MANAGER’S SOCIAL INFLUENCE ON AGGRESSION MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT

The purpose of this study is to investigate manager’s social influence on the relationship between aggression management and organisational commitment using cross-sectional survey. Accessible population of five manufacturing companies operating in Enugu state was surveyed. One hundred and ninety six participants completed the instrument but only one hundred and eighty two were returned and found valid for analysis. Face validity was used to determine the validity of instrument used. Cronbach α was used to determine the reliability of the instrument. Frequency distribution and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient were used to conduct the analysis. Result of the study revealed that aggression management has positive significant relationship with organisational commitment. On the other hand, manager’s social influence positively and significantly moderates the relationship between aggression management and organisational commitment. The study concludes that aggression management measured in terms of self-control and punishment enhances organisational commitment. The implication of this study is that managers, policy makers and human resource professionals should use their social influence in handling aggressive behaviour in the workplace so as to increase the commitment of their subordinates which will in turn increase profitability, growth and expansion of the organisation.

The effect of anger management program on perceived stress of healthcare professionals: a quasi-experimental study

Background & Aim: Healthcare professionals working in Intensive Care Units and Emergency Rooms are at higher risk of violence from patients and their families compared to healthcare professionals working in other units. Healthcare professionals skilled in anger management may de-escalate the situation and stop violence from happening in the first place. This study aims to determine the effect of an aggression management program on perceived stress levels of physicians and nurses working in Intensive Care Units and Emergency Rooms. Methods & Materials: A quasi-experimental design with 158 physicians and 172 nurses recruited from nine hospitals in the three major cities in Jordan was used to assess perceived stress levels with the Arabic Version of Perceived Stress Scale (10-Items). Participants answered the questionnaires twice, before and after attending an aggression management program. Results: Results showed that female healthcare professionals had significantly higher stress levels than males (M=27.33±4.11, M=24.20±3.13; t (328) =2.11, p<0.001). Furthermore, healthcare professionals working in Emergency Rooms reported significantly higher stress levels than those working in Intensive Care Units (M=27.93±4.10, M=24.94±3.03; t (328)=2.04, p<0.001). Additionally, nurses reported significantly higher stress levels compared to physicians (M=28.17±3.92, M=25.20±3.13; t (328)=2.09, p<0.001). There was a strong significant positive relationship between increased stress levels and the number of violent attacks (r=0.73, p<0.001). Most importantly, perceived stress decreased significantly from the pre-intervention level (28.94±3.21) to the post-intervention level (24.20±3.01) (t (229) =2.03, p<0.001). Conclusion: Policymakers may need to consider offering aggression management programs for all healthcare professionals, especially those working in the Emergency Room. This program should decrease their perceived stress levels reflecting improved patient care, outcomes, and satisfaction.

Psychopathy and Sexual Aggression: Management Implications

The current study explored the association between psychopathic traits and release suitability decisions and examined the role of Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Static-99 in predicting general and sexual recidivism. The sample included 207 adult male sex offenders involved in the long-term follow-up at the Massachusetts Treatment Center for Sexually Dangerous Persons (MTC) in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Contrary to our expectations, PCL-R Factor 2 (Lifestyle/Antisocial) scores were positively associated with being selected for gradual release, whereas PCL-R Factor 1 (Interpersonal/Affective) scores were not related to parole boards’ decisions. Additionally, the interaction between the two factors was a significant predictor, suggesting that the individuals with more pronounced Factor 1 traits were less likely to be released when their Factor 2 scores were high as well. Although Static-99 scores predicted both contact and non-contact sexual recidivism, psychopathy was not related to reoffending, possibly because offenders with child victims were over-represented in the sample.

A Feedback Loop Between Human Self-Domestication and Dog Domestication Contributing to Language Evolution?

Different factors seemingly account for the emergence of present-day languages in our species. Human self-domestication has been recently invoked as one important force favouring language complexity mostly via a cultural mechanism. As a consequence, evolutionary changes impacting on aggression levels are expected to have fostered this process. Here we hypothesise about a positive effect of dog-human interactions on aggression management and more generally, on our self-domestication, ultimately, contributing to aspects of language evolution. We review evidence of diverse sort (ethological mostly, but also archaeological, genetic, and physiological) supporting a positive feedback loop between dog domestication and human-self domestication that might have favoured the mechanisms promoting structural complexity in human languages.