Phenomenology of Educational Conflict and the Building of Organizational Culture in Romanian Schools

Abstract

Educational conflict is often viewed as a disruptive phenomenon affecting organizational stability and school effectiveness. However, phenomenological perspectives suggest that conflict may also represent a formative experience through which educational communities negotiate meanings and reconstruct shared values. Objectives: This paper explores the contribution of phenomenology to understanding educational conflict as a mechanism for building organizational culture in Romanian schools. Prior Work: The study is informed by phenomenological and hermeneutic traditions, particularly the works of Husserl, Gadamer, Merleau-Ponty, and Ricoeur, alongside research on organizational culture and educational conflict, which has largely emphasized managerial regulation and conflict resolution. Approach: A conceptual and interpretative methodology was employed, combining phenomenological inquiry, hermeneutic analysis, and a comparative review of relevant literature. Illustrative situations from Romanian schools were used to support the development of a phenomenological model of organizational culture construction. Results: Educational conflict is conceptualized as a lived and intersubjective experience encompassing four dimensions: experiential, interpretative, reflective, and constitutive. The proposed cyclical model shows how conflict can contribute to value clarification, institutional adaptation, and identity consolidation through dialogue and collective reflection. Implications: The findings encourage school leaders to adopt reflective and participatory approaches to conflict management. Value: The study offers an integrated framework that reinterprets conflict as a resource for organizational learning, cultural renewal, and institutional self-awareness.