Workers who can trust management to listen, negotiate in good faith, and take complaints seriously, are less likely to respond violently to the frustrations of workplace life. Such workers can function under stress over long periods with fewer arguments with management and each other, with fewer accidents, and with greater productivity. Training Some firms have introduced quality circles and similar programs of worker self-management. The best training. The best training involves people in interaction and trains people in work groups rather than as individuals.
Training is more likely to be successful if it is repeated periodically.
Managers are trained to take seriously worker complaints, even when workers' appraisals of situations are mistaken, and to acknowledge feelings. Management must balance their desire to protect the company from blame with concern for the well-being of the worker. Concern for the workers' wellbeing can be justified, if in no other way, by recognizing that suits for negligence incur legal costs, lost time, bad publicity, and residual bad feelings in the workplace. No member of the company may swear, yell, insult, or harass another member of the company. Physical abuse, including pushing, is prohibited.