Understanding Roommate Conflict among University of Cape Coast Students: A Poisson Regression Approach

Abstract

Although roommate conflict and its negative effects are visible on Ghanaian campuses, most of the publications on this type of conflict have been written by scholars in the developed world. Consequently, challenges and consequences associated with this type of conflict in Ghana and developing countries have not been adequately discussed in the literature. This study investigates causes, consequences and management strategies of roommate conflict and willingness to pay for conflict resolution services. Findings of the study indicated that most of the students have had conflict with their roommate. Poor communication, lack of cooperation, unreturned greetings and cold looks were identified as the major forms or signs of conflicts. Respondents indicated main causes of conflicts as refusal to clean room, noise making in the room, gossiping about roommate and using roommate property without permission. With regards to consequences of these conflicts, students suggested feeling tensed and uncomfortable, staying outside their rooms for long hours, sleep distortion and depression to be the major consequences. The study revealed bringing roommate together to resolve conflict themselves, encouraging communication among roommates, negotiation with roommate and special training on developing cooperative attitude among roommate to be the major management strategies to address conflict. Most of the students were unwilling to pay for conflict resolution services if provided by the university. Results of the poison regression estimation suggests family size of student, number of roommates in a room and being in a love relationship as significant and negative predictors of frequency of roommate conflicts.