Aggression and workplace violence

Aggression, Violence in the Workplace

Studies suggest that violence and aggression are an increasingly common occurrence in organizations large and small across the globe (Repetti, Seeman & Taylor, 1997; Waldron, 2000; Coombs & Holladay, 2004). Aggression and violence are serious problems that can have short- and long-term consequences on individuals and organizations. As such it is vital that organizations become aware of the problem and take steps to prevent them.

In this paper the researcher will explore how violence and aggression in the workplace affects victims and what measures can be taken to prevent or address violence and aggression in the workplace. Commonly held beliefs suggest that work is a safe environment for people to engage in business interaction. Studies however suggest that violence and aggression often occur at work, sometimes directly and often indirectly. Such negative behaviors and attitudes can result in multiple problems including stress related emotional and physical illnesses. These ideas are explored in greater detail below.

Effects of Aggression and Violence in the Workplace

Repetti, Seeman & Taylor (1997) suggest that an aggressive or violent workplace can increase illness and poor health in the workplace. The researchers contend that chronic illness is often the result of psychological factors that may include hostility in the workplace. This is partly due to chronic stress experienced by individuals working in environments that are increasingly aggressive or violent. Chronic stress is associated with multiple poor health outcomes in varying circumstances.

Coombs & Holladay (2004) note that workplace aggression is more and more entering the consciousness of organizational experts and is now more recognized as a global rather than episodic or domestic concern. Studies confirm that workplace aggression is a problem encountered around the globe, not simply in the United States (Coombs & Holladay, 2004; Fisher, 2001). Still other studies suggest that many times instances of workplace aggression include verbal attacks or other passive attacks including spreading rumors or gossiping negatively about someone (Coombs & Holladay, 2004; Perry, 2000). The effects of such passive aggression may be felt throughout the organization, creating an environment filled with lackluster employees, distrust and a general trend that inhibits effective communication and knowledge sharing (Coombs & Holladay, 2004).

More violent acts of aggression or acts of violence can result in physical and emotional pain; overt physical and verbal abuse holds psychological ramifications for the employee that is targeted and may also affect workforce productivity (Coombs & Holladay, 2004). Researchers have continually found that workplace aggression can inhibit an organizations ability to delivery optimal services to customers and can in fact create a culture that is harmful and promotes other forms of harassment including sexual harassment (Waldron, 2000). Further aggression and violence in the workplace can often inhibit emotional expression in the workplace and disable channels of communication within an organization (Waldron, 2000).

Addressing Violence and Aggression At Work

Studies conducted by sociologists and psychologists suggest that awareness of violence and aggression is the first step toward conquering it in the workplace (ILO, 2000). It is important that organization adopt a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach toward addressing and solving this problem rather than looking for a single solution the to problem of workplace violence (ILO, 2000). Typically studies have shown that traditional responses to workplace violence are largely not effective because they are "limited in scope, episodic and ill defined" (ILO, 2000).

Thanks to much research in the area of workplace violence experts now realize that workplace aggression is more a structural and strategic issue contained within social, economic, cultural and organizational contexts (ILO, 2000). This suggests that to resolve the problem organizations must overcome the causes rather than respond to the consequences of workplace violence. Appropriate strategies then must include prevention which may include creation of a written policy against violence and aggression, appropriate screening of candidates for aggressive tendencies and training that helps instill interpersonal and communications skills employees and mangers can use to defuse aggressive situations (ILO, 2000; Williams, 2003; Coombs & Holladay, 2004).

It is also important that organizations identity problems and address aggression and violence with effective anti-aggression campaigns and interventions; the best way to do this according to research includes working toward shifting employee and cultural attitudes not just suppressing negative behaviors (Coombs & Holladay, 2004). Organizations have to work to directly eliminate verbal and nonverbal assaults alike and overt abuse as well as work to develop programs with the specific intent of reducing aggression by exploring the possible causes of aggression and approaching them (Coombs & Holladay, 2004).

Training is also necessary that teaches managers to understand exactly how aggression and violence can signify underlying problems within the workforce (Coombs & Holladay, 2004). These underlying problems may include "feelings of powerlessness" among employees, stress, "resistance to policies" and general unrest, where aggression is viewed as a "functional coping mechanism" to help workers address such problems (Coombs & Holladay, 2004: 481). Other researchers suggest that training interventions will only work once employees and aggressors become aware of their behaviors and identify the reasons for participating in negative or aggressive behavior (Fisher, 2001).

Discussion/Conclusions

By investigating aggression and violence in the workplace, the researcher attempted to uncover what the effects of violence were and what steps organizations and individuals can take to minimize the effects of violence in the workplace. Commonly held assumptions tend to suppose that workplace aggression and violence is a rare occurrence that happens episodically. The information gathered from the literature review however suggests that workplace aggression is actually much more widespread, occurring in organizations large and small, among firms across the globe (Fisher, 2001; Coombs & Holladay, 2004; ILO, 2000; Perry, 2000).

Further one might assume the affects of violence and aggressions are limited to physical effects. However the results of this synopsis show that violence in the workplace has long-term and far reaching psychological, emotional and physical effects. Workers subjected to continual aggression and violence in the workplace are much more likely to suffer from stress and stress related illnesses, which may manifest as depression or anxiety or other physical ailments that send them to the physician (Repetti, Seeman & Taylor, 1997). Further workplace aggression and violence have short- and long-term consequences on the organization, impacting productivity and efficiency in a negative manner. Thus it is vital that organizations become aware of the problem and address it accordingly.

Commonly held beliefs also assume that workplace aggression is best handled by addressing a particular instance of aggression or violence and behavior (Repetti, Seeman & Taylor, 1997). The results of this synopsis however also prove this to be an untrue assumption. Rather experts now realize that the best approach toward combating workplace aggression and violence is preventing aggression and violence from occurring in the first place (Fisher, 2001; Coombs & Holladay, 2004). To accomplish this organizations can take a variety of proactive steps including inventorying employees and surveying employees regarding their perceptions of workplace violence and their knowledge of aggression in the workplace.