scholarly journals Consequences of Exposure to Violence, Aggression, and Sexual Harassment in Private Security Work: A Mediation Model

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052098443
Author(s):  
Alexander Herrmann ◽  
Christian Seubert ◽  
Jürgen Glaser

While exposure to violence and aggression is well known for its detrimental effects on employees’ health as well as organizational outcomes, certain high-risk work domains have scarcely been researched. Thus, this study set out to determine negative consequences of work-related exposure to four forms of harmful behaviors in private security. In a sample of 487 German-speaking security guards, 23% had experienced outsider-initiated violence, 56% aggressive acts, 30% vicarious violent acts, and 3% were sexually harassed over the past 12 months. Additionally, 19% reported substantial to extreme worries about violence. By presenting an integrated model of negative consequences to outsider-initiated violent, aggressive as well as sexual harassing acts, we strived to extend previous research by showing that turnover intention (as an ultimate negative behavioral outcome) is only indirectly related to these experiences via worries about violence and psychosomatic complaints. Structural equation modeling provided support for the model and plausibility for a sequential “two-step” prediction of turnover intention. Further, we provided support that worries about violence are not solely triggered by directly experiencing physical violence but also vicarious violence, aggressive acts, and sexual harassment. Consistent with previous studies, worries about violence were identified as a central mediator in the transmission process from exposure to harmful behaviors at work to negative consequences, that is, psychosomatic complaints and turnover intention. Our findings have implications for the detailed understanding of consequences emerging from exposure to workplace violence and aggression as well as the development of effective prevention strategies especially in high-risk occupations such as private security.

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 173-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Isenhardt ◽  
Ueli Hostettler

Violence in the workplace has serious consequences for employees and organizations. Based on a survey in early 2012 among employees from all work areas of 89 of the total 112 correctional facilities in Switzerland resulting in a sample of 2,045 employees (response rate 48.5%), this study (a) analyzed whether victimization has an impact on correctional staff burnout, (b) tested the hypothetical mediating role of sense of security in the relationship between victimization and burnout, and (c) included gender and job characteristics because work experiences and exposure to violence of staff differ strongly with gender and work tasks. Two different forms of violence were considered: (a) experienced violence (inmates-on-staff) and (b) observed violence (inmate-on-inmate). Analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling. Results show that victimization and witnessing violence between inmates negatively affect the personal sense of security and increase correctional staff burnout. In addition, the sense of security mediated the effect from experienced and observed violence on burnout. Gender and job characteristics also proved to be important. This is especially true for staff working as correctional officers and for employees working with young inmates and with inmates awaiting trial who reported a greater exposure to violence and a lower sense of security. The study adds to the knowledge on violence and its outcomes in corrections and contributes to the literature on the consequences of workplace violence in general and, specifically, in social service occupations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-67
Author(s):  
Alexander Herrmann ◽  
Jürgen Glaser

Abstract. The present study reports a broad perspective on work characteristics related to private security work and identified predictors of health impairments in a German-speaking sample ( N = 683). Occupational conditions, exposure to violence/aggression, and psychosocial work characteristics each significantly explained incremental variance in psychosomatic complaints. Detailed findings revealed that average weekly working hours (and unusual working hours) substantially exceeded those of other service sector occupations (or the general population) in Germany. Exposure to violence/aggression was also substantial in regard to the European average. Participants reported low social status, promotion opportunities, and pay while their work offered substantial learning demands. Possibilities to acquire relevant skills, supervisor feedback, job control, or participation opportunities seem to provide little support at work. Excessive working hours, worries about violence, social status, and lone work emerged among the strongest predictors of psychosomatic complaints. Additionally, unusual working hours and job stressors (physical workload, quality impairments) increased the prevalence of psychosomatic complaints.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Sebastian Holzwarth ◽  
George Gunnesch-Luca ◽  
Roman Soucek ◽  
Klaus Moser

Abstract. The current study analyzes how two components of perceived organizational communication (vertical and horizontal) are related to employee turnover intentions via three types of affective commitment foci (organization, supervisor, and team). Using second-order confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques with a large cross-sectional dataset ( n = 3,317), our results show that, in line with social cohesion theory, vertical communication (e.g., supportiveness from the organization) is strongly related to affective organizational commitment, whereas horizontal communication (e.g., supportiveness from colleagues) is primarily related to affective team commitment. Additionally, both communication dimensions are related to affective supervisory commitment. Finally, these three foci of affective commitment incrementally explain and differentially mediate the relationship between perceived organizational communication and turnover intention.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 199
Author(s):  
Asep Saifuddin Chalim

This study discussed employee turnover as one of the crucial problems faced by every organization. This study sought to analyze the determinants of turnover intention, such as job insecurity, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. The objects of this study were newcomer lecturers of private Islamic universities in East Java Province, Indonesia. To analyze the relationship among independent variables and dependent variable; this study employed a correlation path model. To build the structural formulation of the correlation path model, this study used the variance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) as a Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis. The study found that job insecurity influenced job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Moreover, job satisfaction and organizational commitment had positive impacts on the turnover intention. In contrast, job insecurity did not have a direct significant impact on the turnover intention, but it had indirect effect that influences job satisfaction and organizational commitment.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan

We didn’t work like common women's studies work on sexuality that generally focuses on sexual harassment or workplace romance to the exclusion of strategic forms of erotic capital. However, we consider women’s strategic sexual performances as a form of social influence and address the positive and negative consequences that may follow. This review highlights the occurrence and complexities of erotic capital in Girls Generation’s musical performances and modelling career, then discusses the important implications of use their erotic capital (i.e. face and leg) to influence others or gain desired ends. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan

The work of women's studies on sexuality generally focuses on sexual harassment or workplace romance to the exclusion of strategic forms of erotic capital. We consider women’s strategic sexual performances as a form of social influence and address the positive and negative consequences that may follow. We provides narrative biography of Oza Kioza as a singer. Then, this review highlights the occurrence and complexities of erotic capital in Oza Kioza's career and discusses the important implications of use her erotic capital (i.e. breast) to influence others or gain desired ends. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment whereby resistance equals empowering and reproduction equals disempowering, and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan

Women's studies work on sexuality generally focuses on sexual harassment or workplace romance to the exclusion of strategic forms of erotic capital. I consider women’s strategic sexual performances as a form of social influence and address the positive and negative consequences that may follow. This thesis highlights the occurrence and complexities of erotic capital in Princess Lexie video performances nor discusses the important implications of use her erotic capital (i.e. breast and ass) to influence others or gain desired ends. In so doing, the findings highlight a need for rethinking traditional conceptualizations of empowerment whereby resistance equals empowering and reproduction equals disempowering, and initiates a new direction for feminist scholarship in this regard. This thesis dedicating to Princess Lexie, as my intellectual tribute for the adorably cute dangerously manipulative female.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Taheri

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test a model in which family-supportive organizational environment is associated with lower levels of turnover intention through higher levels of work-family enrichment and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 300 employees, the bootstrap procedure for estimating indirect correlations in multiple mediator models was used to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe results suggest that employees experiencing high levels of family-supportive organizational environment are likely to report lower intention to leave their profession by virtue of their higher levels of job satisfaction and work-life enrichment.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to public organization and sample size. Further research is needed to make comparison between large/state-owned and small/private organizations.Practical implicationsIn the Iran context, work-family enrichment and job satisfaction are effective in reducing the employees' turnover intention. Organizations should show concerns for the employees' work-life enrichment and job satisfaction to reduce their turnover intention.Social implicationsTurnover is one of the problems of organizations in many countries throughout the world including Iran, which has negative consequences through increasing the cost of organizations. The results of this study suggest ways in which staff retention could be improved.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to supportive organizational environment literature by addressing the relationship between family-supportive organizational environment and employee-related outcomes. Given some commonalities between Iran and other developing countries, the findings might be of potential interest in comparative studies dealing with the employees' turnover issue.


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