Violence in the Workplace: Getting in Front of the Causes In Order to Create a Safer Workplace

By

Ryan D. Howell

MNGT 5000 – Management
Webster University
Dr. James W. Chester
October 10, 2014
Executive Summary Violence in the workplace is a growing trend affecting safety, which managers at all levels are dealing with. Several factors are associated with the causes of violence in the workplace to include: individual, organizational, and social factors. Violence in the workplace affects not just the employees but also the customers and the productivity of the business. Legislation against violence in the workplace assists the victims and provides resources to managers which allow action. However, in order to get in front of the causes a business strategy must be formed through a SWOT analysis. Once a business strategy is formed then managers will be able to take action and prevent violence in the workplace.

Introduction The general concept of safety in the workplace can be assumed to be important to most people. When Goodman (1968) analyzed the use of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, he concluded that while the hierarchy was not as important, the factors of workplace safety were of vital importance (p. 55). There exist several types of workplace violence, and solutions for counteracting each type. The first area to concentrate on is the culture of violence which has led to an increase in workplace violence; not just for employees but also customers (Hoobler & Swanberg, 2006, p. 243). Next a look at murder-suicide examines the most extreme case of workplace violence. With over one third of workplace killings resulting in the killer committing suicide, this has become a very important topic to discuss (Lester, 2014, p. 28). Bullying and domestic violence have also made their way into the workplace after being common in schools and the