NCJ Number
213228
Date Published
2005
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines ways in which workplace cultures and practices may stir cultural, political, and religious resentments that can evolve into terrorist sentiments and attacks.
Abstract
As used in this chapter, "workplace violence" is "a perceived or actual verbal abuse, emotional threat, physical attack, or misuse of power upon an individual's person or property, or against a work group or organization by another individual, group, or organization while undertaking work-related duties." McCarthy and Mayhew (2004) have theorized that patterns of bullying and violence experienced in the workplace foster anger and resentment that can feed fantasies of extreme violence that may cross the line into planned or impulsive violent acts some would define as terrorism. The workplace can become the daily site where employees are verbally and physically abused because of their physical features, religious or political beliefs, sexual orientation, or their personality features. As this happens over time, self-esteem erodes and the recovery of a sense of personal power often comes in the form of extreme anger and possibly retaliatory violence. Although the link between the way organizations treat their employees and employee's violent acts may not be obvious, it must be considered when large transnational organizations become employers of people of diverse races, ethnicity, culture, religion, and political orientation. Organizations must be aware of the characteristics of such employee diversity and ensure that organizational culture and practices do not nurture employee conflicts or breed discriminatory policies. 30 references