high school (Yunuseli Kindergarten, Lütfi Banuşoğlu Primary School, Erdem Beyazıt Secondary School and Bursa Anatolian Girls' High School) determined in the Osmangazi district of Bursa province in the 2021-2022 academic year.It consists of a total of 20 teachers consisting of women.

Data Collection Tools
It is about one-to-one information about the form, about the 7-item interview formula as a data collection tool, about planning for the future (Karasar, 2009).In accordance with qualitative research, open-ended questions were asked in order to enable the participants to think independently and to carry out the data collection process successfully; In this way, it was possible to ask additional questions when necessary.Care was taken to examine a different situation regarding the conflict resolution skills of female administrators for each of the interview items.In the process of developing the items in the interview form, first of all, the literature on the subject was searched, and the criteria that could guide the research were determined and draft scale items were written in accordance with the prepared specification table.7-What are the negative effects of female administrators on conflict situations in your school compared to male administrators, please specify below.

Data Analysis
In the data collection process, firstly, one-on-one interviews were conducted with the participants and all the data collected in the light of the participants' answers were written down by the researcher in a computer environment.The obtained data were analyzed using the content analysis technique.Afterwards, the answers, which were turned into written documents by the researcher, were submitted to the control of the participants, and in this way, the feeling that the research was progressing in a "transparent and reliable" way was tried to be given to the participants.At the beginning of each interview with the participants, detailed information was given about the purpose of the research, the progress of the process and the method to be used, thus it was aimed to explain to the participants that the research was "transferable".
In order to get in-depth opinions from the participants during the interviews, "problem questions" were used by the researcher and it was aimed to enrich the data source in this way.The necessary sensitivity was paid to ensure that the participating teachers were in a suitable environment and in the presence of an audience, in line with their capacities and abilities, to be able to express themselves comfortably in line with their capacities and abilities, to evaluate the issues discussed, and to have the opportunity to prepare before the interview, in accordance with the literature.In the study, similar answers received from the participants were classified, and the frequencies of these answers in the total ratio were shown in tables.The answers given to each item were discussed and interpreted in the tables.Attention was also paid to ensure the "coder reliability" of the study.
Encoder reliability; While it can be explained as the coding action performed by different coders on the same data or the percentage of agreement between two different codings performed by the same coder at different times, category clarity is the classification made in accordance with the literature, clear and understandable (Bilgin, 2014;Sönmez & Alacapınar, 2016).For this reason, care has been taken to ensure that the codes created in order to ensure category clarity are compatible with the literature.

FINDINGS
In this section, the findings obtained as a result of the opinions received from the participants based on the questions asked in the research are included.The answers given to the research questions were arranged in line with the answers from 20 participants for each question, and some statements made by the participants were presented in quotation marks.

Findings for Research Question 1
Question 1 "What kind of conflicts do you experience the most in your school?Can you give 3 examples of these conflict issues?" The answers to this question are presented in Table-2 according to the frequency of recurrence.

Subject of Conflict
Recurrence Frequency Administration-teacher conflict 5 Teacher-parent conflict 11 Parent-parent conflict 2

School cleaning 2
Division of labor and joint decision making 12 Curriculum 5 Disciplinary events 14 of the 20 participants stated that they saw the most disciplinary incidents among the conflict types seen in schools.We can say that the issue of disciplining students in schools and efforts on this issue cause conflicts.While all of the high school and secondary school teachers gave priority to this issue, only one of the primary school teachers did not mention the discipline issue.None of the teachers working in the kindergarten talked about conflict situations related to disciplinary issues.Discipline, one of the conflicts seen in schools, was explained by the participants with different examples under the same title.

Findings for Research Question 2
Question 2 "In cases of conflicts with parents at your school, what do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict?Please specify." The codes for the answers given by the participants to this question are presented in Table 3. Table 3.In cases of conflict with parents, female administrators are under the influence of this conflict.

Effects of female managers on conflict
Positive Negative Total Clear and effective speech -1 1 Being moderate 5 1 6 Empathizing 1 -1 Being solution oriented 5 -5

Good communication 2 -2
Being cautious 1 -1 In cases of conflict with parents, the most mentioned issue by the participants about the effect of female administrators in resolving this conflict was "being moderate".Participants who expressed their opinions on this subject mostly stated that female administrators act more moderately than male administrators in conflict situations with parents, which has a positive effect on the resolution of conflict.Only 1 participant expressed a negative opinion on this issue and said that female administrators acted too moderately, which prevented them from being effective in conflict resolution.The issue of being solution-oriented stands out as another prominent female manager feature.Participants who expressed their opinions on this subject stated that women managers generally exhibit a solution-oriented attitude during conflict, and this situation has a positive effect on the resolution of the conflict.

Findings for Research Question 3
Question 3 "In cases of conflicts with other teachers at your school, what do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict?Please specify."The answers given by the participants regarding the question are presented in Table :4.Table 4 In the conflict situations experienced by the teachers at school, in the participant views on the effects of female administrators on resolving this conflict, it was found that female administrators were moderate, had high empathy, and were fair when looking for a solution in case of conflict.2 participants stated that female administrators can think multi-dimensionally in resolving conflict situations that occur between teachers, and this situation has a positive effect on conflict resolution.Again, 2 participants stated that female managers were successful in finding creative solutions and that they could produce new solutions by looking at the problems from a different perspective.

. The effect of female administrators in resolving this conflict in cases of conflict with teachers
Considering the negative opinions, 2 participants stated that they were insufficient in resolving conflicts due to the dominant character of female managers; One participant, on the other hand, stated that the female administrators were insufficient in resolving the conflict situations between the teachers because they were not as experienced as the male administrators.And One participant also stated that female administrators have an "I know" attitude and because of this attitude, they are inadequate compared to male administrators in resolving conflicts.

Findings for Research Question 4
Question 4: "In cases of conflicts with students at your school, what is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict?Please specify."The answers given by the participants regarding this question are presented in Table :5.When asked about the effects of female administrators on the effects of teachers on resolving conflicts in conflict situations with students, the participants stated that the highest percentage of female administrators approached students with maternal affection and this had a positive effect on conflict resolution.When we look at the findings regarding the opinions, the participants also stated that female administrators provide effective communication, empathy, attention to being result-oriented and behaving politely in cases of conflict between students and teachers.These considerations show that the effects of female managers are positive in times of conflict.Two participants, who gave negative opinions, stated that female administrators were not effective enough on students in their opinions.

Findings for Research Question 5
Question 5 "In cases of conflicts with higher authorities at your school, what do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict?Please specify."The findings regarding the answers of the participants regarding this question are presented in Table 6.

Effects of female managers on conflict
Positive Negative Total Acting as an ambassador 3 -3 Being sensitive 4 -4 Being solution oriented 5 -5 Being constructive 3 -3 Regarding the effects of female managers in resolving these conflicts in conflict situations with higher authorities, 5 participants stated that female managers are solution-oriented.In cases of conflict with the higher authorities, 4 participants stated that female managers behave very sensitively and sensitively.3 participants stated that female administrators acted as ambassadors in situations of conflict with higher authorities, and they were successful in conveying the requests and complaints of teachers to higher authorities.Three of the participants stated that female managers acted constructively.It is seen that only two participants said that female managers remained passive regarding conflict situations with higher authorities.

Findings for Research Question 6
Question 6 "What are the positive effects of female administrators compared to male administrators in conflict situations in your school?Please specify." The findings regarding the answers of the participants regarding this question are presented in Table 7.

Table 7. Positive effects of female managers compared to male managers in conflict situations
Positive effects of female managers compared to male managers Recurrence Frequency Different perspective 1

Being calm 2
Being moderate 1

Being constructive 1
Emotional bonding 1 Positive social relationships 1 The headline that stands out as having the highest frequency of repetition in the participant views on the positive effects of female administrators on conflicts occurring in schools compared to male administrators; women managers have had more subtle thinking.Participants emphasized that female managers think more carefully than male managers, and therefore they are more successful in resolving conflicts.When we look at this issue in general, it can be said that all of the participants responded in a way that supports the positive effects.There was no participant who answered the question negatively, saying "I don't think there is a positive effect," or abstaining by saying "I don't know".The most frequently repeated answer of women's thinking more carefully shows that in conflict situations, the well-intentioned and attentive behaviors of any party will have a positive effect on the conflict.It is seen that some of the characteristics that women have in general have beneficial results if they are used in conflict situations.

Findings for Research Question 7
Question 7 "What are the negative effects of female administrators compared to male administrators in conflict situations in your school?Please specify."The findings regarding the answers given by the participants to this question are presented in Table 8.Table 8

. Negative effects of female managers compared to male managers in conflict situations
Negative effects of female managers compared to male managers Recurrence Frequency None 7 Too merciful and motherly approach 5 Sensuality 6 Inability to hide tension 1 Getting hung up on details 2 Projecting personal intimacy into conflicts 1 When the participants were asked about the negative aspects of female administrators compared to male administrators in conflict situations in schools, it was striking that 7 participants answered "no".We see that 6 participants answered this question under the code of sentimentality.The general judgment of the participants who answered in this direction is that female managers approach the events emotionally and decide under the influence of these feelings.All three of the participants who supported the research stated that the over-compassionate and motherly approach of female administrators in conflict situations had a negative effect on conflict resolution.Two participants, on the other hand, mentioned that female administrators were obsessed with details while resolving conflicts.According to these participants, it is stated that female managers are obsessed with details as a situation that is observed more frequently compared to male managers and affects conflicts negatively.Again, 1 participant stated that female managers were not as successful as male managers in hiding their tensions, and 1 participant stated that female managers reflected their previously established personal closeness to the conflict as a negative situation.

DISCUSSION
In this study, the importance of having open communication, displaying a solution-oriented attitude, being moderate and understanding in the constructive resolution and management of conflicts occurring in school environments has been revealed once again in this study.With these features, we can say that female administrators play an active role in conflicts in educational institutions.The situations that can be considered negative regarding female managers in conflicts are stated as emotional approach, obsession with details and not being able to have the expected effect on individuals.
One of the most important limitations of the research is that the results are not "generalizable" due to the small number of participants.In addition to this situation, the fact that all of the participants were teachers provided the "groupability" of the answers, even though they were at different levels.In addition, in order to be clearer about the conflict resolution skills of female managers; In future studies, more detailed information can be consulted with questions to be prepared regarding conflict resolution processes.
After the causes of conflicts are determined, the differences between male and female managers can be handled more concretely by making a content analysis of conflict issues and clarifying the behaviors and skills of managers regarding conflict.Thus, it will be possible to reach more detailed data on the role of female administrators in conflicts in schools.
Since this research aimed to draw a general framework about the place and importance of female administrators in conflict situations seen in educational institutions, general questions were asked to the participants about the conflict resolution skills of female administrators in conflicts they experienced.However, for future research; In order to solve this issue, it can be suggested to examine in detail the differences between the styles adopted by male and female managers and the significant differences between male and female managers from the beginning to the end of the conflict process.In this way, it may be possible to organize the information obtained about the conflict process in a comparative and systematic way.
According to the results of the study, it has been concluded that many different conflict situations are seen in schools, and that female administrators have positive effects in the resolution of these conflicts, according to the opinion of the teachers.It is important for a positive school climate to be created in schools that teachers receive support from their administrators in conflict situations and that female administrators play an active role in resolving conflicts.It is obvious that women who manage to cope with many difficulties in life can also resolve conflicts that may arise in business life and at every level of management.However, more detailed studies on larger samples are needed in order to obtain more data on the attitudes of female school administrators.Undoubtedly, this study is only a preliminary study on the studies and methods that can be handled on the subject.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
As a result, managerial characteristics according to the attitudes of female administrators in conflict situations; being moderate, being solution-oriented, being compassionate and motherly, supporting employees, thinking carefully and being polite.According to Sarper (2021), individual characteristics such as being determined, willing and cautious, constantly improving oneself, and having a high perception of self-efficacy are important for the successful conclusion of all managerial processes for women.This view also supports the findings we obtained as a result of our study.In the literature research, it has been observed that there are a limited number of studies on the conflict resolution skills of female managers.However, women who are faced with a process management in all areas of life and who have to develop themselves instinctively in this area will be able to resolve the conflict situations they encounter while being a manager in the same way.In addition, it has been found that women are seen as suitable for kindergarten teacher or primary school teaching due to their motherly nature, and they are also

EXPRESSIONS 1 -
What kind of conflicts do you experience the most in your school?Can you give 3 examples of these conflict issues?do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict in case of conflicts with parents at your school?please specify 3-In your school's conflict situations with other teachers, what do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict; please specify 4-What do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict in case of conflicts with students at your school?please specify EXPRESSIONS 5-What do you think is the effect of your female administrator in resolving this conflict in case of conflicts with higher authorities in your school?please specify 6-Please indicate below what are the positive effects of female administrators on conflict situations in your school compared to male administrators.