Workplace harassment, bullying and violence : implications for management

Abstract

Purpose The study aims to examine the hypothesised relationships between workplace harassment, bullying and violence (WHBV), its antecedents and its outcomes. Furthermore, the study seeks to identify whether the quality of relations that staff members have with their superiors as well as the coping mechanisms used when faced with WHBV moderate the occurrence and the outcomes of WHBV respectively. Background Exposure to Workplace Harassment, Bullying and Violence is recognised as a significant factor in making the health sector an unhealthy and unattractive workplace that intensifies recruitment and retention problems. Exposure to WHBV at work has been found to have negative implications for individuals, organisations and society as a whole. (Whittington, 2002) Method A mixed method approach was used for this study. Qualitative data was collected by means of a focus group while a psychometric validated questionnaire collected the quantitative data. The sample consisted of 300 nurses working in the emergency department and medical and surgical wards of Mater Dei Hospital. A response rate of 79.9% resulted. Results The findings show that the antecedents namely; interpersonal conflict, organisational constraints, workload and work demands were positively related to WHBV. Furthermore, WHBV was found to be related to decreased positive feelings and emotions, increased negative affectivity, increased errors, decreased job satisfaction, decreased organisational commitment as well as increased intention to leave. Moderation analysis showed that the quality of relations staff have with superiors does not moderate the relationship between the antecedents and WHBV. Furthermore the three coping dimensions (alienation, problemoriented and positive thinking) showed that coping mechanisms moderated the relationship between the WHBV by internal and external sources and the outcomes. Mediation analysis showed that WHBV completely mediated some antecedents to outcome relationships indicating that in the absence of WHBV from internal and external sources these relationships would no longer be significant. Discussion and Recommendations Overall, the study supported the notion that WHBV will thrive in a stressful working environment. Early identification of the antecedent conditions will counteract the development of harassment, bullying and violence, resulting in a reduction of the negative outcomes. An approach to this problem is to encourage staff and managers to adopt a zero tolerance approach towards WHBV. This in turn may bring about significant benefits for the individual, organisation and society respectively.