The report investigates the issue of workplace bullying in the organization. There have been instances of increased employee turnover and internal conflict within the workplace environment. The organisation that has been chosen to conduct the research is Sash Japanese Pizza Bar in Melbourne. The research follows an industry report format and includes all the sections necessary to conduct effective research. The background of the research has been included along with the aim and objective and the problem statement. This section is followed by an explanation of the methodology that has been incorporated. The primary data collection tools have been used to gather information which is analysed and concluded in the following segment.
The human resource of a business organisation has one of the most important roles in the daily operations of the business; depending on the nature and scale of the business the responsibilities of the staff members are allocated. It is essential for the management of the organisation to ensure that work environment and the work surroundings are not only safe from any kind of health hazards but it is also important to understand that the job satisfaction among the employees is essential for staff retention (Stagg et al. 2013). There are many aspects which are directly or indirectly responsible for an employee’s level of job satisfaction. Some of the common issues that are observed to be the reason for resignation are: unhealthy relation with the superior or colleagues, unsatisfactory work environment or unsatisfied job role. Human resource management of an organisation is responsible for taking care and dealing with the aspects related to all the employees of the company (Branch et al. 2013). This department is not only responsible for employing and retaining the staff member, but the performance of the employees is also a duty of the Human resource management. One of the most prominent barriers in ensuring job satisfaction among the employees is eliminating workplace bulling; it is an issue in the work environment and has negative impacts on the employees. It does not only cause harm to the employee but also impacts the goodwill of the company as well. Workplace bullying violates the rules of work ethics, work environment and general code of ethics as well. Consistent mistreatment of an individual which may be either physical or emotional or both during the working hours by the people working in and around the individual can be considered to be workplace bullying ((Koziol, 2018). Accordingly more than 50 percent of the respondents in a study stated that they were unhappy with their job and are dissatisfied (Magee et al 2014) The reasons for this may be varied but the workplace bullying has been a complaint that has seen repeated escalations from the Australian employees. Workplace bullying is can be defined as the consistent and irrational activities of an employee or group of employees directed towards a co-worker or group of co-workers. This kind of behaviours can gravely impact the emotional and physical condition of the person who is going through the situation. Some of the behavioural patterns of workplace bullying are: unreasonable demands, teasing and spreading rumours. In Australia 5 – 7% of employees have experienced workplace bullying within a 6 month timeframe, furthermore 40% of the survey respondents report to have experienced workplace bullying at some point in their career (Magee et al 2014). Therefore the topic of research that has been chosen is workplace bullying. Some of the impacts of the workplace bullying are: reduced performance, increased absenteeism, high employee turnover rate of the organisation etc. In a study performed by the University of Wollongong states that, that workplace bullying has been categorized as the unacceptable, unpredictable and undignified behaviour towards an a co-worker or a group of co-workers (Magee et al 2014). Bullying in the workplace can not only be related to the professional aspect it can also be personal issues, this can be either experienced from senior employees or may be from colleagues and peers as well. Bullying is a significant issue in attaining job satisfaction and employee turnover in an organisation. Legal action against the organisation can also be taken by the employee who may feel they have been racially discriminated in the organisation (Branch et al. 2013).
The Sash Japanese Pizza bar is an upmarket restaurant in Melbourne providing a unique menu. Flavours and tastes from around the world are mixed with the contemporary and classic Japanese flavour to serve the customers with an extraordinary culinary experience. The food that is offered is not only tasty but also healthy (Sashrestaurant.com.au 2018). The location of the restaurant is in a prime place and as Melbourne is a popular tourist zone the organisation has gained popularity owing to the unique menu that is offered to the customers. The restaurant has also received liquor license and serves cocktails and other alcoholic beverages. Some of the services provided by the company are: casual dining, cocktail bar, Home Delivery to the consumers via Deliveroo and UBEReats (Sashrestaurant.com.au 2018).
The lists of employees in the organisation are as follows:
|
Front of the house staff |
|
|
Post |
Number |
|
Managers |
1 |
|
Assistant manager |
1 |
|
Head bartender |
1 |
|
Junior Bartender |
2 |
|
Hostesses |
2 |
|
Waitresses |
5 |
|
Waiters |
4 |
|
Back of the house staff |
|
|
Post |
Number |
|
Full-Time Chefs |
5 |
|
Casual Chefs |
2 |
|
1 Housekeeper (Sashrestaurant.com.au 2018) |
The problem being addressed in this study is workplace bullying. Fairwork Australia state that workers have the right not to be bullied or harassed at work. However, there have been several incidents of internal conflict and disagreement among the employees at Sash who are supposed to work together, which in turn is negatively impacting the reputation of the restaurant. The people who join the organisation have several complaints against the senior employees and their behaviour towards the peers and the juniors. This situation has also affected the performance of the employees in a negative way and in turn the service of the organisation. Bullying has been recognized as an issue with the organisation and there is an increased rate of dissatisfied employees in the organisation. The secondary issue that has been recognized in the organisation is an increased rate of employee turnover which impacts the performance and reputation of the company in the long run. The goal of this study in response to this problem, is to discover the causes of workplace bullying at the restaurant and suggest solutions to eliminate bullying. There are many forms of bullying in the workplace, physically harming a person is an extreme form of bullying but metal pressure and stress also has serious impact on the person who is being bullied (Power et al 2013). According to national centre of bullying, there are four ways in which bullying can be divided: physical, verbal, social and cyber. Bullying behavior in the workplace may include name-calling, slurs, sharing offensive jokes, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, victimizing and insults.According to Harvey et al. (2006) bullying behaviour requires a bully a victim and an organisational setting. Therefore, the culture of the restaurant itself plays a part in the behaviour as well as the perpetrator and victim. Einarsen’s (2005) conceptual framework of workplace bullying also identified (2005), three elements can describe the causes of workplace bullying as individual, social and organisational. Hershcovics, Reich and Niven (2015) found three contributing factors to workplace bullying which are used to make a framework for this research:
|
Perpetrators’ characteristics |
They show negative personality traits such as narcissism, anger and anxiety. (Fox & Spector, 1999). Perpetrators are more likely to have a history of being bullied themselves and have low self-esteem |
|
Targets’ characteristics |
They have higher levels of anger and anxiety and tend to be more disagreeable. They might have more cognitive ability and conscientiousness Employees may punish overperforming co-workers |
|
Situational characteristics |
Stressful work environments make workplace bullying more likely, such as high workload. Also role conflict, role uncertainty, low independence affect workplace aggression. Leadership style, where leaders are more abusive and unsympathetic, and lack of fairness also increases workplace bullying. |
The aim of the research is to find ways to identify and reduce instances of workplace bullying in Sash Japanese Pizza Bar.
The following are the objectives of the research:
R1: What kind of behaviour constitutes workplace bullying?
R2: What are the interpreters for workplace bullying?
R3: what are the impacts that workplace bullying have on individuals?
R4: How can workplace bullying or harassment be reduced or eradicated?
The organisation that is chosen is in the food and hospitality industry which deals directly with the customers therefore the behavioural pattern of the employees in the workplace directly impacts the sales of the organisation. Not only that, workplace harassment can impact the goodwill of the organisation in a negative way. This research is important because the organisation or the restaurant is trying to solve the internal conflicts and focus on developing strategies and policies which will ensure a healthy working environment for the employees. In Australia the Fair Work Commission is an independent body that is incorporate to enforce the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).This research will help this industry partner in understanding the issues that are facing in the hospitality industry especially restaurant industry (Fairwork.gov.au 2018).
Wiedmer (2011) defines workplace bullying as consecutive harmful and pessimistic behavioural pattern among one or more individuals. Some of the examples of situations that can be segmented as workplace bully are: misconduct that can be deemed as hostile or threatening to the physical or mental safety of the employee, vocal abuse and activities that prevent an employee from finishing a part of their job. Isolation of a worker, screaming or usage of offensive language in the work premises, psychological harassment, employing difficult or unrelated tasks or jeopardizing the performance can be considered workplace harassment (Workplace discrimination, harassment and bullying 2018).
Wiedmer (2011) suggests that the aim of a bully is to intimidate co-workers. According to Herchovis et al. (2015), around 15% of employees come forward as the victim of bullying in Australia. The situation can be categorized in three broad segments: perpetrator characteristics, target characteristics and situational characteristics Herchovis et al. (2015). On the other hand the impact of workplace bullying can be said to be divided in three groups such as human costs, spill over costs and organizational costs.
Kitterlin, Tanke, Stevens (2016) suggest that workplace bullying within restaurants is highly common, and is often accepted as normal. They suggest this is often due to the pressured work environment in the kitchen, the antisocial working hours, low wages and the stress and pressure between front and back of house employees. They found that the majority of bullies in the workplace (72%) were supervisory or managerial staff and that training is the main solution to prevent bullying.
The reason for a person to behave in the way they do has several physiological as well as circumstantial reasons. Herchovis et al. (2015), state that the personality of an individual is just one factor that impacts the behaviour of a person. As mentioned above there are three aspects of workplace bullying stated in the report: the source of aggression in an organisation can be one of the major reasons to instigate workplace bullying this is just one instance of situational characteristics which make up for the strongest predictors for harassment in the workplace. Stressful working situations like: ambiguity in the role, work load, absence of work-life balance. In this report it has been stated that the characteristic traits in workers make them prone to being a target of being bullied. On the other hand, the research by Bohle et al. (2017) claim that aspects like anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse and anger corresponds with bullying. Disorganization and failure to impose regulatory actions in the company have direct relations with bullying in the workplace. Monetary stress and bullying had direct positive associations with the rate of turnover of the company.
It has been stated that one of the major impact of workplace bullying is the increased rate of absenteeism as well as increased employee turnover rate. Job satisfaction is directly impacted in-case of instances of workplace bullying in an organisation. Inthe long run it also hampers the productivity of the person who is the victim of the situation, it also creates risk for the victims health and safety both physical and mental (Workplace discrimination, harassment and bullying 2018). If the grievances of the employees of the organisation are not responded to properly by the management and not dealt in proper manner there are serious legal costs as well. Earlier information estimate that workplace bullying costs Australian organizations $6 – $36 billion per annum therefore this it can be said that the financial repercussion for the organisation is also significant.
There are several forms of workplace bullying; inappropriate behaviour of a person with the co-workers in any form is regarded as bullying. Bullying can be intentional or unintentional some of the examples of behavioral instances that are deemed to be workplace bullying are:
All the above instances of workplace bullying can be based on sexual harassment or discrimination based on the age, race, caste, religion, gender, impairment or pregnancy and sexuality (qld.gov.au 2018). One of the most evident forms of workplace bullying is identified to be based on race (Mistry and Latoo 2009). According to Mistry and Latoo (2009), racism is a belief among few individuals that some ethnic groups are superior to others which results in actions and activities that hurt the sentiment of an individual. Discrimination on the basis of descent, colour, nationality, ancestry or ethnic background or any characteristics associated with the ethnic background of an individual is called racism. Most of the time the subtlety of the situation leads to the indifference from others who are not party to the actions. Therefore it is important for the authorities to keep a close eye on the behavioural pattern of the employees. The consequence of racism as argued by the authors can be divided in three sections: psychological, physiological and behavioural Mistry and Latoo (2009). The impact of the situation is based on the severity. According to Dunn (2003), in Australia, there is a consistent intolerance against Asian, Indigenous and Jewish Australians. About 15 percent of Australians have experienced racism within institutional settings like the workplace and in education.
The consequences of workplace harassment as stated by Limpangog (2013), are delayed career development, pessimistic impact on the self-esteem and psychological well-being of the person who is a victim in this situation. The author also states that the sample size he has selected has also resigned because of workplace racism.
Limpangog (2013), states that discrimination and bullying is a methodical exploitation of power. During the mass immigration post World War 2 the migrants received a lot of backlashes from the population and to protect their interest, the concept of Multiculturalism was introduced by the government in order to deal with the situation during that time. To protect the people against any kind of discrimination not only in the workplace but also in the society a number of legislations were established, for example: 1975 Anti-Racial Discrimination Act, this is closely followed by 1986 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act, 1984 Sex Discrimination Act, 1992 Disability Discrimination Act, 1996 Workplace Relations Act, 2012 Workplace Gender Equality Act, along with the 1999 Equal Opportunity Act for Women, 2004 Age Discrimination Act, and the 2009 Fair Work Act (Limpangog 2013).
This is a process by which a researcher ensures that the study is conducted in an organized and rational way. The time frame that the researcher has at the disposal to finish the study is important to maintain, therefore, time management in research procedures become crucial, with the help of a research design the researcher can ensure that the study is on track. There are two types of designs qualitative and quantitative (Ioannidis et al. 2014). The type of research design that has been chosen for this study is qualitative in nature; the reason for using qualitative research design is that it focuses more on the intricacy and depth of the knowledge and data that has been gathered and less on the metrics of the information. Information that is gathered from qualitative studies describes the qualities or characteristics of the variables of the research in this case workplace bullying. This process helps the researcher to analyze the data from an enhanced level of detailing; these details can offer more opportunities to garner insights from the information. The process can adapt to the quality of data that is being collected. For example: if the researcher feels that the information that is available is not sufficient for the research then they can easily opt for other data collection processes. As the study is based on a restaurant which has a limited number of employees, the population of the study is limited and hence this process will give more in-depth information about the people and their problems. The information that is collected is more personal in nature therefore it helps the researcher substantiate the findings and the research (Meyers et al. 2016).
One of the major issues with this research design is that the outcome of the information that has been gathered can be subjective in nature. Presentation of the data is difficult as the data that is gathered is mostly haphazard in nature and it takes a lot of time to collate and organize the information.
Research approach is the ways and means tools that will be used to gather information and analyse the information in order to reach a conclusion. There are usually two kinds of research approaches: deductive and inductive.In this study the deductive approach will be taken, as the research process is built on the theories and concepts that already exist and are related to the variables of the study (Guercini. 2014). With the help of this approach it is easier to build a connection in between the variables of the study along with the measuring the theories quantitatively. There is also a lot of literature regarding the variables of this research hence this approach is going to provide with insightful information from the previous work of the authors (Gale 2013).
Primary data collection is the process by which the researcher gathers new information with the help of various instruments and tools. Depending on the type of variables in the study the tools are selected by the researcher in order to ensure that the conclusion of the research is desirable. The tools that are used in this research are: interview (semi-structured), observation and textual analysis(Choy 2014). The interview is semi structured as the process has to be participatory from the interviewer as well as interviewee perspective; this will help in getting authentic information rather than sticking to a set of questions(Smith 2015).
The sample size that has been chosen for the study is mostly for the semi structured interview as observation is an individual process. The method that is followed to select the sample size is the non-probability method (Flick 2015). The non-probability method is chose because the organisation has less number of employees and it is possible to interview each and everyone in the provided time frame. The other ex-employeesare already selected as they had complained about the issue that is being studied in this report. In the probability selection the odds of being chosen from the population can be calculated, whereas in this process it cannot. Therefore, in order to conduct the interview the sample size that was selected is: 15 fronts of the house employees, seven back of the house employees and one manager (Panneerselvam 2014). Two ex-employees will also be a part of the interview process. There are total 25 respondents.
The data that has been collected with the help of the semi structured interview will be analysed with the help of a thematic approach. This is chosen to keep up with the variables and aims of the research, as the study is based on an organisation and the internal conflicts of the place this analysis will be appropriate as it will be based mostly on the concepts and the theories (Silverman 2016).
There will be five stages in the process of data analysis:
This process will provide a holistic approach towards the issue and help in reaching a conclusion that is concrete, rational as well as provide recommendation to the solution to the problem (Neuman 2013).
Ethics, values and principles are one of the major aspects of success of a project. Globally accepted ethical framework is compulsory to be followed during conducting the research in a methodical way. It authenticates the creditability of the study on the basis of unadulterated data collected from the respondents (Lewis 2015). As this study is mostly based on the textual analysis and literature of the research that is already available it is very important to provide due respect and recognition of the authors whose work has been used to conduct the research. The interview process has also been kept as semi-structured so that the people who are been interviewed get their own space for expression of view and perspective (Taylor et al. 2013).
Q1. How is the work environment that you are in right now?
|
Front of house employees |
|
|
Position |
Response (25) |
|
Assistant manager |
The work is hectic and stressful, but I enjoy my work, but I have not felt any kind of bullying or unhealthy environment in my tenure. |
|
Head bartender |
I love my job and hence I do not pay much attention to the other things. I have never felt harassed or bullied in the organisation, the work load can be an issue but then it is not intolerable. |
|
Junior Bartender 1 |
The work environment is good and I have no issues with the seniors or the co-workers |
|
Junior Bartender 2 |
I understand the work pressure in the restaurant and I deal with the situations tactfully |
|
Hostesses 1 |
Work load can be an issue but the environment in the restaurant is not healthy. I have recently joined the organisation and I have thought multiple times to leave the job because of the behaviour of few people. |
|
Hostesses 2 |
I have not faced any issue |
|
Waitresses 1 |
The work environment is not peaceful and the work load is also very hectic, I have also faced a lot of issue in the organisation with the people around me. |
|
Waitresses 2 |
There are a lot of rude people in the organisation with whom I have to work. The way they talk can be hurtful at times. |
|
Waitresses 3 |
The stress is insane I have also experienced harassment from people of other division of operation |
|
Waitresses 4 |
I have faced a lot of bullying and harassment in the organisation; there are times that I have thought to leave the job as well. |
|
Waitresses 5 |
My performance is hampered a lot because of the unhealthy work environment that is prevalent in the organisation. |
|
Waiters 1 |
The work environment is stressful and people become aggressive when there is pressure in the house. |
|
Waiters 2 |
Internal conflicts and behavioural issues are present in the organisation which leads to a bad working environment |
|
Waiters 3 |
The pressure of the work along with bad behaviour from co-workers as well as employees from other segments |
|
Waiters 4 |
I have faced a lot of issues as this is my first job I also did not know how to deal with such situations. Personally I feel my performance is negatively impacted with this kind of emotional pressure. |
|
Back of the house employees |
|
|
Full-time chef 1 |
Internal conflict and clash of interest in the team gives rise to a lot of issues like bad behaviour and also harassment at times from the co-workers as well as from the authorities. |
|
Full-time chef 2 |
I have faced a lot of harassment in the organisation there was a time I was sure that I will leave the place as the situation got so worse. |
|
Full-time chef 3 |
I have not personally faced any issue as it has not been long that I have been working here but have seen others facing bullying and harassment. |
|
Full-time chef 4 |
In my tenure, I have faced a lot of issue like unfair work pressure and stress which is normal with any workplace but nothing in specific |
|
Full-time chef 5 |
Co-workers and other management of the organisation do bully and harass the workers at times which is unfair and unethical |
|
Casual chef 1 |
The management should pay attention to what is going on in the organisation the behaviour of some people are rude. These situations impact me emotionally and my production falls in this situation. |
|
Casual chef 2 |
Faced a lot of harassment in my tenure here as I am unaware of the hierarchy here I could not even complain. If this continues I will leave the organisation. |
|
Manager |
|
|
Manager 1 |
I am aware of some of the issues that the employees have been complaining about, but personally I have not faced any issue in the organisation |
|
Ex-employees |
|
|
Ex-employee 1 |
I was a chef in the restaurant for two years and I left the place because I was facing a lot of humiliation and issue with the co-workers and the management. There is no unity in the team as a chef it is difficult to work if the people around you are not co-operating. There is a lot of negativity in the work atmosphere. |
|
Ex-employees 2 |
There is work pressure and instances of discrimination which led me to leave my job. I had really bad experience with my fellow workers. |
Q2. If you have ever felt that you are being bullied in the organisation, what are the ways in which you have been facing the problem?
|
Front of the house employees |
|
|
Position |
Response (25) |
|
Assistant manager |
I have never felt that my co-workers are trying to bully me but I have received several grievances form the staff members that they have felt humiliated and embarrassed because of someone who has passed a comment or has spread a nasty rumour. |
|
Head bartender |
I have never felt that someone is trying to bully me I usually do not take offense easily |
|
Junior Bartender 1 |
I have not faced any kind of such issues in the organisation |
|
Junior Bartender 2 |
The pressure of the work is the issue that I face |
|
Hostesses 1 |
People pass negative comments which I dislike the most, it is sometimes humiliating and is based on the colour of my skin which is the worst part |
|
Hostesses 2 |
I have not faced any kind of bullying in my tenure. |
|
Waitresses 1 |
The people in the organisation have a bad mouth, they are rude and will say anything irrespective of the situation |
|
Waitresses 2 |
I have faced unnecessary comments, bad behaviour on a daily basis and humiliation in every small mistake even if it is a human error. People also do not hesitate to pass racial comments. |
|
Waitresses 3 |
The work pressure is a lot and makes me think of quitting the organisation. |
|
Waitresses 4 |
I have faced a lot of bullying and harassment in the organisation, people also pass racial comments which are really hurtful. |
|
Waitresses 5 |
I have faced unnecessary humiliation from the seniors because of some petty issues |
|
Waiters 1 |
Bad behaviour is very common among the people who are working in the kitchen. |
|
Waiters 2 |
People in this organisation can be really mean and hurtful, they also pass racial comments and some people are biased and racial. |
|
Waiters 3 |
Humiliating and bad behaviour from the seniors and from the chefs is common |
|
Waiters 4 |
The chefs behave rudely with our team. |
|
Back of the house employees |
|
|
Full-time chef 1 |
Passing comments, humiliating people, screaming at one another is normal in the everyday basis. When there is pressure of work people become aggressive. |
|
Full-time chef 2 |
I have not particularly or personally faced any problem but people spread rumours and humiliate others. |
|
Full-time chef 3 |
There is a lot of passing comments, calling of names and aggression in the kitchen all the time which can be stressful. |
|
Full-time chef 4 |
There is insane work pressure which gives rise to a lot of other issues |
|
Full-time chef 5 |
I have faced several unethical and biased behaviour based of my race and the colour of my skin, which is the last thing that I have expected from a reputed place like this restaurant. |
|
Casual chef 1 |
People behave rudely with one another and it is a very usual thing in the organisation. I understand people being informal, but bad behaviour is not acceptable |
|
Casual chef 2 |
Co-workers are rude and hence I also have to rude with them, there are usual internal clashes |
|
Manager 1 |
There are several instances complained against behavioural issues, humiliation, passing of comments, racism, biasness etc. I have not faced any of these myself but these issues are prevalent in the organisation. |
|
Ex employees |
|
|
Ex-employee 1 |
I left the organisation because I was facing a lot of humiliation and issue with the co-workers and the management. Racism among few of the employees is prominent and I think they are not even aware that they are being racist. |
|
Ex-employees 2 |
For a prolonged period I have faced bullying and racial discrimination and heard racist comments while working in the organisation, this is one of the reasons why I left the service at the restaurant. Along with the work pressure the harassment and bullying was impacting my health. |
Q3. What do you think is the remedy of workplace bullying in the restaurant?
|
Front of the house employees |
|
|
Position |
Response (25) |
|
Assistant manager |
Awareness and rationalising with the concept of respect for racial and ethnic diversity. |
|
Head bartender |
Harsh punishment by the management to a repeat offender. |
|
Junior Bartender 1 |
Counselling of the people may help |
|
Junior Bartender 2 |
Meetings and interactive session should be held by the management to spread awareness against racism. |
|
Hostesses 1 |
The organisation should come up with consequence framework in case of such an action. |
|
Hostesses 2 |
In order to stop such a situation what is required is a change of perspective which will only be possible with the help of awareness |
|
Waitresses 1 |
The company should come up rules against bullying |
|
Waitresses 2 |
The management should impose strict restriction against such actions |
|
Waitresses 3 |
A clear policy to maintain decorum in the workplace should be circulated among the employees |
|
Waitresses 4 |
An example should be set by terminating or suspending an employee who has been accused |
|
Waitresses 5 |
To stop this kind of action the management must be strict |
|
Waiters 1 |
Policies against such actions should be devised by the management |
|
Waiters 2 |
the consequences of such an action should be set as an example to the offender |
|
Waiters 3 |
People must be counselled and made aware of the issue |
|
Waiters 4 |
Only awareness of racism can stop people from committing such a crime |
|
Back of the house employees |
|
|
Full-time chef 1 |
Strict actions from the management and intolerance of such actions from the victim as well as the organisation should be promoted |
|
Full-time chef 2 |
The company should ensure that the people who are accused do not commit such actions further. |
|
Full-time chef 3 |
Regular counselling in bullying, racism and workplace harassment should be |
|
Full-time chef 4 |
A framework and set of rules should be imposed on the employees as well as the management |
|
Full-time chef 5 |
The organisation should ensure that such issues do not repeat and the situations improve in the long run |
|
Casual chef 1 |
Termination or suspension of accused employees will be an example for such actions |
|
Casual chef 2 |
Making people aware of the situation is important |
|
Manager 1 |
There are a few steps that should be taken a new policy mentioning the consequence of the situation can be circulated among the people, Awareness regarding racism and racial discrimination as a criminal act should be promoted. The organisations stands against such actions should also be promoted. |
|
Ex-employees |
|
|
Ex-employee 1 |
Strict rules against bullying must be imposed, they should also be made aware of the consequence of the act on the victim |
|
Ex-employees 2 |
People who are accused of such offense must be put through severe consequence so that they are set as examples to other employees |
Q4. Will strategic communication with the management help solve the issue?
|
Front of the house employees |
|
|
Position |
Response (25) |
|
Assistant manager |
Yes, but to some extent |
|
Head bartender |
Yes but there must be some concrete consequence of such an act |
|
Junior Bartender 1 |
Maybe but the outcome is uncertain |
|
Junior Bartender 2 |
Awareness with the help of any kind of communication is important |
|
Hostesses 1 |
No, talking with people do not change their perspective or thought process. |
|
Hostesses 2 |
Yes this is the only way to curb the situation |
|
Waitresses 1 |
No, only actions in this case can stop this situation |
|
Waitresses 2 |
No, suspension as mentioned before is the only solution to the issue identified |
|
Waitresses 3 |
Communication is a key to stop any kind of discrimination and bullying in the workplace and in the society |
|
Waitresses 4 |
Yes, face to face meeting with the person who is accused as well as who is the victim is essential. |
|
Waitresses 5 |
This will help as talking to the employees is a good idea for the management to understand the reason for internal conflict |
|
Waiters 1 |
Yes and the consequences of being racially discriminating must be made clear to everyone. |
|
Waiters 2 |
Meetings are a good idea so that the management can convey that the rules and regulations regarding workplace bullying and racism. |
|
Waiters 3 |
Defiantly this will help improve the situation in the organisation |
|
Waiters 4 |
Surely, strategic communication is always required |
|
Back of the house employees |
|
|
Full-time chef 1 |
Maybe it will help in the long run but meetings are not a solution to such an issue |
|
Full-time chef 2 |
Yes, communication can solve a lot of internal conflict |
|
Full-time chef 3 |
Face to face conversation is important |
|
Full-time chef 4 |
Yes I think this will help the accused and the victim |
|
Full-time chef 5 |
Continuous question and answer session will help the organisation to understand the base of the issue |
|
Casual chef 1 |
It may help, not very sure |
|
Casual chef 2 |
Yes strategic communication can be useful |
|
Manager |
|
|
Manager 1 |
Communication can solve any problem and therefore a continuous question and answer session with the victim of bullying and the accused must meet and solve the solution. |
|
Ex-employees |
|
|
Ex-employee 1 |
Meeting continuously individually as well as with the team will help in this case. |
|
Ex-employees 2 |
Yes, this will help the people to be more free with the management |
Q5. What kind of support do you want form the management of the restaurant in case of workplace bullying?
|
Front of the house employees |
|
|
Position |
Response (25) |
|
Assistant manager |
Many times people don’t even know they are being racist or taking any other form of bullying the people in that case awareness will curb this situation |
|
Head bartender |
Most people do not know who to complain when they are in problem, this should be first resolved |
|
Junior Bartender 1 |
There is a lack of communication and awareness regarding the organisation and the hierarchy in general |
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Junior Bartender 2 |
Awareness and understanding of the issue is very essential therefore the management can arrange for actions against workplace bullying |
|
Hostesses 1 |
Actions from the management will make a difference |
|
Hostesses 2 |
The management should monitor the floor during the working hours to understand the situation |
|
Waitresses 1 |
They should take the complaints that are logged more seriously and take some actions |
|
Waitresses 2 |
The managers should be more understanding and less casual as this is a serious issue |
|
Waitresses 3 |
There should be feedback options for the management to understand the situation in the organisation |
|
Waitresses 4 |
everyone in the organisation is aware of the situation communication and action will only help in the situation |
|
Waitresses 5 |
The company should come up with a strict guideline and framework |
|
Waiters 1 |
Spreading awareness of the situation will help the people as well as the management to track the situation |
|
Waiters 2 |
The managers as well as the owners should implements ways in which they can be made aware of the situation |
|
Waiters 3 |
I think the management do not take our complaints seriously and this makes situation even worse |
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Waiters 4 |
As I have mentioned spreading awareness will help, the process may take a little time but it will ensure that the perspective and the point |
|
Back of the house employees |
|
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Full-time chef 1 |
The management should take a little work load off and that might solve some issues. |
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Full-time chef 2 |
I do not know whom to approach for complaint in case of such issues, the management must be a little more active |
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Full-time chef 3 |
The management of the company are mostly unaware as they are entitled to their own internal conflicts. |
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Full-time chef 4 |
Complaints and grievances are not taken seriously and the attention is always paid to the work. This increases the pressure for me. |
|
Full-time chef 5 |
I have never personally had a conversation with the any of the managers. They should encourage more communication with the employees. |
|
Casual chef 1 |
The management should be made more aware |
|
Casual chef 2 |
The people working in the restaurant are all grownups and hence they already know the situation, the management of the company must focus on changing some of the HR policies instead of spreading awareness. |
|
Manager |
|
|
Manager 1 |
Communication of any kind be it in the form of spreading awareness or as discussed previously meetings are some of the most effective ways of combating such situations |
|
Ex-employees |
|
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Ex-employee 1 |
The organisation should have started this process long back, there has been several complaints though the management has never taken any step |
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Ex-employees 2 |
There are a lot of people who has left the organisation because of this issue, awareness among the employees must be spread in order to ensure that these situations do not arise and the employees maintain certain decorum in the workplace no matter what is the level of pressure is. |
The analysis is themed in two parts: firstly the perpetrator and target interactions between staff and how can result in negative consequences. Secondly the workplace situation, how the organisation may aggravate bullying and how it can provide solutions Herchovis et al. (2015)
Significantly, sixteen of the twenty-four current staff mentioned bullying in some form either from personal experience or from witnessing this behaviour. This suggests that perpetrator and target bullying has occurred frequently in the workplace. The majority of the people working in the restaurant agree that the work environment of the organisation is not healthy and that the shift hours and work pressure is high and this is the reason for the tension. Others; however, believe that there are people in the organisation whose behaviour is not acceptable in any work place ‘There are a lot of rude people in the organisation’. From the interview it is evident that the back of the house people think that people have a behavioural issue giving rise to tension and grievances among the team. The high occurance of bullying in the restaurant concurs Kitterlin, Tanke, Stevens (2016) suggestion that the culture of hospitality is one where bullying is almost normal (Kitterlin, Tanke, Stevens2016). Both the ex-employees who have been interviewed that the work environment is hampered as people bully the co-workers. This bullying is in such evident that these people agree that it is one of the reasons why they have left the organisation. The opinions of the ex-employees show that the impacts of the bullying were so severe that they were forced to leave their jobs. There is not much disparity in the responses. Staff agree that they have or they know other friends who have faced some or the other forms of bullying the organisation. Staff have reported an aggressive work culture in the organisation. There is work pressure and work load which makes this aggressiveness prominent, again supporting Kitterlin, Tanke, Stevens (2016) suggestion that the pressured restaurant environment can contribute to bullying. Staff have said that they have experienced bad behaviour and biased behaviour form the co-workers. Humiliation and passing of comments has been recognised as the common issues in the company. Staff demonstrate significant consequences of bullying ‘I feel my performance is negatively impacted’ ‘the stress is insane’ as Limpangog (2013) shows, pessimism and impact on the self-esteem are common reactions to bullying. Six staff members also mentioned racist bullying ‘based of my race and the colour of my skin’. The two ex-employees mentioned racism as a significant factor in them leaving their jobs ‘harassment and bullying was impacting my health’. The consequences of this racial bullying reflect Mistry and Latoo (2009) belief that significant psychological and behavioural impacts can occur due to racial bullying.
Staffs believes that the organisation has a part to play in the causes and the solutions to the bullying problem. Some staff suggests that the environment is positive ‘I have not felt any kind of bullying or unhealthy environment’ (Manager). However, most of the junior staff agree that the restaurant atmosphere is not affirmative ‘the environment in the restaurant is not healthy’ (waitress). Some even to the point where they want to resign ‘If this continues I will leave the organisation’. The majority of staff who were unhappy with the working environment as they are facing several forms of bullying are the employees in the kitchen along with the team that is related to the kitchen. These staff have maximum grievance against the employee. All staff felt that the organisation had a role to play in controlling bullying. There are three groups in which the responses can be divided counselling and sessions with the people in order to spreading more awareness against workplace bullying and its impact on people, formulating guidelines and framework to direct people in the organisation to monitor the behaviour and strict actions like termination or suspension for repeat offenders. Managers felt training, awareness and policy would be more affective. Whereas junior staff were more likely to suggest more punitive punishment type measures, ‘termination or suspension’ (waitress). The front of the house employees who disagree that communication would help in solving the issue of workplace bullying are the staff who has agreed strongly that they have faced severe bullying in the organisation, they want strict actions to be taken against the offenders. This suggests that they have been through a lot of mental pressure and problems in the workplace due to bullying and want to see serious consequence for the perpetrators. It is evident from the response that majority of staff do think that communicating issues like bad behaviour and workplace bullying in the restaurant can be curbed with the help of face to face meetings and team hurdles. The employees are of the view that the management should take necessary actions in conducting meetings.
The organisation can provide solutions, but the research has shown that many staff in the organisation is unclear about reporting hierarchy, and perhaps their rights at work. The bartending team are not sure whom to approach to complain against any issue or grievance, these people were unwilling to give specifics regarding workplace bullying as they had stated earlier that they do not face any such situation in the organisation. From the back of the house employees two of the chefs say that they want the work load to be reduced as that is the root of all the problems. This research has raised a serious issue in the organization which is with the management; one of the roles of the management is to look after the employees (Kohll 2017). The people agree that the managers must take steps to monitor the employees during the working hours not only based on their performance but also their behavior and conduct.
From the data it can be analysed that the people are unhappy with the working environment as they are facing several forms of bullying. There is also a communication gap in between the management and the employees. In case of any kind of issue or grievance many of the new employees are unaware of whom to approach for the issue. As discussed in the literature one of the direct consequences of workplace harassment is increase employee turnover, as stated by both the ex-employees the reasons for leaving the job was mistreatment and bad behaviour. The form of bullying that can be recognised from the discussion is humiliation, passing of rude comments, bad behaviour as well as increased unnecessary stress. Disruption of the work environment is directly responsible for workplace bullying and the leaders of the organisation are responsible for overlooking such an issue in the work place. If the style of leadership followed in the organisation is passive and demure then the grounds of workplace bullying or workplace harassment becomes more and more prominent (Salin 2015). In further conversation with the employees it has been found that the management of the organization also does not have concrete parameters to deal with such sensitive situations. The management or the bartender’s team does not have such issues therefore it can be said that the problem is with the teams who are directly or indirectly related to the kitchen.
From the analysis of the responses it can be derived that, the employees of the company want stricter rules and regulations of workplace behaviour (Neall and Tuckey 2014). This is to ensure that perpetrators know that there are consequences to their actions and will be aware. But as rightly put by one of the employees, it is a state of mind and belief of an individual that has to be changed in order to stop such unprofessional actions among the employee for which awareness and knowledge is required. According to Nielsen et al. (2014), bullying and harassment in the workplace can cause health issues in an individual. It is the duty of the human resource management to ensure health and safety of the employees therefore it is important for management to have a concrete guideline of the consequence in case of racism (Gil-gonzález et al. 2014).
Most staff are positive regarding the idea of a frequent question and answer session with the management. The organisation should promote and encourage the employees to communicate freely in case there is any issue or grievance with the workplace. In order to maintain a valuable and committed relation with the organisation the management and the employees must have an understanding between each other. According to Spaho (2013), internal communication is an essential part of the operations of the business. Difference in opinion and perspective is the reason for internal conflict as well as workplace bullying or racism. In an organisation there must be a flow of communication from all directions in order to understand and evaluate operational issues and conflicts (Stagg et al. 2013). Hence, if most of the people agree that this process will have a positive outcome it is essential to incorporate it in the organisation to check on workplace harassment and racism issue which may give rise to termination or internal conflict (Westley 2014).
Role of the management in curbing workplace bullying
In an organisation it is important for the management to understand the issues and problems that the employees are facing and since the organisation has only few employees it is easy for them to have regular meetings to ensure that there is minimum conflict in the organisation (Stagg et al. 2013). This has been clarified from the responses from the research. One of the major issues that have been recognised in the organisation is the detachment of the management with the employees which has given rise to the issue of workplace bullying.
Conclusion
The issue of workplace bullying has a lot of negative repercussion on the business of the company; here are some of the recommendation that the organisation which they can implement in order to reduce such situations and promote a healthy work environment and smooth business operation:
It can be hence concluded from the above discussion that the organisation has an issue with bullying which is negatively impacting staff motivation and morale. There has been several from of workplace bullying that is prevalent in the organisation such as: abusive language, passing hurtful comments based on race and gender, being biased and discriminating on the basis of race etc. It has also been recognised that people have been humiliated in the workplace.This bullying has even led to some staff leaving the organisation. Bullying and stress is common in the restaurant industry; however, it can be tackled with the right proactive leadership and management policy. The management has a problem with identifying issues and communicating with the employees which has increased the issue even further, it has also been observed that there has been instances where people have left their job because they were unhappy with the operations of the business and the behaviour of the people. The employees of the organisation need to bring a change in the operations of the business. Together with the help of the management, the employees are ready to accept changes and work with dignity to curb racism and workplace bullying.
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