Thus, in today's workplace, we have people who are already under stress from a variety of causes put into an interpersonal context that, by its nature, is very stressful. Being already stressed-out, they are less likely to respond appropriately and constructively, further heightening the likelihood they will find such a demanding interpersonal context even more difficult and depleting. Violence More than half of 500 managers from both large and small companies surveyed in 1994 reported incidents and threats of violence in the previous four years, according to a study by the American Management Association. Homicide accounted for 17 percent of all deaths in the workplace. A study by Northwestern National Life showed that workers who feel unsafe suffer the same level of stress as the actual victims.
Violence is both a cause and a consequence of employee stress.
Conversely, the threat of violence or an actual violent episode in the workplace creates tremendous stress. Although the roots of violence cannot be traced to a single factor, stress is clearly a significant contributor. This is especially true in cases where powerlessness and helplessness play a central role in a person's stress. The more powerless people feel, the more likely they are to resort to violence. Having stressed-out and depleted employees serve the public virtually guarantees alienated customers.