Rough draft Portfolio Project Essay Topic - Hostile Work Environment Impact (attached)

1 Hostile Work Environment Impact Theresa Gass -Williams Bryant & Stratton College 2 Hostile Work Environment Impact Introduction What controversial topic are you going to explore? The controversial topic I will explore is: "Does a hostile work environment significantly impact employee mental health and organizational productivity?" How are you answering this question? I will argue that a hostile work environment has a profound negative impact on both employee mental health and organizational productivity. Body Look at the reasons why you believe this side is right: a. First reason and evidence: A hostile work environment contributes to increased stress and anxiety among employees. Evidence for this includes studies showing a correlation between workplace harassment and higher rates of mental health issues, such as depression and burnout. b. Second reason and evidence: It leads to higher turnover rates and absenteeism. Research has shown that employees are more likely to leave organizations where they feel unsafe or undervalued, costing companies significant resources in recruitment and training. c. Third reason and evidence: 3 A hostile work environment reduces overall team productivity and collaboration. Evidence includes case studies where toxic leadership or workplace bullying led to decreased morale and project failures. 4. Look at sources you may be able to use for each of your chosen reasons: a. For the first reason: Credible sources like psychological journals and organizational behavior studies will provide scholarly evidence. A challenge may be finding specific data linking mental health outcomes directly to hostility in the workplace. b. For the second reason: Scholarly articles on HR practices and case studies from reputable organizations will be useful. The challenge could be ensuring the data is recent and specific to diverse industries. c. For the third reason: Sources like productivity reports and workplace culture analyses will support this point. The challenge may lie in isolating the impact of hostility from other factors affecting productivity. Counterarguments 5. What is a counterargument someone could have about your topic? A counterargument could be that some employees thrive in high -pressure environments and may not perceive certain behaviors as hostile, suggesting that the impact of hostility is subjective. 4 6. How will you address or dispute this counterargument? I will address this by emphasizing the distinction between high -pressure environments and genuinely hostile work environments. I will provide evidence showing that behaviors like harassment, discrimination, or bullying have universally negative effects, re gardless of individual perceptions.