1) Workplace policies and procedures for handling bullying complaints need to balance a no-blame approach with clear sanctions. They should allow for multiple access points and types of interventions to resolve issues in a cooperative manner.
2) Organizational cultures that clearly communicate expectations of respectful behavior and demonstrate fairness in handling complaints can help prevent and address bullying.
3) Effective policies address the needs of targets, bystanders, and alleged perpetrators to encourage resilience and recovery from bullying incidents.
This research paper explores the Effect of Organizational Justice dimensions (Distributive Justice, Procedural Justice, Interactional Justice) on Organizational Engagement in public sector banks of Pakistan: Mediating role of Work Engagement
Procedural justice: Inclusive process for inclusive growth, E. Allan LindOECD Governance
Presentation by E. Allan Lind, James L. Vincent Distinguished Professor of Leadership, Duke University, at the 6th Expert Meeting on Measuring Regulatory Performance: Evaluating Stakeholder Engagement in Regulatory Policy, Academic Speaker, The Hague, 16-18 June 2014. Further information is available at http://www.oecd.org/gov/regulatory-policy/
An insight into counterproductive work behaviordeshwal852
The concept of CWB in recent years has generated high interest among organizational researchers and practitioners because of its pervasiveness in organizations. Organizations want and need employees who
will do those things that aren’t in any job description. And the evidence indicates that those organizations
that have such employees outperform those that don’t. Dissatisfied employee is more likely to be
motivated to engage in counterproductive work practices such as breaking organizational rules, withholding effort, stealing, taking long breaks and working slowly. These acts should be curtailed as it obstructs the success of the organization. The present paper makes an attempt to discuss counterproductive work practices with reference to pertinent literature.
This research paper explores the Effect of Organizational Justice dimensions (Distributive Justice, Procedural Justice, Interactional Justice) on Organizational Engagement in public sector banks of Pakistan: Mediating role of Work Engagement
Procedural justice: Inclusive process for inclusive growth, E. Allan LindOECD Governance
Presentation by E. Allan Lind, James L. Vincent Distinguished Professor of Leadership, Duke University, at the 6th Expert Meeting on Measuring Regulatory Performance: Evaluating Stakeholder Engagement in Regulatory Policy, Academic Speaker, The Hague, 16-18 June 2014. Further information is available at http://www.oecd.org/gov/regulatory-policy/
An insight into counterproductive work behaviordeshwal852
The concept of CWB in recent years has generated high interest among organizational researchers and practitioners because of its pervasiveness in organizations. Organizations want and need employees who
will do those things that aren’t in any job description. And the evidence indicates that those organizations
that have such employees outperform those that don’t. Dissatisfied employee is more likely to be
motivated to engage in counterproductive work practices such as breaking organizational rules, withholding effort, stealing, taking long breaks and working slowly. These acts should be curtailed as it obstructs the success of the organization. The present paper makes an attempt to discuss counterproductive work practices with reference to pertinent literature.
Michael Cosgrove from Workplace Laws discusses:
- Steps to prevent workplace bullying
- The process of dealing with workplace bullying after it occurs
- Legal frameworks, resources available for businesses and options for employees to have their workplace bullying issues dealt with effectively
Cover your workplace with LawPath's Workplace Policies Bundle: http://bit.ly/1AFe9VM
Competency Drift: What’s the link between competency and disengagement?Touchstone Institute
Zubin Austin BScPhm, MBA, MISc, PhD
Professor
University of Toronto
Canada
Presented at Perspectives in Competency Assessment
A Symposium by Touchstone Institute
www.touchstoneinstitute.ca
Respecting Boundaries — The Don’ts of Dual RelationshipsAlex Clapson
Ethical issues related to professional boundaries are common and complex. Similar to a Rubik’s cube, the issue is multifaceted and rarely do all the sides line up correctly. We should be concerned with dual relationships primarily because they can hurt clients but also because they can hurt the profession and social workers.
Five Steps to Prevent Abusive Conduct and Workplace BullyingAnderson-davis, Inc.
This checklist will assist you in writing a comprehensive abusive conduct policy and walk you through the key elements of an effective, engaging and interactive story-based anti-bullying/abusive conduct prevention training course.
The checklist provides excerpts of three definitions of abusive conduct, identifies what to include and what not to include, and euphemisms to avoid in an abusive conduct policy and its distribution. The list identifies the key elements of how to write a story-based and engaging abusive conduct prevention training course and topics to include, i.e., intervention, policy as a ‘living’ document, when supervisors should document and contact HR/EEO, four changes in CA law. It also notes the new Tennessee and California guidelines covering anti-bullying legislation and abusive conduct.
Important: Most of the policy and training checklists’ guidelines and suggestions also apply to writing a comprehensive anti-harassment policy and creating/vetting engaging and story-based harassment prevention and resolution training.
Michael Cosgrove from Workplace Laws discusses:
- Steps to prevent workplace bullying
- The process of dealing with workplace bullying after it occurs
- Legal frameworks, resources available for businesses and options for employees to have their workplace bullying issues dealt with effectively
Cover your workplace with LawPath's Workplace Policies Bundle: http://bit.ly/1AFe9VM
Competency Drift: What’s the link between competency and disengagement?Touchstone Institute
Zubin Austin BScPhm, MBA, MISc, PhD
Professor
University of Toronto
Canada
Presented at Perspectives in Competency Assessment
A Symposium by Touchstone Institute
www.touchstoneinstitute.ca
Respecting Boundaries — The Don’ts of Dual RelationshipsAlex Clapson
Ethical issues related to professional boundaries are common and complex. Similar to a Rubik’s cube, the issue is multifaceted and rarely do all the sides line up correctly. We should be concerned with dual relationships primarily because they can hurt clients but also because they can hurt the profession and social workers.
Five Steps to Prevent Abusive Conduct and Workplace BullyingAnderson-davis, Inc.
This checklist will assist you in writing a comprehensive abusive conduct policy and walk you through the key elements of an effective, engaging and interactive story-based anti-bullying/abusive conduct prevention training course.
The checklist provides excerpts of three definitions of abusive conduct, identifies what to include and what not to include, and euphemisms to avoid in an abusive conduct policy and its distribution. The list identifies the key elements of how to write a story-based and engaging abusive conduct prevention training course and topics to include, i.e., intervention, policy as a ‘living’ document, when supervisors should document and contact HR/EEO, four changes in CA law. It also notes the new Tennessee and California guidelines covering anti-bullying legislation and abusive conduct.
Important: Most of the policy and training checklists’ guidelines and suggestions also apply to writing a comprehensive anti-harassment policy and creating/vetting engaging and story-based harassment prevention and resolution training.
Why are corporates moving their way towards “ethically instilled workplace”.Ethics, what we already know is the moral philosophy which determines what is right and what is wrong. A prescribed code of conduct establishes the kind of and to what extent the ethics would be practiced in the organization. The need for ethics was felt when the organization faced the moral dilemmas in the workplace. Such dilemmas were complex and everyone bought their school of idea about ethics to the table. Also, the issue of business ethics has increased attention. Corporate research and watchdog groups such as the Ethics Resource Center and the Council on Economic Priorities brings out the number of organization that engage in ethics training.
The question arises why the corporates are now more diverted towards “being ethical”. This is what we founded in our research paper that why companies are moving towards ethical, to exist in long run why it is important to adopt ethical practises with the help of certain examples of companies and what happen to them when adopt ethical and unethical behaviour in their workplace.
Although supportive psychotherapy and interpersonal psMadonnaJacobsenfp
Although supportive psychotherapy and interpersonal psychotherapy share some similarities, these therapeutic approaches have many differences. When assessing clients and selecting therapies, it is important to recognize these differences and how they may impact your clients. For this Assignment, as you compare supportive and interpersonal psychotherapy, consider which therapeutic approach you might use with your clients.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A Case of Postpartum Depression with Scott Stuart MD.
Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice. Psychotherapy.net
· Briefly describe how supportive and interpersonal psychotherapies are similar.
· Explain at least three differences between these therapies. Include how these differences might impact your practice as a mental health counselor.
· Explain which therapeutic approach you might use with clients and why. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
· Chapter 5, “Supportive and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy” (pp. 238–242)
· Chapter 9, “Interpersonal Psychotherapy” (pp. 347–368)
Negotiation and Confrontation
Negotiation
The skills of negotiation are imperative in the business world. Negotiations are a necessary part of many enterprise relations. People are unsettled through the negotiation process because they think that it is a personal matter; however, negotiation is about eradicating problems as well as arriving at the win solutions for all the parties. The Harvard project developed an inventive method for the negotiations. This so-called principled negotiation that outlines the strategies, as well as techniques, anticipate shifting the method to exchange permanent positions to the more flexible method that are relied on the interest of every party. Cognitive biases, as well as culture valued scopes, influence the choice making that limits the variation of this kind of innovative approach within the administrations. These biases define the unreasonable choices that individuals make, which affect the adaptation of the principled negotiations as well as the evidence-based management within the organizations (Sanders & Hak, 2018).
Confrontation
Confrontation is the procedure of describing another individual behavior so that the person can see the results of the behavior and possibly change. It is normal as well as the natural feature of the organization; moreover, it occurs in every organization. The few studies inspected the goal coping has established that targets use a variety of plans to covenant with the mistreatment of the organization's. Both confrontations, as well as avoidance, will be unproductive strategies for stopping the recurrence of the rudeness. It arises the objectives to be more probable to forgive as well as the psychology of the mistreatment. In a ...
CJ 3100Project #3Most importantly, the risk assessment scoVinaOconner450
CJ 3100
Project #3
Most importantly, the risk assessment scores reveal to me that Jerry was twelve years of age or more youthful at the hour of his first charge. The risk assessment likewise expresses that substance use or misuse was included during at least one of Jerry's past charges. Jerry's risk assessment likewise expresses that Jerry has had one lawful offense, or at least two non-related crimes bringing about arbitration or retained settling. The risk assessment additionally expresses that Jerry's most genuine offense would be a second-degree crime/third degree lawful offense which is fierce. Jerry likewise has other past or current redirection.
Then, Jerry's requirements assessment scores reveal to me that Jerry's folks (father) can't or reluctant to control him. Jerry is likewise in a shaky autonomous day to day environment with a family background of misuse or some sort of disregard. This assessment additionally expresses that Jerry has a parent with a substance misuse issue. Additionally, with regards to peer connections Jerry is socially removed. Jerry is additionally forceful to other people, and his friends have a deficient history or some kind of gang association.
Thirdly, Jerry's necessities assessment expresses that he has helpless participation, or isn't as of now selected. Jerry is problematic in school, and has been removed, removed, or suspended. Jerry likewise needs to create attractive abilities since he doesn't have current work. Jerry's assessment likewise expresses that he has a known formative inability wherein he isn't accepting treatment for. Jerry is additionally needing an emotional well-being assessment. The necessities assessment additionally expresses that Jerry is an infrequent client. The network expresses that Jerry is a level 2 risk with high necessities factor.
Furthermore, I didn't discover many moderating or irritating elements that were missed by the assessment yet the exasperating situation that was missed was the way that Jerry had submitted an offense while he was waiting on the post-trial process. The alleviating factors for Jerry's situation that were not referenced was the way that Jerry was in a battle with a more seasoned kid because of the way that he was being prodded by that person. Jerry caused this individual a lot of wounds including a messed-up leg. Likewise, another alleviating situation that was not referenced was Jerry's psychological debilitation that fundamentally diminished the wrongdoer's culpability in the offense. For example, the kid not doing great in school because of the way that he is ADHD, and may should be assessed and put on a mellow medicine contingent upon the profundity of the ailment. Another relieving component could be that Jerry likewise has a substance misuse issue rather it is simply intermittent use or everyday use. I feel that this is something that should be tended to before his substance misuse gets wild. Likewise, the way that Jerry has a positive ...
Running head GLOBAL BUSINESS ISSUES1GLOBAL BUSINESS ISS.docxwlynn1
Running head: GLOBAL BUSINESS ISSUES
1
GLOBAL BUSINESS ISSUES
5
Global Business Issues
Scotty Strahan
October 23, 2018
Colorado Technical University
Introduction
Business ethics is a field that calls for ethical conduct when managers, supervisors, and workers are meeting the daily duties. This in compliance with applicable laws and organization’s code of conduct at all times regardless of the circumstances of a specific situation (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2014). Ethical conduct is helpful to an organization as it helps it avoid backlashes that might surface as a result of an unethical conduct. In light of this, low and high-ranking employees should have a self-drive in upholding ethical conduct in all situations. The following section looks into the ethical make-up of giving or taking a bribe for business purposes while utilizing the Project Management Institute (PMI) steps for arriving for to an ethical decision.
Discussion
The first step entails making an assessment. This is the process where one gathers facts about the ethical dilemma mainly regarding implications on the law and policies. In this case, bribing in the country for business purposes is not perceived illegal but does not abide with the organization’s code of ethics and also does not align with ethical values fostered by the organization. Bribing is normally perceived unethical as individuals are likely to overlook best practices when meeting business goals (Kenny, 2013). They are not held accountable after bribing their way through hence likely to put consumers at risk of harm that may result. In this step, it is worth noting that an individual can as well examine their personal values before committing to the action that need to be undertaken.
The second step entails examining the available alternatives. In this case, it can be seen that the competitors are willing to bribe their way through which is amounts to a threat. There are a number of alternatives that can be undertaken to counter the threat as follows. First, the government official can be involved in a session that will make him learn about advantages that will result if the business operates in the country. For instance, through corporate social responsibility the locals will benefit from a number of offers. Also, employment will be created. The official will be shown the big picture other than pocketing a bribe. Two, another alternative entails making the official learn about the ethical values of the organization that should not be violated in any case. One needs to show him utmost commitment to the values and make him understand the weight of the compromise that needs to be done. More so, he can be shown the impact that might be suffered by the organization in the event that the action is known to the public.
The third step entails making an analysis. In the event that the action backfires, there will be a negative impact suffered by the organization such as facing litigation as well as tarnishing the org.
A broad examination of ethics and of individual and definitive good decision-making initiatives in the use of information systems in a global perspective. This course aims to recognize ethical issues raised by existing and rising technologies, apply a sorted-out structure to analyze danger and decision choices, and appreciate the impact of individual ethics and various leveled characteristics on an ethical workplace. Students explore the technological underpinnings of associated technology systems, experiment with individual and group interaction with technologies, and examine the mechanics of ethical and unethical behaviors.
Concept A The first concept that I appreciated in the.docxpatricke8
Concept A
The first concept that I appreciated in the course is the sources of law. As Showalter (2017) explains, the sources of public law include the written constitutions, statutory enactments that legislative bodies such as state, federal, and local governments make, administrative rules and regulations, and judicial decisions. All these sources of law are useful in the understanding of the laws that govern the practice in a specific discipline, the penalties for breaching such laws, and similar cases that have been determined in court.
My professional discipline is in business management. In this discipline, the legal framework is quite applicable to the alignment of business practices with the legal requirements of the profession. Consequently, as a business manager, I will be expected to understand the legal environment surrounding the operations of a company. For instance, in a healthcare organization, from a business or administrative perspective, the understanding of privacy laws or antitrust laws will be beneficial to the process of tuning the operations of the facility with the legal requirements. Where there are ambiguities, it would be useful to research judicial decisions to obtain the precedents existing for particular cases and issues.
Concept B
The second concept that I learned through the course is torts, particularly negligence. By definition, negligence is an act or failure to act that results in the harm of an individual. It is different from battery, which is an intentional act, in the sense that it emphasizes a person’s (respondent’s) duty of care, the breach of that duty in the process of dealing with a second party (the plaintiff), and the causation of injuries to the plaintiff resulting from the breach of duty (Furrow, Greaney, Johnson, Jost, & Schwartz, 2013).
My discipline is business management. From the materials on torts, I have understood the concept of a legal person – an individual or entity – which underlies the discussion of negligence. The principle of legal personhood has enabled me to understand that both private persons and organizations have a duty of care to humanity, and the breach of that duty amounts to negligence if there is proof of the breach and its causation of an injury. Therefore, as a business manager, it would be upon me to understand the duty of care that I have to various persons and to develop policies to ensure that the organization upholds the duty in its operations. I would also be in a position to understand the acts of negligence performed by other legal persons against the business entity that I manage.
References
Furrow, B., Greaney, T., Johnson, S., Jost, T., & Schwartz, R. (2013). Health law: Cases, materials, and problems (7th ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Academic Publishing
Showalter, J. S. (2017). The Anglo-American legal system. In J. S. Showalter, The Law of Healthcare Administration (pp. 1-23). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Concept .
READINGSIntroductionUnit II examines ethical, legal, and .docxsedgar5
READINGS:
Introduction
Unit II
examines ethical, legal, and legislative issues affecting leadership and management as well as professional advocacy. This chapter focuses on applied ethical decision making as a critical leadership role for managers.
Chapter 5
examines the impact of legislation and the law on leadership and management, and
Chapter 6
focuses on advocacy for patients and subordinates and for the nursing profession in general.
Ethics
is the systematic study of what a person’s conduct and actions should be with regard to self, other human beings, and the environment; it is the justification of what is right or good and the study of what a person’s life and relationships should be, not necessarily what they are. Ethics is a system of moral conduct and principles that guide a person’s actions in regard to right and wrong and in regard to oneself and society at large.
Ethics is concerned with doing the right thing, although it is not always clear what that is.
Applied ethics
requires application of normative ethical theory to everyday problems. The normative ethical theory for each profession arises from the purpose of the profession. The values and norms of the nursing profession, therefore, provide the foundation and filter from which ethical decisions are made. The nurse-manager, however, has a different ethical responsibility than the clinical nurse and does not have as clearly defined a foundation to use as a base for ethical reasoning.
In addition, because management is a discipline and not a profession, its purpose is not as clearly defined as medicine or law; therefore, the norms that guide ethical decision making are less clear. Instead, the organization reflects norms and values to the manager, and the personal values of managers are reflected through the organization. The manager’s ethical obligation is tied to the organization’s purpose, and the purpose of the organization is linked to the function that it fills in society and the constraints society places on it. So, the responsibilities of the nurse-manager emerge from a complex set of interactions.
Society helps define the purposes of various institutions, and the purposes, in turn, help ensure that the institution fulfills specific functions. However, the specific values and norms in any institution determine the focus of its resources and shape its organizational life. The values of people within institutions influence actual management practice. In reviewing this set of complex interactions, it becomes evident that arriving at appropriate ethical management decisions can be a difficult task.
In addition,
nursing management ethics
are distinct from
clinical nursing ethics
. Although significant research exists regarding ethical dilemmas and moral distress experienced by staff nurses in clinical roles, less research exists regarding the ethical distress experienced by nursing managers.
Nursing management ethics are also distinct from other areas of m.
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House of Representatives Standing Committee
Inquiry into Workplace Bullying
Dr Penny Webster
The role of workplace cultures in preventing and responding to bullying and the capacity for workplace
based policies and procedures to influence the incidence and seriousness of bullying.
Summary
Mishandling of complaints and grievances about bullying behaviour frequently results in collateral
damage to the psychological health and well-being of all the stakeholders.
Strong organisational cultures enable stakeholders to make quick assessments of what is reasonable
behaviour.
In a multi-cultural society organisations need to be explicit about their values and their expectations
about conduct.
Demonstrated fairness and competent handling in complaints and grievances will lead to increased job
satisfaction and increased trust.
Zero tolerance approaches are counter-productive.
Organisations delay and avoid responding to complaints and grievances when they have a competitive
approach to conflict.
Organisations mishandle complaints and grievances when they lack access to specialist skills and
knowledge about interventions that work responding to bullying.
Certain organisational characteristics are associated with higher levels of bullying behaviour.
Policies and Procedures that have the following characteristics are the most effective:
· Congruent with the organisations values
· Clearly set out what constitutes fairness
· Relies on principles of natural justice, otherwise known as procedural fairness
· Provide multiple types of interventions
· Allow the complainant to access any level of procedure, i.e. multiple access points
· Has an internal appeal mechanism
Remember that resilience and recovery are as important as respect and reasonableness when designing
policies and procedures.
Introduction
Inappropriate behaviour in the workplace has drawn increasing attention from academic and health
practitioners over past decades in tandem with increased expectations for workplace interactions to be
based on respect and principles of equality together with a greater awareness of the psychological
damage that can arise from being the target of abusive behaviours.
This submission is made as a private individual and not in my capacity as a Conciliation Officer for the
Accident Compensation Conciliation Service.
Submission Number: 48
Date Received: 27/6/2012
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In my previous work as a union organiser, a general manager, private workplace mediator and a human
resource manager I have had the carriage of complaints and grievances about inappropriate workplace
behaviours such as bullying and general harassment that organisations have struggled to find constructive
responses to. The inability of the workplace to deal fairly, humanely and effectively with these complex
situations became the subject of my empirical research at the University of Melbourne and my current
international research exploring mechanisms that disengage perpetrators from their bullying behaviours.
My submission has as its primary focus the organisation’s response to bullying behaviour as alluded to in
the second term of reference:
The role of workplace cultures in preventing and responding to bullying and the capacity for
workplace based policies and procedures to influence the incidence and seriousness of bullying.
The following set out some broad concerns and general recommendations. This submission concludes by
outlining four principles that support fair and effective policies and procedures: Respect, Reasonableness,
Resilience and Recovery.
1. Challenges associated with organisational Policies and Procedures
Organisational grievance resolution systems frequently fail to deliver outcomes that are just or
fair to all parties. This systemic failure impacts the complainants and bystanders in the first
instance, and also leads to underreporting and implicitly encourages bullying behaviour. There is
considerable potential for harm to occur if the substance of the grievance is not adequately
attended to. Research shows increased levels of job satisfaction when complaints are
appropriately handled. Demonstrated fairness leads to increased trust which is associated with
increased resilience and ability to constructively manage conflict. The following comments arise
from the findings from my recent empirical Australian research (Webster 2010) and my
professional experience.
1.1.The subjective nature of the experience and what is reasonable behaviour
The subjective nature of bullying resists attempts to find objective criteria that can be easily
applied across diverse industries located in a complex multicultural society. It is generally
accepted that what is described as bullying in one industry or workplace, or indeed decade, may
be considered as within the range of normal behaviour by people in another time or place.
Similarly, different personalities seem to demonstrate differing degrees of resilience to the same
types of behaviours. Hence, the characterisation of a situation as bullying behaviour is subjective
since it relies on perception and the interpretation of meaning. However, research indicates that
psychological damage can occur whether or not the behaviour is labelled as “bullying”. Therefore,
guidance to both practitioners and those who are affected by bullying needs to rely on indicative
rather than prescriptive terminology while being consistent across workplaces.
As set out in the Productivity Commissions report of 2010 there are a multitude of definitions of
bullying. This uncertainty can lead inexperienced practitioners seeking to establish objectivity,
and therefore credibility, through an investigation. This can reduce the anxiety of the practitioner,
but also has the consequences of forcing all the stakeholders into positions, reducing the
opportunities for interventions that take a restorative or no blame approach.
Organisations need to establish what constitutes reasonable behaviour specific to their situation,
within the framework of Australian societal norms. However a list of behaviours that are bullying
can be misleading, as the context and resilience of the target will vary considerably, leading to
widely differing responses. Therefore using the exception, i.e. what is not bullying, can be a
useful starting point. For example the Victorian Accident Compensation Act 1985 precludes
compensation for mental injuries that arise as a result of reasonable management action carried
out in a reasonable manner.
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1.2.Achieving fairness in a multi-cultural society
Research has found evidence that reactions to justice and injustice are hardwired in our brain
(Singer et al 2006). There is also evidence that the values on which justice judgments are made
differ between socio-ethnic groups (Vogel2004). The achievement of fairness relies on meeting
the individual’s expectation of justice values such as equity, equality and need. In a multicultural
society each organisation needs to explicitly articulate the values and conduct that are acceptable
and then follow these through when responding to complaints about bullying behaviour. The
degree of incongruity between the justice principles espoused by the organisation and
demonstrated when responding to complaints is associated with collateral damage to the
organisation and the individual (Webster, 2010).
Organisations with a strong culture are said to have little variation amongst its employees’
understanding of the organisations norms and values. Hence a weak organisational culture is one
where there is wide variation between its employees’ understanding of what is reasonable
behaviour. A weak organisational culture is associated with higher reporting of bullying
behaviour. A strong organisational culture allows the average person to make a quick and clear
assessment of what is reasonable behaviour in the circumstances.
1.3.The counter–productive nature of zero tolerance approaches
The uncertainty surrounding this complex phenomena and the imperative to take an active and
socially acceptable stance can lead to organisations adopting a simplistic zero-tolerance approach.
However, the unintended consequences of this approach have been shown to include:
· Encourages the more subtle and convert forms of bullying such as social exclusion
· Over- reaction by management to minor inappropriate behaviours
· Under- reporting of bullying behaviours as a way to protect alleged perpetrators
from what may be perceived as extreme punishment or reputational harm
· Escalation of conflict as alleged perpetrators push back
· Increased use of legal approaches by the organisation and the parties
· Suppression of complaints by management to protect the organisations reputation
The zero tolerance approach is essentially competitive and can lead to a focus on protecting the
reputation of senior managers or the Board by deterring potential complaints and covert defence
of alleged perpetrators, especially those who hold senior positions.
1.4.Unintended collateral damage to appellants arising from ineffective grievance resolution systems
Targets generally report bullying behaviour with the expectations of remedies and protection.
They often report that being listened to and believed is their most important goal. This validation
counteracts the sense of exclusion, disempowerment and loss of social identity that accompanies
being targeted. Targets often report high levels of collateral damage to their health and well-
being when the organisations interventions are not congruent with the published stance. For
example an organisation that promotes itself as valuing its employees and then does not address
a verbal complaint about bullying behaviour, scapegoating the complainant and destroying the
complainant’s career prospects. This collateral damage compounds the initial damage from the
bullying behaviour.
1.5.The reluctance of the organisation to intervene and lack of clear sanctions to motivate an alleged
perpetrator to desist.
Specialist practitioners routinely criticise organisations for the timing of interventions, they
suggest that the earlier the intervention the greater possibility of a constructive and sustainable
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outcome. There are number of possible explanations for delaying and avoiding tactics. The
organisation’s motivation for engaging in these tactics could vary from a belief that the grievant
will go away if the process is made difficult, or a belief that only serious grievances will overcome
the barriers and proceed. At the individual manager level, personal preferences for conflict
avoidance strategies, an inability to analyse the interpersonal situation and lack of capacity to
handle conflict are also identified in research.
Another inhibiting factor is the lack of policies and procedures that provide clear guidance while
enabling a constructive approach at the early stages. Managers frequently report an unwillingness
to intervene where there are no clear strategies to support and assist all parties. Whilst the target
is frequently foremost in the design of policies and procedures, the needs of bystanders and,
most importantly, the alleged perpetrators are often overlooked. Unless the needs of all three
groups are constructively addressed in the policies and procedures, managers will hesitate to
intervene. A final explanation lies in a belief that avoiding addressing these issues somehow
protects the organisation reputation (Ferris 2004, Webster, 2010).
It is critical that organisations have the capacity to apply sanctions as a last resort; there are a wide
range of internal disciplinary actions as well as the ultimate penalty of termination of
employment that can be applied. These last resort sanctions will provide clear motivation for
individuals to change their behaviours and establish the organisations commitment to accepted
standards. The existence of last resort sanctions enhance the effectiveness of no-blame
interventions adopted early.
1.6.Lack of knowledge of effective interventions and limited pool of skilled and knowledgeable
experts
Organisations frequently have limited knowledge of the range of interventions available and in
what circumstances each of these might be best applied. While there was frequently
sophisticated knowledge of legislation and policies, there was limited practitioner expertise in
minimizing damage to all the parties, analysing the event as a learning opportunity or creating
solutions that restore relationships and enhance capability. In their hurry to act some
organisations ignore basic principles of natural justice such as allowing all parties to hear the
other side’s story and provide explanations, or using an independent expert to intervene.
There is a limited pool of practitioners who have expertise in assisting organisations prevent and
manage bullying behaviours. Although internationally there exists some knowledge of how to
work with abrasive managers to help them disengage from their bullying behaviours, this
technique has achieved limited penetration in Australia.
1.7.The risk management approach
This approach has gained some traction in Australia and internationally, and has a number of
distinct benefits which I am confident my colleagues will clearly enunciate. However research has
identified how this approach can be mis-applied to the detriment of the individuals and
ultimately the organisation. Because bullying is a subjective experience that often occurs covertly
and claims about the causation of psychological injury can be contested, organisations can use
avoidance and suppression tactics as a means of protecting their reputation.
1.8.Organisational characteristics associated with higher levels of reported bullying behaviour
Research has found that certain organisational characteristics are more highly correlated with
bullying behaviour. The characteristics include a cluster around laissez- faire or chaotic workplaces
where role ambiguity and lines of accountability are unclear and another cluster around highly
rigid and authoritarian organisations. Additionally, there is some research that links intensely
individualistic and competitive organisations with increased bullying behaviour. Organisational
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characteristics associated with less effective policies and procedures are those that are highly
politicised, are risk adverse and where protection of organisational reputation precludes
acknowledging bad behaviour by senior managers.
Bullying can be likened to the perfect storm: where a certain type of intense personality meets up
with certain organisational characteristics.
2. Recommendations for organisations: Respect, Reasonableness, Resilience and Recovery
2.1.Create a strong organisational culture, and manage conflict respectfully and cooperatively
Explicit efforts to create and maintain a strong organisational culture demonstrates respect for
everyone in the workplace. In a multicultural society not everyone knows what is expected of
them in every situation. By engaging in orientation and induction activities and following up with
management modelling reasonable behaviours employees are able to understand what is
expected of them.
Ensure supervisors and managers have skills and knowledge about the cooperative and respectful
management of differences and conflict.
2.2.Provide explicit organisational level guidance about what constitutes fairness
Clarity about how breaches of accepted conduct will be managed will reduce uncertainty and
anxiety. Explicitly stating the organisations values and then ensuring that these are applied
through a grievance resolution process establishes reasonable expectations among the
workforce. When the organisation meets these expectations it increases trust.
2.3.Achieve a balance between a no-blame approach and clear sanctions for extreme behaviour
Interventions that assume a no-blame approach are more likely to be activated frequently and
early. They model a cooperative and constructive approach to conflict and differences and lead
more readily to changes in behaviours and to identifying structural and systemic changes.
Sanctions that are reasonable are more likely to be applied and less likely to be counter –
productive.
2.4.Allow multiple access points and multiple types of interventions to be activated and a cooperative
inquisitorial approach to resolving grievances about bullying.
Research has found that grievance resolution systems that provide multiple types of
interventions have exponentially beneficial outcomes for individuals and the organisation
(Bendersky 2003). A cooperative approach to resolving conflict, of which bullying could be
described as a subset, can quickly de-escalate the intensity of the interaction and allow for
constructive and creative solutions to emerge.
Interventions should always be undertaken by practitioners who are specialists in workplace
bullying, they include:
· coaching
· counselling
· mediation
· investigations
· organisational structural analysis
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Policies and procedure should allow parties to access different types of interventions at any time.
Additionally, parties should be allowed to withdraw from a process at any time. Systems must
include internal appeal mechanisms and identify external agencies who can assist.
2.5. Encourage resilience
Everybody makes mistakes and everybody behaves less than perfectly at some time. Supporting
tolerance and resilience goes hand in hand with the establishment and maintenance of standards
of behaviour that are both respectful and reasonable.
2.6.Provide opportunity and support for recovery
A positive and constructive approach assumes that individuals and groups can recover from
bullying behaviours. Although an emerging field of practice and research, there is some evidence
that intervention that is based on the assumption that perpetrators want to change and can
change is very effective. Targets have traditionally been provided with these services; however
bystanders and the alleged perpetrators are also affected and must be included when addressing
workplace bullying.
References
Bendersky, C. 2003. Organizational Dispute Resolution Systems: A Complementaries Model.
Academy of Management Review, 28(4): 643-656.
Ferris, P. 2004. A Preliminary Typology to Organisational Response to Allegations of Workplace
Bullying: See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 32(3):
389-395.
Hoel, H., Faragher, B., & Cooper, C. L. 2004. Bullying is Detrimental to Health, but all Bullying
Behaviours are not Necessarily Equally Damaging. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 32(3):
367-387.
Hodson, R., Roscigno, V. J., & Lopez, S. H. 2006. Chaos and the Abuse of Power: Workplace Bullying
in the Organizational and Interactional Context. Work and Occupations, 33(4): 382-416.
Hubert, A. B. 2003. To prevent and overcome undesirable interaction: A systemic approach model.
In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace:
International perspective in research and practice. New York: Taylor & Francis.
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Neural Responses are Modulated by the Perceived Fairness of Others, Science, Vol. 439: 466-469.
Vogel, G. 2004. The Evolution of the Golden Rule, Science, Vol. 303.
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