TY - JOUR

T1 - Looking beyond violence prevention climate – exploring line managers' violence preventive practices in two high-risk sectors

AU - Jaspers, Sofie Østergaard

AU - Raaby Andersen, Dorte

AU - Karlsen, Iben Louise

AU - Sønderbo Andersen, Lars Peter

AU - Conway, Paul Maurice

AU - Dyreborg, Johnny

AU - Aust, Birgit

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This study was funded by The Danish Working Environment Research Fund. Award number AMFF-24-2016-03-2016510163. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Sofie Østergaard Jaspers, Dorte Raaby Andersen, Iben Louise Karlsen, Lars Peter Sønderbo Andersen, Paul Maurice Conway, Johnny Dyreborg and Birgit Aust.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Purpose: Work-related violence is a major occupational safety and health (OSH) issue. According to the concept of violence prevention climate, managers play a pivotal role in preventing the risk of violence at work. However, research on this is scarce. The objective of this study was, therefore, to examine line managers' use of violence preventive practices in high-risk sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employed three different sources of data (semi-structured interviews and field notes from both leadership seminars and coaching sessions) that were collected in the context of an intervention study in Denmark aimed at improving violence prevention. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of violence prevention experiences among 16 line managers – eight from the prison and probation services and eight from psychiatric hospitals. Findings: Using an existing prevention framework, the authors categorized the descriptions into three types of violence preventive practices used by the line managers across the two sectors: “preventing violence”, “managing episodes of violence” and “promoting the positive”. Especially the category “promoting the positive” is often neglected in the intervention literature. Originality/value: The study identified new aspects of managers' violence preventive practices than those included in the violence prevention climate concept. Such knowledge may help organizations devise improved systems for violence prevention in high-risk sectors.

AB - Purpose: Work-related violence is a major occupational safety and health (OSH) issue. According to the concept of violence prevention climate, managers play a pivotal role in preventing the risk of violence at work. However, research on this is scarce. The objective of this study was, therefore, to examine line managers' use of violence preventive practices in high-risk sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employed three different sources of data (semi-structured interviews and field notes from both leadership seminars and coaching sessions) that were collected in the context of an intervention study in Denmark aimed at improving violence prevention. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of violence prevention experiences among 16 line managers – eight from the prison and probation services and eight from psychiatric hospitals. Findings: Using an existing prevention framework, the authors categorized the descriptions into three types of violence preventive practices used by the line managers across the two sectors: “preventing violence”, “managing episodes of violence” and “promoting the positive”. Especially the category “promoting the positive” is often neglected in the intervention literature. Originality/value: The study identified new aspects of managers' violence preventive practices than those included in the violence prevention climate concept. Such knowledge may help organizations devise improved systems for violence prevention in high-risk sectors.

KW - Management

KW - Managers' work environment

KW - Prison and probations services

KW - Psychiatry

KW - Violence prevention

KW - Violence prevention climate

KW - Workplace violence

U2 - 10.1108/IJWHM-06-2021-0133

DO - 10.1108/IJWHM-06-2021-0133

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85129198266

VL - 15

SP - 429

EP - 444

JO - International Journal of Workplace Health Management

JF - International Journal of Workplace Health Management

SN - 1753-8351

IS - 4

ER -