This report aims at highlighting the major causes and types of bullying within the store and also looking at the different ways through which this problem can be solved. In order to come up wit the report, a detailed analysis of the workplace relations was carried out. The employees were interviewed on the challenges they went through in their daily activities. It identifies workplace conflicts and power struggles as the main cause of the bullying practices, and suggests that proper conflict management strategies and good work relationships can be used to solve the problem
Employee conflicts are one of the main leading causes of conflict (Baillien, 2011). This happens where the employees get into a disagreement which is left unresolved. They, therefore, tend to revenge on each other by using work-related methods such as forcing the victims to do some things, creating harsh working conditions and purposely making the junior employees pay for their role in the conflict. This kind of conflict is mainly propagated by the senior employees to the junior employees.
Competition within the employees is another problem. This happens just as noted by Strandbark and Hallberg (2007). Given the prospective that there might be an expansion of the store, the employees compete on the basis of who can get the promotions or higher places of power. In a bid to outdo each other, some employees turn to bullying where they try to intimidate some of their colleagues so as to prevent them from being a competition.
Resolution Strategies
After understanding the nature of the conflicts, some methods can be formulated to resolve them. One of these is by having proper conflict resolution practices. This would help to avoid the advancement of the conflict to a level where the employees take it out personally on each other (Hutchinson et al, (2010). This would make the employees not look at each other as enemies but as colleagues at work.
Proper role definition, a code of ethics and moral conduct within the organization could also help in preventing the cases of abuse. As Escartin et al (2009) observe, the bullying occurs in a manner that there is a targeted group. For instance, the females might be more prone to bullying as well as the junior employees. Having clear demarcations on the roles of each individual and making sure that the roles are assigned in order of merit can help in ensuring that the employees work collaboratively with each other rather than trying to pull each other down (Hutchinson et al, 2010). In other words, the best way to resolve these issues is by having a strategy that addresses each individually.
Conclusion
After looking at the nature of the bullying within the organization, it was realized that unresolved conflicts and irrational competition could be the main reasons behind the bullying activities. To resolve this issue, it would be best if measures are put in place to ensure that any conflict that arises among the employees is resolved effectively. This can help to resolve the situation. Enacting proper role definitions as well as the code of conduct which is strictly observed could also be a good way of curbing the cases of bullying. Anyone going against this code of conduct should be subjected to severe disciplinary action. If these measures are put in place, it is highly likely that these bullying issues can be avoided.
References
Baillien, E. et al. (2011). The Relationship between the Work Unit’s Conflict Management Styles and Bullying at Work. Economic and Industrial Democracy, Vol. 32(3), pp. 401-419. Retrieved on 9th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=9e1ce72b-27d3-4614-be03-2e36a1c972fc%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eoh&AN=1253697
Escarti, J. et al. (2009). Perceived Severity of Various Bullying Behaviors at Work and the Relevance of Exposure to Bullying. Work and Stress, Vol. 23(3), pp. 191-205. Retrieved on 9th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=e521b151-baff-4b2c-a5cc-f54113b52b0c%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=44431381
Hutchinson, M. (2010). A Typology of Bullying Behaviors: The Experiences of Australian Nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing, Vol. 19(15/16). Retrieved on 9th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=8ccca027-c462-4d29-b721-5a486697526b%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=52214080
Strandmark, K.M. & Hallberg, L. (2007). The Origin of Workplace Bullying: Experiences from the Perspective of Bully Victims in the Public Sector. Journal of Nursing Management, Vol. 15(3), p. 332-341. Retrieved on 9th Nov. 2012 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=617cae5f-d65b-4e94-a45c-8b40d932b94f%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=118&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=24281600
