Administrative Violence and Means to Avoid It in Companies - Case Study Example

Running Header: Management Skills Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date Submitted: Introduction Emotional and social aggression roots bring violence in the workplace in many organizations. The organizational culture and poor management practices foster administrative assault especially when fellow colleagues are afraid of the top position of senior managers. Hierarchy system of management makes senior management practice violence because their work positions give them the power to violate the rights of other junior managers or even supervisors. Psychoanalytic approach in workplace violence allows researchers to know the motivations and interpretations of the violence (Gilligan 1996). While dealing with administrative violence, psychoanalytic approach explains the origin of aggression and violence but this approach is not sufficient for solving the violence. Some companies experience transference of emotions among the administrative team. This can be in form of narcissistic injury, shame, rage and anxiety which promotes aggression and violence in the workplace. Workers who are mistreated or violated in public resign to a condition where they surrender their rights to be violated by senior managers especially when other employees are afraid to address their issue to the executives. Violence in the work place that is not controlled and eliminated can lead to homicide. Homicides or aggravated suicides in the workplace occur when employees are defenseless and concerns about violence in the workplace are taken lightly because of the organization structure and culture (Eigen 1996). This essay will discuss the forms of administrative violence in organizations, management theories that apply in such cases and solutions that will benefit the offenders, victims and the organization in achieving key organizational objectives. Nature of the Company Carlene was appointed as the CEO of a subsidiary company of a large international garment manufacturing corporation in Western Sydney. This was her dream job because she is well equipped with organizational change plans and estimated outcomes that will enable the corporation expand its business. Carlene reported to a senior Managing Director in Melbourne where the parent company is located. In the subsidiary company, there is an efficient Human Resource Manager is in charge of selecting employees and overseeing policy compliance during recruitment, implementing safety and health standards, monitoring performance appraisal, advising and assisting the management team on disciplinary matters and performance management and also administering payroll matters. The subsidiary company in Western Sidney has three essential departments: marketing and finance, operations and sales. All these departments have departmental managers who oversee that the objectives of their departments are achieved to contribute to an overall organizational objective. The departmental managers report directly to Carlene because she is the new CEO in the subsidiary company. The previous CEO advised Carlene that the Operations Manager completed tasks on time, worked within available budget and met the organization’s objectives and goals. The Operations Manager however did not adapt to organizational changes especially when they were to be implemented so as to achieve urgent organizational goals. He will retire after one year and his traditional ways to carry out tasks have been known since he was employed in the company. The parent company in Melbourne has decided to improve the standards of operations in the subsidiary company so as to survive the global financial crisis and the impacts of high Australian dollar that negatively affects the company’s export trade. Carlene’s new role poses a great risk for the parent company in Melbourne because she has inadequate work experience as the new CEO while she had a middle management role in Perth. She was appointed as the CEO because she has a fresh, new and active approach towards successful organization outcomes. Carlene found out that the Operations Manager had recently assaulted and even threatened a member of his staff. The young supervisor was grabbed by the Operations Manager and shoved into a chair while six supervisors watched. This violence was accompanied with a loud argument with heavy usage of strong language by the Operations Manager. During the assault the other supervisors remained quiet and felt embarrassed about the situation but they were not astonished because it was a usual practice. To make matters worse one of the older supervisors who was in the meeting made the event seem like a joke and the meeting resumed despite the violence. Carlene was informed by the Human Resource Manager about the incident after one supervisor confessed about the act. This confession was in secrecy because many people feared the Operations Managers and they also feared losing their jobs. The Operations Manager practiced bullying and harassment which formed a strong base for disciplinary action. The policies implemented in the company are composed of dismissal or counselling of the Operations Manager. Carlene’s organizational change consists of increasing production output by introducing regular night shifts. She also wanted to introduce a new leadership program that allowed employees to be treated with respect and dignity so that the output in the company will increase. These changes required an intact Operations Department and it was her duty to confront the Operations Manager and try to resolve the voiced concern. When Carlene met with the Operations Manager to resolve the issue, he raised his voice while complaining that she was getting involved in areas that she lacked expertise. He later stormed out of the board room after saying that Carlene was an upstart woman who lacked knowledge and skills on business. This insult is a form of gender discrimination in the workplace. Carlene’s change plan was in jeopardy because if the Operations Manager suddenly decided to quit before his retirement time, the company will not achieve its objectives. While Carlene is trying to resolve the issues the staff in Western subsidiary company is gossiping about the Operations Manager intimidating Carlene which is unsettling and abusing the position of the CEO. The Operations manager called the Managing Director in Melbourne asking him to solve the issue he had with Carlene because she is interfering with his work. He threatened to quit his job and also form a severe resistance to Carlene’s new change plans. Actions, Attitudes and Skills of Supervisors The supervisor who was harassed was afraid of losing his job and prevented further harassment by not forwarding a formal complaint against the Operations Manager. Although he knew his human rights, he decided to neglect the proper way of resolving the case and resumed with his job. The supervisor who told the Human Resource Manager about the incident that occurred during the meeting decided to inform an executive about the harassment so that appropriate action will be taken without anyone being accused by the Operations Manager for reporting the issue. Administrative Assault Management Theories Persecutory Organizational Identity shows how workers in an organization feel disrespected and powerless. Employees in an organization experience their conflicts or issues with leadership or the organization in a method that is passive (Diamond 2001, pp. 8). They feel actions and decisions are inflicted on them without their consent. Most employees find themselves in this situation where they cannot voice their concerns even when actions done directly affect their physical or emotional being. There is lack of mutual respect between leaders and other employees due to poor communicators and incompetent mediators. This behaviour can lead to employees having splitting psychology o even irrational dominance because leaders do not respect them. In the subsidiary company in Western Sydney, managers disrespect supervisors hence harassing them. Supervisors feel disrespected and powerless because they are junior members of the company and they are expendable while the Operations Manager is not. Psychoanalytic Approach is a theory that describes how administrative violence is due to power, workplace culture and workplace experience (Diamond 2001, pp. 9). Violence between employees is always caused as a result of poor management practices. The work of mediators in this case is to neutralize the situation before a superior commits homicide or an employee commits aggravated suicide. In the case study, the Operations Manager committed assault because he has the power and he has better experience in the company’s operations for a long time. The workplace culture also allows him to harass supervisors because there is lack of confident Human Resource team to mediate on such issues. Recommendations for Western Subsidiary Company Coaching and Mentoring Coaching the management team in acquiring new leadership skills that fosters mutual respect in the company is important in solving administrative assault. Coaching requires professionals who will impact knowledge and skills that will benefit the company and employees. Coaching is a form of individual training that creates good interpersonal skills to help mend broken relationships in the workplace. Mentoring is mean for employees who are severely resistant to change or those who violate the rights of other employees because they have a power (Folger & Baron 1996, pp. 115). Mentoring will make sure that management team has a follow up to ensure that they achieve the tasks and goals of the training program. In the case of the subsidiary company in Western Sydney, the Operations manager needs to undergo coaching and mentoring to impact appropriate leadership qualities. Mentoring will solve the personal issues the Operations Manager is facing to make him harass supervisors. The mentor will help the Operations Manager manage his anger and find other forms of resolving conflict in his department rather than harassing his supervisors. The 7S These 7S include: shared values, strategy, structure, system, skills, staff and style (Glowa 2001, pp. 10). Shared values makes all employees contribute equally to the development of the company so that each employee will be of equal worth to the company. Strategy is the expansion of the business in new areas that have target markets by increasing the output of each company under the garment manufacturing corporation. Structure needs to be deployed in the Western subsidiary company by including younger employees in the management team so that they can protect other younger supervisors from age discrimination (Waterman, Tom & Julien 1999 pp. 17). Systems include new forms of devices or information that will enable employees to increase their output hence achieving organizational objectives. Skills make all employees have a competitive advantage especially where rewards and promotions are concerned (Peters & Robert 2000). When younger employees have the right skills, they can be promoted to the management team so that they can help improve the standards of the company by impacting fresh and new skills and operations. Staff consists of high quality employees who have been trained and mentored to produce the best garments in the country. Employee motivation will increase the company’s profits. Style of the company is often defined in terms of flexibility, innovation, and team orientation. The company in Western Sydney should consider fostering team work that will help supervisors work as a team rather than an individual. Team work should also watch out for few employees who will be taking advantage of the fact that there are many people working towards a common goal hence underperforming as an individual. Alternative Recommendations Problem Setting This is ensuring that there is a proper feedback mechanism and rendering public. Executive members and employees agree on the problems and origins of these issues. Data needed to solve the problem is by collecting important information about the problem in the company through private and confidential interviews in addition to anonymous surveys so as to protect the employees from retribution or intimidation (Driscoll, Worthington & Hurrell 1995, pp. 207). Reorganization Reorganization involves changing the culture of the company, its identity and taking action. The members of the company must go through the grief process so as to forgive past injustices and pain (Covey 2002). A self-help program where all employees share their experiences enables a cognitive unlearning of the organizations old cultures as well as the emotional release of images held privately about the management team. A new framework is established to foster cooperation among the management team and the supervisors (Pamela 1999, pp. 7). Conclusion Carlene who was appointed as the new CEO in the Western Sydney Company needs use her skills and experience to resolve the issues where the Operations Manager harasses supervisors and fails to notice his superior. The company is considered at the strategic company that will enable the company’s expansion and this means that the output of employees has to be increased. The objectives of the company will not be met when the company has poor leadership system and employees are less motivated. Coaching and mentoring will impact leadership qualities on the management team while the 7S, reorganization and problem setting will help to improve the working conditions of all employees by resolving administrative violence. REFERENCES Covey, S 2002, The seven habits of highly effective people. Fireside: New York. Diamond, A 2001, Administrative Assault: A Contemporary Psychoanalytic View of Violence And Aggression In The Workplace. College of Business and Public Administration: Columbia, pp 1-10. Driscoll, R.J., Worthington, K.A. & Hurrell, J, 1995, ‘Workplace Assault: An Emerging Job Stressor.’ Consulting Psychology Journal, Vol.47, No.4, 205-212. Eigen, M, 1996, Psychic Deadness. Jason Aronson: New York. Folger, R. & Baron, R, 1996, "Violence and Hostility at Work: A Model of Reactions to Perceived Injustice." In VandenBos and Bulatao, Eds., Violence on the Job. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C, pp. 100-120. Gilligan, J, 1996, Violence: Our Deadly Epidemic and its Causes. Grosset/Putnam: New York Glowa, T, 2001. White Paper: Examining Starbucks utilizing the 7s method and less than perfect information. North Country Research Inc.: New York, pp. 1-16. Pamela, G, 1999. “A Man with a competitive advantage”, Journal of Business Strategy, pp. 1-20 Peters, T & Robert, W, 2000, In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies. Warner Books: New York. Waterman, R, Tom, P & Julien, P,1999, “Structure is not organization”, Business Horizons Journal, pp 20-39. Read More