Violence at Work

Every day we wake up, send our children to school, go to work, attend sports or other entertainment events,etc. Then suddenly the unexpected happens. This day will not end like yesterday and a thousand otherdays. Our lives are changed forever. Suddenly we realize how precious and fragile life is, and we questionwhether we could have done something to prevent this emergency event. We have become accustomed toviolence, but we do not need to accept it. Our study of workplace violence, terrorism, and other forms ofdysfunctional behavior associated with work suggests that both managers and non-managers would like toreduce the risks associated with violence at the workplace. The book is designed to help do just that.You can be underpaid, overworked, or get fired even though you are performing well. You can be a victimof sabotage or harassment even though-or sometimes because!-you are doing an outstanding job. Youcan be a victim on company premises of an angry, psychologically impaired, or chemically dependentmanager, non-manager, former coworker, spouse, or even a stranger. The violent act you face may havestemmed from coworker interaction, worker-boss relations, a sick corporate environment, or even familyproblems.Top executives and other managerial and non-managerial personnel clearly need to take steps towardreducing the threat of workplace violence. Numerous studies have been done regarding workplace problems, resulting in numerous books andprofessional journal articles. Some books, articles, workshops, seminars, and the like proffer general advice to managers. However, virtually all of thatadvice has come from psychologists, physicians, and lawyers. And very little counsel is provided to non-manager employees on dealing with problemsthat involve co-workers or managers. What has been lacking is advice that would reduce the threat of workplace violence and therefore (1) reducestress, (2) enable organizations to develop potential competitive advantages in terms of their personnel and productivity, and (3) guide organizationalpersonnel in their efforts to solve problems before they culminate in violent actions. This book fills that need. We believe it is the first to offer bothgeneral and specific information and advice from a managerial point of view. The authors have spent their careers intimately involved with thepractice, teaching, and research on management and organizations.