Workplace Conflict and Its Effects on University Lecturers: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

Workplace conflict among university lecturers is a growing concern that affects both individual well-being and institutional performance. Conflicts often emerge from interpersonal disagreements, unequal workload distribution, competition for scarce academic resources, and differing expectations between lecturers and university management. These challenges can undermine lecturers’ job satisfaction, increase psychological strain, and hinder effective collaboration. This conceptual paper aims to analyse the effects of workplace conflict on lecturers’ psychological well-being and professional performance. Guided by two research questions, the study synthesises findings from empirical and conceptual literature published over the past two decades. By focusing on university lecturers, this paper addresses a critical gap in the literature concerning the specific challenges faced by academic staff. The review highlights that unresolved conflicts contribute to stress, burnout, emotional exhaustion, social withdrawal, and reduced motivation. Professionally, conflicts diminish teaching quality, weaken research productivity, impair teamwork, and restrict career progression. The paper underscores the importance of conflict-management strategies tailored to academic environments, including transparent workload policies, supportive leadership practices, counselling services, and structured communication channels. Findings contribute to a deeper understanding of workplace conflict in higher education and offer insights for improving lecturer well-being and institutional effectiveness.