Human Resource Management

Bullying in the Workplace and Ethical Climate

MSA 603

Ashlyn Lewis-Hope

Student ID #663654

Central Michigan University

Dr. James S. Neubecker - Reviewer

This MSA 603 paper is in partial fulfillment of the requirements of MSA 698 Directed Administrative Portfolio

Executive Summary

Strategic planning is necessary when an organization wants to ensure that they are successful. Leaders in the organization should also be very familiar of strategic planning. The planning process of the organization is used to help everyone figure out how their role plays apart of the mission. The strategic management of the organization is to ensure that employees are remaining with the company and to prevent a high turn over rate. According to David (2015), “…strategic management focuses on integrating management, marketing, finance and accounting, production and operations, research and development, and information systems to achieve organizational success” (p. 5). Bullying in the workplace could hinder any progress that involves strategic management. Strategic management must have protocols in place for an organization to prevent this type of behavior. Carden and Boyd (2011) states, “In an effort to retain employees that may leave for better opportunities, organizations are looking not only at compensation as a means to retain employees but also intangibles” (p.72). Intangible could be included in the work environment along working relationships. Organizations are willingly to go that extra measure to ensure that people stay employed and minimize turnover rate. Financially, if the environment is positive this could prevent the unnecessary costs for the training of the new employees. If the turnover rate is controlled not only does the organization have to consider the money that is used for hiring new employees; but the lost of time is a factor that plays a part of production.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………ii

Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………....iii

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..1

Strategic Management and Planning…………………………………………………………...…2

SWOT(Strenght-Weaknesses OpportunitiesThreats……………………………………………...2

Strategy Formulation……………………………………………………………………………...3

Strategy Implementation………………………………………………………………………….4

Strategy Evaluation……………………………………………………………………………….4

External/Internal Forces…………………………………………………………………………..5

Managing Conflict………………………………………………………………………………...6

Conclusion and Recommendations……………………………………………………………….7

References………………………………………………………………………………………...9

Introduction Bullying in the Workplace and Ethical Climate

Personal and interpersonal relationships vary in many ways, but the broad categorization is based on nature, i.e. either positive or negative. Bullying is one of the negative relationships that at time exist among people at work. People do bully each other at work place since it is a place where grown-ups engage with others while working. In 2013, According to Samnami, “While the prevalence of workplace bullying generally ranges from five to ten percent in Europe, researchers reporting the prevalence rate in US found that 47% employees have been bullied over thy past two years” (p.119). The aim of every institution is to promote and environment that motivates and excites the passion and abilities of the workforce towards delivery of the set objectives in the most friendly way. With the SWOT analysis as a foundation in the organization this could help the ethical climate along with the organization achieving their goals. An ethical climate should be inclusive and unbiased to all forms of diversity and specialty with tolerance to growth in expertise in all workers. Bullying hinders growth in an enterprise and leads to restrictive approach to duty as the staff fear to neither showcase their real abilities nor come up with alternative solutions because of fear (Simha, 2012). Diversity is important to growth and a free and ethically oriented environment is the catalyst to achieving this crucial component. Bullying can take place and thrive in all levels of an organization. Strategic plans should be in place to ensure that the organization’s mission and the ethical climate. The strategic plan needs a well-framed operational culture to keep bullying at bay and foster an environment of professional existence.

Strategic Management and Planning

The organization would first identify the mission or objective when they begin implementing strategic management and planning. One objective should ensure that the ethical climate remains healthy. The status of the ethical climate can be maintained in the organization, while they continue to increase their profit. If bullying is a behavior that affects the ethical climate, organizations need to ensure that behavior is controlled. When strategic planning is in place the organization will need to ensure that there are policies in place to protect the ethical climate and the employees. Vega and Comer (2005), states “It has been demonstrated that three out of four victims and witnesses to bullying, simply quit or are driven out” (p. 105). When the victims and witnesses just randomly leave this could cost the organization money because now there is no one working in those positions. Then the organization’s mission cannot be achieved because the unfilled position is now stand-alone. The ability to get an employee could take months to find a qualified person to fill the position and then to train that person can be costly. When there is a huge turnover rate in the organization the company’s assets are not as high as they should be to accomplish the mission or objective. According to Duffy (2012), “Drafting effective organization policies to prevent and address workplace mobbing can ensure that the work environment is a healthy place” (p.243). Any communication breakdown in any organization will directly lead to decline in performance. This can cost the organization money.

SWOT (Strenghts-Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) Analysis

An adults’ life is spent at their respective work. Some people are not completely happy with their work environment with but they will remain with the organization regardless of the ethical climate. But the productivity is at stake when an employee feels like they are being bullying. If the employee does complete their work, the quality of the work may not be to standard. According David (2015), “ Strenghts-Weaknesses Opportunities-Threat (SWOT) matrix; is a strategic planning, matches the firm’s internal strengths and weakness with external opportunities/threats to develop strategies” (p. 690). The focus of this research is the behavior of bullying that occurs in the workplace and what type of impact does it have on the ethical climate. Bullying in the workplace can result to unethical practices. Organizations that have an unhealthy ethical climate could suffer from a high employee turnover. Identifying and defining bullying should be parallel of a company’s SWOT analysis. Simha snd Cullen (2012) states, “Ethical climates are a subset of these organizational work climates and also have a strong influence on several organizational outcomes” (p.20). If the ethical climate is compromised this could cost an organization money. If there is threat that the organization may lose money then their strategic planning and management needs to be revamped. Bullying contributes to stress-related absenteeism and decreased productivity in an organization.

Strategic-Management Process/Strategy Formulation

Strategy formulation is developing a vision and mission, identifying an organization external threats, determining the internal strengths and weaknesses, establishing long-term objectives, generating alternative strategies (David, 2015). The strategy formulation can focus on the ethical code in the organization and assess the problems that the organization may have. During this step in strategic management the communication can be observed. Determining if the instructions are clear and easily understood. During this time, it should be noted what should remain in place and which behaviors should be abandon. Bullying could be an infraction that would have an organization to re-analyze this phase. This could be another cost at the expense of the organization. And could deter away potential new employees.

Strategic-Management Process/ Strategy Implementation

Strategic implementation establishes annual objectives, devise policies, motivate employees, and allocate resources to the formulated strategies can be excuted (David, 2015). During this stage it is important because if the objectives are established, policies are updated, and with motivation from the co-workers the strategic implementation will succeed. This stage of strategic-management could reduce the cost of an organization long-term and short-term. A division of the ethical climate will hinder and limit the progress of the objectives and goals. According to Gumbus and Meglich (2012), “…..bullying is not illegal, it should be a concern for managers who want to promotes a healthy relationship.” (p. 14). The motivation of the employees will take a drastic change, if the strategic implementation is not visited regularly.

Strategic-Management Process/ Strategy Evaluation

Strategy evaluation is the final stage of strategic management. At this stage managers are encouraged to acknowledge what is working for them and what is not. This stage will also reveal what lost has been incurred in an organization. If bullying is occurring and it is affecting the work climate, the turnover rate will be large and the productivity will decline. The best way to figure what is necessary, an organization should compare themselves to another similar organization. See what the other organization is doing to improve the ethical climate and limit bullying in the workplace. Duffy (2009) states, “In workplaces characterized by fear and mutual mistrust, low morale, high level of competiveness, lack of operational openness and transparency, poorly disseminated and understood organizational structure and policies, and limited opportunities for innovation” (p. 259). Policies should be update at this phase. Measuring performance is also an action that needs to be done. If an employee is not following certain guidelines, this too can make the organization’s objectives seem distance.

External / Internal Forces

There are 5 categories of external forces in strategic planning. The 5 categories are economic, social and cultural, political and governmental, technology and competitive forces. Bullying in the workplace is an issue that can disrupt these 5 categories of external forces. These categories are important because they are used to compare the status of an organization to another organization. David (2015) states, “Relationships with suppliers or distributors are often a critical success factor” (p.62). The 5 categories can also impact the cooperation of another organization that is willing to pay for a service or goods.

Internal forces deals with the marketing, financing, and operations of an organization. This force is not much different to external force because of the topic that is researched.

Policies

Policies are one of the most effective ways to control what goes on in an organization. Without policies this could cause a huge problem for all employees within the organization. Policies are used on a daily basis and can be changed without notice. According to Namie & Namie (2011), “The United States currently has no laws or provisions dealing with workplace bullying” (p.66). It is up to the employees to honor these policies. Policies can sometimes be very broad. But if an organization would like for things to run smoothly, they will need to be very specific. Policies in workplace bullying are needed for both the employees and managers. These policies should include the consequences of the prohibited behavior. All employees in an organization should receive training regularly to ensure they stay in touch with the current bullying policy. New employees should thoroughly understand the bullying policy that is in place, to prevent issues that are related to the behavior. Both new and current employees should also be aware of what type of money that it may cost the organization because of the turnover rate. Duffy (2009), states, “ Without written policies in place, workers and managers are left rudderless in terms of how to respond to such complaints, even when they want to “do the right thing” (p. 242). It is founded in the research, that if there are policies in place there is the behavior of bullying can be properly monitored. According to Tambur & Vadi (2012), “Every organization has its own organizational culture created collectively by its members that provides guidelines for the organizational members as to how they should behave” (p.756). Using resource allocation for the training of employees and future employees should be reserved for this purpose. The turnover rate could be more of financial a burden for an organization if the resource allocation is not used to train the employees.

Managing Conflict

If the objectives have been changed this could trigger a conflict. Some of the objectives that would be changed could cause stressors on both supervisors and employees. There could be little to no change, but without guidance, stressors can change the ethical climate. Some employees may feel the stressors of the organization when they make the change. At this time some employees may feel as though are being bullied. Tambur & Vadi (2012) states, “..results reveal that workplace bullying is the result of ongoing changes in the organizational life, creating vagueness and uncertainity” (763). But if policies are in place when the changes, this too can resolve and manage conflict within an organization. If an employee is satisfied with the ethical climate this could reduce the turnover rate, decrease the non-attendance, and health care could be affordable for many organizations. If the organization is unsure how to manage conflict there could be an industrial and organizational psychologist who can advise the organization of how to manage conflict and maintain the ethical climate.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Strategic planning research reveal that it is necessary to be used in an organization. Although some organizations do not have a strategic plan, they are still able to operate. Strategic planning outlines the objects of the organization and what directions it should take to get there. Sometimes strategic planning can be hindered in organization because a negative behavior. The ethical climate is at risk and mangers should be able to diffuse the negative behavior. Without controlling a negative behavior such as bullying, this behavior could cost the organization money. Policies in the organization can clearly state what is expected of all employees regardless of their position. With policies being incorporated into strategic planning, the policies should reflect the organization’s objective. Checkwa & Thomas (2013) states, “ …when workplace bullying is present, morale, and productivity decline and turnover increases, and there is a toll on employees’ physical and emotional health” (p.47). The three stages of strategic management are strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation. These should be used to ensure that strategic management is not disrupted. With the three stages of management, the objective and mission will be visible for all employees within the organization. The employees will then feel that they are all valuable to the workplace. After the three stages of strategic management the SWOT analysis should be used to get the organization back on track to increase the productivity of the organization. When there are changes for the better in an organization, these changes are could be an attraction for new employees and retain current employees. An ethical climate should be considered when strategic planning is visited.

The 5 external factors are driven factor of the following: economic, social and cultural, political and government, technology, and competitive. These external factors are important to consider because you do not want the organization to fail because these factors were ignored. A competitive organization is more than likely benefit from this failure. Strategic planning is difficult to put into place initially. But with a very specific direction and policies, the organization should thrive just as well as their counterparts.

References

Carden, L. & Boyd, R. (2011). Workplace Bullying: Project Strategy. Journal of Business and

Educational Leadership. 3(1), 71-82.

David, F. (2015). Strategic Management Concepts and Cases: A Competitive Advantage.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Company.

Duffy, M. (2009). Prevent Workplace Mobbing and Bullying with Effective Organizational

Consultation, Policies, and Legislation. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and

Research, 61(3), 242-262.

Gumbus, A. & Meglich, P. (2012). Lean and Mean: Workplace Culture and the Prevention of

Workplace Bullying. Journal of Applied Business and Economic, 13(5), 11-14.

Kinicki, A. & Fugate, M. (2012). Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills, & Behaviors.

New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.

Namie, G. & Namie, R. (2011). The Bully-Free Workplace. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons,

Inc.

Samnani, A. (2013). The Early Stages of Workplace Bullying and How it Becomes prolonged:

The Role of Culture in Predicting Target Responses. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(1),

119-132.

Simha, A. & Cullen J.B. (2012). Ethical Climate and their Effects on Organizational Outcomes: Implications from the Prophecies for the Future. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 26(1), 20-34.

Tambur, M. & Vadi, M. (2012). Workplace Bullying and Organizational Culture in Post-

Transitional Country. International Journal of Manpower, 33(7), 754-768.

Vega, G. & Comer, D. (2005). Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones, But words Can Break

Your Spirits: Bullying in the Workplace. Journal of Business Ethics, 58, 101-109.