Global Journal of Management and Business Research, A: Administration and Management, Volume 22 Issue 4

that when the interest of either or both of the parties involved in industrial relations is unsatisfied, organizational crisis becomes imminent. Organisational crisis is used to describe any form of work dissatisfaction that can manifest in several ways such as absenteeism, strike action, industrial unrest, high labour turnover, and industrial boycott among others (Osabuohien and Ogunrinola, 2020). Ekene and Samuel (2022) succinctly notes that organisational crisis affects the immediate parties involved, which normally trickles down to the entire society especially when it occurs at a national level. This is typical of the Nigerian public domain where the interest of the government, represented by management and those of the employees, represented by the unions are virtually diametrically opposed at all times. Within the context of this study, the Academic Staff Union of Universities known with the acronym ASUU is the union body instituted in 1965 as employees’ representative, to push for better welfare for its members and protect the academic interest of the university system (Eric, 2016). Data reveal that Nigerian universities have generally embarked on strike for one of every five years since 1999, while Nigerian lecturers through ASUU have gone on strike 15 times in the past 22 years (Yusuf, 2021). The causality of this persistent organisational crisis is attributed to leadership subterfuge and most recently in the last two years, as ASUU demonstrate that they would no longer rely on deceits and pledges of the stalled implementation of the December 23, 2020, Memorandum of Association by the government (Danjuma, 2021). Leadership subterfuge describes the direct and/or indirect behavioral deception of leaders in projecting the opposite of what they claim to be and actually manifest (Fidelis and Ezika, 2021). Wahab (2018) disclosed that the university union (i.e., ASUU) and the Federal Government of Nigeria are always in conflict over funding of the Nigerian Universities, better working condition among other ASUU demands. Collective bargaining is deemed the means by which abuse of power is prevented between parties in the employment relationship (CIPD, 2017). It ought to serve as a veritable organisational crisis management tool for resolving workplace conflict between labour and management as well as the determination of terms and conditions of employment. Suffice to argue that collective bargaining is fundamental to organizational crisis management as a tool through which regu-lated manageability can be achieved. Against this backdrop, this study is carried out to explore the implication of leadership subterfuge on collective bargaining and organisational crisis management, so as to provide stimulating insights on plausible ways organisations can cope with certain complex situations from an operational point of view, using Nigeria public universities as reference. a) Statement of problem Government as the sole employer of labour in Nigerian public universities has been described as out- rightly insensitive to the plight of labour. Thus, it is perceived that the agitations and confrontations contributing to organisational crisis (vis-à-vis disruption of academic activities through reoccurring ASUU strikes) in Nigeria public universities, is a problem of ‘leadership subterfuge’. Noticeably, government has continued to pay lip-service to the proper application of collective bargaining mechanism. It appears that the leaders say one thing but intend another; due to the conscious refusal to retrieve one’s personality traits in public affairs management. This study argues that the consequences of leadership subterfuge are the ever reoccurring organisational crisis and its correlates of strikes frequently witnessed in Nigeria public universities, to the detriment of meaningful development. On the basis of the foregoing, the following research questions were addressed by the study: 1. What is the nature of organisational crisis in Nigeria’s public universities? 2. To what extent does the behavioral deception of leaders influence labour relations outcome in Nigeria’s public universities? 3. Is there any relationship between leadership subterfuge, collective bargaining, and organisational crisis management in Nigeria’s public universities? 4. How effective is collective bargaining in managing organisational crisis in Nigeria’s public universities? b) Research Objective and Question The broad objective of this study was to examine the implications of leadership subterfuge on collective bargaining and organisational crisis management in Nigeria public universities. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions. 1. What is the nature of organisational crisis in Nigeria’s public universities? 2. To what extent does the behavioural deception of leaders influence labour relations outcome in Nigeria public universities? 3. Is there any relationship between leadership subterfuge, collective bargaining, and organisational crisis management in Nigeria public universities? 4. How effectiveness is collective bargaining in managing organisational crisis in Nigeria public universities? II. C onceptual D iscourse a) Leadership The complexities of globalization keep sparking debates on the concept of leadership, which is considered crucial to goal attainment and any meaningful development in society (Francis, 2018). In Sub-Saharan Africa, leadership is depicted as service to 2 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXII Issue IV Version I Year 2022 ( ) A © 2022 Global Journals Implications of Leadership Subterfuge on Collective Bargaining and Organisational Crisis Management: A Case of Nigeria Public Universities