WORKPLACE CONFLICT, LECTURERS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND UNIVERSITY PERFORMANCE: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164103Keywords:
Academic Staff, Higher Education, Psychological Well-Being, University Performance, Workplace ConflictAbstract
Workplace conflict has emerged as a growing concern that affects not only university harmony but also the psychological well-being of lecturers. however, many existing literatures research focuses on corporate employees, healthcare workers, or school teachers rather than university lecturers. limited conceptual research exists regarding how workplace conflict influences lecturers’ psychological well-being and, university performance. This gap restricts universities’ ability to understand the interconnected effects of these TWO variables. Therefore, this research addresses this critical contextual and demographic gap. This conceptual paper aims to provide a clearer picture of the psychological and university performance challenges in relation to workplace conflict in academia. Using a qualitative conceptual approach, this paper synthesises evidence from 40 clean peer-reviewed out of 80 publications published from 2000 to 2025 subjected to several criterials. The literature was analysed thematically, focusing on two major areas: the effects of workplace conflict on lecturers psychological well-being and its implications for university performance. The findings indicate that workplace conflict functions as both a psychosocial stressor and emotional burden that contributes to stress, burnout, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and reduced job satisfaction among lecturers. Declining psychological well-being subsequently weakens collegiality, limits collaboration, reduces teaching effectiveness, and lowers research productivity. These effects collectively contributes to institutional effectiveness and performance. The significant contribution from this paper emphasises the importance of proactive conflict management, supportive leadership, and well-being initiatives in fostering healthier academic environments and sustaining university excellence. The study also provides a conceptual foundation for future empirical research and institutional policy development.
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