“Workplace Violence” in a Globalized World

This is the second in a series of segments which together comprise a larger paper presented at the  Ninth World Conference on Injury Prevention & Safety Promotion, Merida, Mexico, focusing on workplace violence from a “global” perspective. In its entirety, this paper examines the contributing factors of workplace abuse which plague both developed and developing nations.

Research in “Workplace Violence” is in its infancy. In some jurisdictions, it is barely recognized as an Occupational Health and Safety risk.  To date research has largely been confined to a select few countries. Fortunately interest is spreading as a result of the efforts of international organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO); various NGOs and Human Rights advocates, Unions and high risk professional groups, in addition to readers like you.

 As a social phenomenon, workplace violence is exceedingly difficult to research given the multi-faceted complexities of the behaviour itself, and more difficult, when we try to understand it within a broader geopolitical context.

 For many, the equation of workplace violence focuses on either the perpetrator or victim, in an attempt to understand what motivates or precipitates acts of aggression. In Universities and facilities throughout the world, researchers from a number of disciplines are working tirelessly to understand the interpsychic aspects of violence. Some choose to focus on group conduct and the sociological factors that may lead to violent acts, providing us with a glimpse into how some communities react to aggression. Alternatively, in some cases, may even foster it. By-and-large most psychological or sociological research of workplace violence is rooted in a particular culture or country, with the exception of those few researchers who have ventured beyond their national borders to study violence from a multicultural perspective, such has been done by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  Today we appear to have reached a “tipping point”. This term is popularized by Malcolm Gladwell (2000) in his cleverly crafted book of the same name[1]. At such a point, the culmination of effort and events move an issue, in this case workplace violence, to a new level of public awareness. It is at this point that a product or issue in question resonates with the public and galvanizes their interest – such is the case with “workplace violence”.      

 Through the past decade, the public interest in workplace violence has evolved in a consistent, yet discontinuous pattern across most countries (Rayner, et al, 2002).[2] “Waves of interest” (Einarsen, 1998)[3] appear to have originated following press accounts of individuals who have been subjected to a variety of indignities while at work and in the extreme, physical attacks leading to death. These tragic accounts prompt further investigation into the magnitude of the “problem” and/or the consequences for innocent victims. What follows are preliminary findings which generate further publicity and public outrage, especially from union representatives, occupational health and safety specialists and others concerned with the welfare of workers. According to Einarsen (2003)[4], the activity and determination of victims fuels the public debate in the popular media, at conferences, on the internet, and at other events. As a result, in a short time, legislative pressure is brought to bear on organizations to implement policies and procedures aimed at protecting workers for such indignities. As these “waves of interest” gather momentum, they turn into a virtual “tsunami” of public interest which transcends national boundaries, engulfing an international audience.

 On the international stage, workplace violence is even more difficult to grasp when studied against a backdrop of diverse cultures; competing labour laws; variations in economic development and the affects of globalization. As complicated as workplace violence is to understand from a micro perspective, it is exponentially so, when the aperture of our interest takes in the entire world. To effectively address workplace violence from a global perspective, we must narrow the focus and segment the issues to reduce the risk of becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data.

 Workplace violence, regardless of the definition, is recognized by most as an “Occupational Health and Safety risk”. In turn, it is viewed within a broader international context of “labour conditions”.  By calibrating our thinking in this way, we are in a better position to draw upon the wealth of information that is now available regarding global labour conditions and its relevancy regarding workplace violence.

 This paper narrows the field of issues pertinent to workplace violence to include,  “Non standardized Work”, “Union Density”, “the Feminization of Work”, “Migrant Working Conditions” and “Child Labour”. Each of these issues must be addressed by international stakeholders, if we are to ever arrive at a “universal standard of workplace conduct”.