Analyzing workplace violence in the Greek banking sector

Abstract

Recent decades have seen significant changes in the workplace. Such changes have resulted in emerging risks in the field of occupational safety and health. The problem of workplace violence has created scientific interest over the past years and has resulted in a growing literature related to the issue. Workplace violence is an important source of stress with detrimental effects to the physical and mental health of the victims. The aim of this study is to identify, analyze and evaluate the risk emerging from the diverse forms of workplace violence. Using a non-random sample of employees, we examine the phenomenon of workplace violence in the Greek banking sector. This study consists of two parts. The first part, the literature review, sets the stage for integrated analysis of the phenomenon. It provides a description of the prevalence, types, causes, and consequences of workplace violence. It also briefly describes the ISO 31000:2009 Standard which will help us assess the risks. The second part is the empirical survey. The risk assessment builds upon the framework proposed by the ISO 31000:2009. The results show that workplace violence is low or medium risk. Further, women are more vulnerable than their male counterparts.