Essay Instructions: This topic is really about Human Relations, workplace violence: worker to worker, bullying in the workplace.
Must be 15 pages
Some references are provided: http://www.workplacebullying.org/
Workplace violence research institute
Also see additional attachments
Topic
? ER issues in preventing workplace violence (i.e., by type of industry or by type of violence or by type of victim or perpetrator). You might think about studying a workplace that experienced a violent episode. What did they do to ?recover?? How were employees, managers, and stockholders affected?
*ER issues in preventing workplace violence: worker on worker type of violence focusing on workplace bullying.
Issues to focus on: discipline and taking actions to prevent bullying in the workplace, and protecting employees.
Issues in preventing workplace bullying:
1. identify and report bullying
2. prevention
3. training
4. taking or not taking actions
5. impact plus risks for employees/employer
After you choose your topic, you?ll need to refine the scope of the paper and identify the key questions to investigate.
Refining the scope of the paper
The critical problems and possible solutions for employers
--What are the major factors promoting workplace violence
--What are the best practices for preventing bullying
Outlining your paper first helps to identify whether all the important facets have been addressed and whether you have it organized efficiently. A good outline serves as the ?bones? for your paper. Without these bones, the paper will collapse.
Example: The overview outline might be:
The thesis Statement might be something like this: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that bullying is a form of workplace violence that has a tremendous potential to deeply impact both employers? and employees in many different aspects. Also this paper will identify issues in preventing this behavior in the workplace, and what?s being done at corporate and legal levels to stop bullying in the workplace
Introduction: Workplace violence can come in all forms, but bullying is one form of psychological violence that?s not often given much importance by employers and employees, the law and unions??etc. Bullying can be aggressive (physical confrontation) or subtle which can make it difficult to detect.
Workplace bullying is the deliberate, hurtful, negative, repeated mistreatment of one or more employees driven by a desire to control. Some of the forms it takes are constant and unfair criticism, teasing, yelling, insulting, malicious gossiping, and aggressive behavior.
Workplace bullying is inappropriate and unacceptable behavior, but it is not prohibited by any federal or state law, unlike illegal discrimination and harassment covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and under state fair employment laws.
Definition: Provide a psychological description plus behavior traits of bullies. Also provide an HR definition.
The Workplace Violence Research Institute similarly defines the phenomenon
in broad ?abuse-related? terms:
Any act against an employee that creates a hostile work environment and
negatively affects the employee, either physically or psychologically.
What causes people to bully in the workplace? Work stress or personality/character flaws or something else? Is there something in the work environment that can trigger bullying in the workplace?
If bullying is done in a way that it?s targeting a protected group under Title VII, can they file a claim against the employer/person ?
Relevance: Employees are the biggest and most important asset of the employer and they try to do as much possible to keep employees happy in an effort to retain them by providing a safe and stress free environment where they can creative, innovative and productive. In addition to labor Laws, Employees need to establish rules and guidelines in the workplace to prevent such behaviors and protect potential victims. Bullying is a huge financial risk for employers and it costs money: absenteeism, illness, unproductive employees etc?..
Key Issues/constituents? major concerns** about the topic: Risks to employer
Legal and financial risks, employee mental health/suicide or extreme violence(cite example of suicide of extreme violence
employee?s concerns: Safety, stress, etc?.
employer?s: cost and legal liability
government?s/Legal: Occupational Health and safety Legislation: Employers must ensure the health and safety of all staff and so therefore have a responsibility to prevent and mange bullying
union?s: Part of Collective bargaining agreement is to make sure that workers are in a safe work environment.
Grievance of victims
advocacy group?s: Where do they operate and what do they do to help workers.
Do they reach out to workers or would it be part of some sort of wellness program at work. (The Workplace Bullying Institute)
Best practices for solving the key problems/issues: how to prevent and stop workplace bullying
Summary
Reference List
** There are a couple ways to organize this section. One is to state the first issue and give all the constituents? views about it then move on to issue #2 and do the same. An alternative might be to discuss all the issues of a particular constituent group first then move on to all the issues of a second constituent group. There may be other, equally effective ways to structure this section. How the material is organized depends, in part, on the information you obtain through the research.
Checklist for Writing Papers
Administrative Preparation
? The paper is posted by Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at noon (EST). It needs to be posted in your assignment folder.
? The body of the paper must be at least 15 pages long, but may not exceed 18 pages. The paper must also include a Title Page and a References section (these are not included in the 15-18 page total.) You should not include an abstract. Points will be deducted for a paper that does not adhere to this length.
? When formatting your paper you will use
.
o 1 Inch Margins (Top, Right, Left, Bottom)
o 12 pt. Times Roman or Courier Font
o Double Space
o Indented Paragraphs
o Numbered Pages
? Proper APA format must be used in all aspects of your paper. You will be evaluated on this.
Conceptual Goal
? The topic is related to this class. (If it is not, a zero score can be awarded.)
? The purpose of the paper is clearly stated. (Explicitly say ?The purpose of this paper is to __________.?) This is also known as your thesis statement.
? The focus and scope are clearly and reasonably defined. (State the key questions you are planning to answer.)
Organization (Outlining before writing helps to detect problems and makes the experience of writing a paper so much more pleasant.)
? The Introduction:
o Tells the reader the purpose, scope, and agenda of the paper.
o Indicates the relevance of the topic.
o Catches the reader's interest.
? The Body
o Contains substantial content and represents a significant literature review. In other words, the material extends substantially beyond the course readings.
o Discusses issues thoroughly.
o Examines all the major constituent groups? perspectives.
o Defines special terms.
o Supports points well with logic, data, and/or examples.
o Includes conclusions that demonstrate integrative, critical thinking.
? The Conclusion
o Shows the purpose has been achieved and recaps the key thoughts.
o Gives psychological closure.
Delivery (Having someone else read a draft helps to detect errors.)
? Citations are given for non-original material, using APA format for the in-text citation as well as the reference list.
? Technical aspects of writing (i.e., grammar, sentence structure, and spelling) are correct.
? Academic style (i.e., appropriate diction, clarity, smooth transitions, and an audience-oriented approach) is demonstrated.
Reference List
? The references conform to APA format.
