Handling Workplace Harassment and Discrimination

Question: Discuss about the Handling Workplace Harassment and Discrimination. Answer: Introduction Workplace harassment can take place in various forms such as unreasonable work demands, exclusion of an individual from work related events, aggressive behavior, putting pressure on someone to behave in inappropriate manner. Besides this, it has significant negative impact on the performance and productivity of the students as they suffer from various health related issues such as stress and depression. Workplace harassment includes bullying and mental pressure on the international students. In order to prevent such actions, government has made several laws which facilitates in providing safe working environment to the international students in the organization (Einarsen, et al. 2010). Research Question The main aim of the research study is to evaluate the impact of different activities carried out in the organization related to workplace harassment on the performance and productivity of the international students. In order to achieve this aim, there is a need to attain the following research objectives To understand the concept of workplace harassment and its consequences on the international students To evaluate its impact on the productivity and performance of the organization To examine different efforts made by the company as well as government to prevent the occurrence of the workplace harassment activities in the organization Workplace Harassment In the views of Bowling and Beehr (2006), there is an existence of positive as well as negative impacts of the social environment at the workplace. The significant negative impact is caused by the harassment of the international students at the workplace. Workplace harassment refers to the interpersonal behavior of an individual to intentionally harm the international students of the organization. This can be done in different forms such as abuse, bullying, interpersonal conflict and social undermining (Bowling and Beehr, 2006). As per Berdahl and Moore, (2006), the harassment can be done in the form of different behavioral gestures such as obscene gestures, threats, yelling, dirty looks, homicides and belittling. In addition to this, different actions such as whistle blowing, and occurrence of late meetings due to theft from the organization is not considered as the workplace harassment rather is considered as forms of aggression that affects the organization in a negative manner in place of individuals (Berdahl and Moore, 2006). In addition to this, according to England (2015), there is an effect of the personal characteristics of the victim towards the perpetrator of the harassment or the organization if the cause of harassment is the organization. In addition to this, the cause of harassment is also considered as organization as there is a presence of multiple reasons to blame the organization as it is responsible for occurrence of such actions. If the victim blames themselves then it results in the occurrence of reduced self esteem, and increased depression (England, 2015). As per Barling, Rogers and Kelloway (2001), international students in majority of the organizations face different problems such as relationships, finances, accommodation and language barriers that has a significant impact on their performance and productivity. International students feel isolated in a new socio-cultural environment due to which they face problems related to access to the resources that helps them to solve problems. They have the feeling of home sickness, culture shock along with the language problems which has a significant impact on the academic life and progress of the international students. Students find difficulty in understanding the ascent of the Australian English language although they have been selected on the basis of IELTS. In order to prevent the difficulties in the language, students learn the language in the extra time outside the class time. In Australia, teachers considered some qualities on which the students are considered as good or bad which inc lude critical thinking, autonomous learning, good communication skills and high problem solving abilities. On these basis, students are rewarded. The international students face difficulties in achieving rewards due to occurrence of changes in the social and cultural values (Delahunty and Foote, 2010). In the views of Boland (2005), it is found out that the international students face financial hardships in Australia as they find difficulty in searching employment in the organizations due to which they starve and suffers from various health related problems. This also affects their productivity and academic performance. The major problem due to language barrier faced by them includes isolation. The main reason behind it is that they find difficulty in communicating with the residents or local people of Australia. This is because they find difficulty in understanding the ascent of the language used by them (Boland, 2005). According to Lim and Cortina (2005), there is an occurrence of different types of workplace mistreatments such as emotional abuse, generalized workplace abuse, incivility and bullying. Along with this, it also includes other types of behaviors such as disrespect, isolation and verbal aggression. International students face various difficulties in foreign countries in the form of language as well as they also suffers from mental and physical health issues due to occurrence of bullying and other types of harassment in the workplace. Besides this, there is also an occurrence of health related risk behavior such as gambling, intake of drugs and suicides. In addition to this, international students also find difficulty in searching of the employment opportunities. Besides this, international students face several difficulties related to education, transport options and underutilization of support services which has a direct significant impact on their educational outcomes such as lack of social connections. They face such difficulties due to existence of different culture. This is the reason that they have a limited understanding of support services. Besides this, they also face discrimination which leads to affecting their performance and productivity of the international students (Lim and Cortina, 2005). As per Smith (2011), the victims of bullying find difficulty to protect themselves and fight back in order to protect themselves. It is a type of interpersonal aggression at the workplace. It is far beyond the incivility and includes different features such as power disparity, duration, frequency and intensity. In such situations, victims find themselves demoralized, isolated and incapable of prevention of different terrorizing tactics of the bullies. Bullying refers to the negative actions carried out on one or more individuals on a repeated manner that results in the occurrence of imbalance in the power and hostile work environment (Smith, 2011). As per Whittenbury (2013), it is considered as anti social behavior pursued at the workplace. It leads to the occurrence of long term negative effects on the victims such as occupational and psychological impairment. It is the problem that occurs in the organizations and leads to affect the emotional and physical health and self esteem of the victim in a negative manner. The international students which are the victims of the abusive behavior suffers from depression and stress disorder. This results in affecting their performance and productivity in a negative manner (Whittenbury, 2013). Implications on productivity and performance of workplace harassment As per Law, et al (2011), nowadays organizations have developed different policies, procedures and practices for the purpose of protecting the psychological health of the international students in the organization. Nowadays, work stress is considered as an important occupational health and safety issue in many organizations that results from the exposure to workplace psychosocial hazards such as work design, and other aspects of the work environment that cause a potential harm in the form of social and psychological health of a worker (Law, et al, 2011). Paludi (2012) has stated that psychological safety climate in the organization facilitates in providing freedom to international students from the psychological harm at work. Nowadays, companies focus on safeguarding the psychological health as opposed to production demands. The occurrence of workplace harassment results in decreasing the commitment level of the international students who are the victims of harassment. The main reason behind it is that they feel pressure of work which leads in the occurrence of stress and depression among the international students of the organization and affects the growth of the organization in a significant manner (Paludi, 2012; Masters and Wallace, 2010). Government efforts on prevention of workplace harassment In the views of Gholipour, et al (2011), there is a formation of different strategies by the governmental organizations to overcome the problem of bullying. Reports have been made by the employers related to labor organizations to achieve the support of the government. In addition to this, organizations also organize different educational programs in order to provide information related to overcoming the occurrence of different harassment activities carried out in the organization by different international students. In addition to this, for the purpose of overcoming the occurrence of bullying activities compensation is provided to the victims in the organization (Gholipour, et al, 2011; Hinton, 2009). Paludi, Paludi and DeSouza (2011) has stated that organizations also provide non-financial compensation to the victims on the basis of the regulations framed by federal government such as civil rights of US regulations in health and safety at the job. Governments organize different educational programs in different schools in order to eradicate bullying in the schools by spreading awareness regarding the activities to be carried out by the international students and students to prevent the occurrence of bulling activities in the organization (Paludi, Paludi and DeSouza, 2011; Weber, 2007). Conclusion It can be concluded that different harassment activities are carried out in different workplaces that have a negative effect on the health and performance of the international students. Increased pressure of work and activities such as mental abuse results in a negative impact on the performance and productivity of the international students. International students who are the victims of different harassment activities suffers from different diseases such as stress and depression which affects their productivity in a negative manner. Along with this, victims have a very low level of commitment towards the organization. References Barling, J., Rogers, A.G. and Kelloway, E.K. 2001. Behind closed doors: in homeworkers experience of sexual harassment and workplace violence. Journal of Organizational Health Psychology 6 (3), pp. 255-269. Berdahl, J.L. and Moore, C. 2006. Workplace Harassment: Double Jeopardy for minority women. Journal of Applied Psychology 91(2), pp. 426-436. Boland, M.L. 2005. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. SphinxLegal. Bowling, N.A. and Beehr, T.A. 2006. Workplace harassment from the victims perspective: A theoretical model and meta analysis.Journal of Applied Psychology 91(5), pp.998-1012. Delahunty, J.G. and Foote, W.E. 2010. Evaluation for Workplace Discrimination and Harassment. Oxford University Press. Einarsen, S. et al. 2010. Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Developments in Theory, Research, and Practice, Second Edition. CRC Press. England, D.C. 2015. The Essential Guide to Handling Workplace Harassment Discrimination. Nolo. Gholipour, A., et al. 2011. Organizational bullying and women stress in workplace. International Journal of Business and Management 6(6), pp. 234-241. Hinton, H.L. 2009. Harassment in the Workplace. Author House. Law, R., et al. 2011. Psychosocial safety climate as a lead indicator of workplace bullying and harassment, job resources, psychological health and employee engagement. Accident Analysis and Prevention, pp.1-12. Lim, S. and Cortina, L.M. 2005. Interpersonal mistreatment in the workplace: The interface and impact of general incivility and sexual harassment. Journal of Applied Psychology 90 (3), pp.483-496. Masters, A. and Wallace, H.R. 2010. Personal Development for Life and Work. Cengage Learning. Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Bullying Network Group. 2011. State of the Art Report on Bullying at the Workplace in the Nordic Countries. Nordic Council of Ministers. Paludi, M.A. 2012. Managing Diversity in Today's Workplace: Strategies for International students and Employers [4 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. Paludi, M.A., Paludi, C.A. and DeSouza, E. 2011. Praeger Handbook on Understanding and Preventing Workplace Discrimination: Legal, management, and social science perspectives. ABC-CLIO. Smith, D.E.J. 2011. Trying to survive: in a hostile home and workplace. Trafford Publishing. Weber, M.C. 2007. Disability Harassment. NYU Press. Whittenbury, B.K. 2013. The Student's Guide to Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Beth K Whittenbury.