Types of Conflicts Faced by Students at University Level in Islamabad/ Rawalpindi: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Conflicts are everywhere in life and can have both constructive and destructive consequences. The present research explored the types of conflict and conflict management strategies adopted by university students in Islamabad and Rawalpindi based on the stated objectives. The objectives of the present study were 1) to investigate the types of conflicts faced by students, 2) to identify Conflict Management Strategies adopted by university students to manage their conflicts, and 3) to develop guidelines for conflict mechanisms. A quantitative research design was used. The population of the study was all public and private university students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Nine public and private universities in Islamabad and four public and private universities in Rawalpindi were selected for the sample selection. A simple “random sampling technique” was used to select samples from private and public universities in Islamabad/Rawalpindi. The questionnaire was developed and distributed among M.Phil. and Ph.D. Scholars of private /public universities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to collect data. Data was stored in tables and analyzed by using SPSS 24. The study findings showed that most respondents agreed that they are having Interpersonal conflicts regarding personality. In contrast, most of the respondents agreed that they have obligations. Hence, it is recommended that students be encouraged to seek out and use university resources such as counselling and mediation services to help manage conflicts.