Violence in the Workplace - McDermotts Anger - Case Study Example

Case Assignment Violence in the workplace Workplace violence refers to the violent act by a worker against hisco-workers that may lead to emotional, physical and psychological trauma. In some cases, violent outbursts from workers have resulted in the loss of life which may affect the operations of the organization. Sexual harassment and other modes of harassment can be categorized as workplace violence. Violent behavior by the worker may occur without notice increasing the number of people affected. The reason behind workplace violence differs across the different occupations available. In most cases, a combination of environmental and personal factors result in instability in the worker hence the violent outburst. Some of the forms of violence take place due to the influence of drugs which may drive the worker to attack his work mates. A worker may feel that some of the policies introduced in the work place threaten his career. Down sizing the organization or a pay decrease may result in a violent attack by a worker. Some workers may result to violence after prolonged dissatisfaction in the workplace. Identification of violent behaviour in the workplace is crucial to the operations of the organization. The workers and management have the obligation to identify potential threats in the workplace. Conducive working environment will improve productivity and enable the organization to save on cost related to violent incidences in the workplace (DeCenzo, Robbins & Verhulst, 2010). The health and safety Act gives the employers the duty to identify and eliminate all the treats to the organization. Violent behaviour among the workers poses a significant threat to the organization thus the management should identify and eliminate any source of violent behavior in the workplace. The employee has the duty to ensure that his own safety in the workplace. The workers are constantly interacting thus identified violent behaviour should be reported to the management for immediate action. The workers and employer are equally responsible for violence in the workplace. Workers have the right to report any incidences that may result to violence. The management’s duty is to act responsibly to ensure that the violence does not affect the operations of the organization. The case study reports that some of the workers identified McDermott when they heard the news of the incident at Edgewater Technology. McDermott had planned his assault to destroy the company’s image (Waring & Glendon, 2001). McDermott’s anger was due to the pay decrease the company was about to impose to pay taxes owed to the IRS. Faced with financial jeopardy, McDermott saw the chance to protest against the employer by attacking his co-workers. McDermott liked to be a lone thus described as a loner by his neighbors. Socialization reduces the stress facing the individual as communication allows the individual to cool down and get a second opinion. Communication also reduces the pressure build up from all the issues harbored by a worker. Isolated individuals are volatile and are a danger to their co-workers. The McDermott case reflects the presence of workplace violence in many organizations. Many workers are treated or assaulted by their co-workers in the workplace without reporting the issue to their employers (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2008). Increased levels of violence have resulted to organizations investing in control measures to avoid cases similar to McDermott’s assault on Edgewater Technology. Organizations have acquired the help of consultant firms and seminars to help workers to deal with the pressure in the workplace. The workers are also taught how to identify and deal with potential treats to their safety. Consultant firms evaluate the security concerns in the workplace while others dwell on effective worker screening and communication to management regarding potential treats to the workers (Cascio, 2005). Communication between the workers and management should be encouraged because the workers can identify some signs of a dangerous worker. Workers in Edgewater Technology and McDermott’s neighbors ignored some of the signs that if identified earlier could have enabled the organization to avoid the fatal incident. The management and the workers may find it difficult to accurately pinpoint a potential threat to the workers due to discrimination. The organization may be liable to discrimination against a worker in its efforts to identify potential threats. The workers in a company are an asset and promotion of security in the workplace will improve the working environment thus enhance productivity (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2008). The management needs to manage misconduct in the organization in a professional way to eliminate threats in the workplace. The management should facilitate communication with the workers to allow them to report cases of violence in the company. It is the responsibility of managers to ensure that all the workers interact professionally in the organization (Chappell & DiMartino, 2006). Dealing with a violent worker Identification of violent behavior in the worker is crucial in the organization. The manager should ensure that he has sufficient information to identify a worker as violent to ensure that there is no discrimination. Information from the staff members may be crucial in identification of violent behaviour. The manager can evaluate the body language, the tone used in communication or the conduct of the worker. The organization should have adequate reporting strategies to ensure collection of evidence against a violent worker. Rapid action against a violent worker can be the difference between a violent attack and security in the workplace. Once the worker has been identified, the manager should reprimand these actions professionally. Counseling may be advised for a violent worker to ensure anger is controlled. Enhancing the security in the workplace should be encouraged with the organization investing in detection machine and security personnel. Seminars and training for the workers can also be used to control the violence in the workplace. The management should ensure that the company has strict policies against violence in the workplace (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2008). The manager should lead by example, promoting a respectful work environment with zero tolerance on violent acts in the workplace. Termination of employment and legal action can be used by the organization to ensure that the workers refrain from violent actions. The manger should ensure that regular communication of the organization policies against violence to promote workplace security. Seminars in the workplace should also be held regularly to ensure that the workers are able to identify potential treats and respond professionally. The workers in the company should be guaranteed safety to ensure that the organization is productive. References Cascio, W. F. (2005). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits. New York, N.Y: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Chappell, D., & DiMartino, V. (2006). Violence at work. Geneva: Intern. Labour Off. DeCenzo, D. A., Robbins, S. P., & Verhulst, S. L. (2010). Fundamentals of human resource management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Ivancevich, J. M., Konopaske, R., & Matteson, M. T. (2008). Organizational behavior and management. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Waring, A., & Glendon, A. I. (2001). Managing risk. London: International Thomson Business. Read More