Research Proposal: Strategies for NHS Workplace Violence Reduction

This document presents a research proposal focused on workplace violence and safety climate within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The proposal begins with an introduction, outlining the background of the study, the problem statement, aims, objectives, and the significance of the research. The proposal aims to analyze the effectiveness of strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence within the NHS. The literature review explores the effectiveness of strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence, the impact of workplace violence and workplace safety climate, and the importance of workplace safety climate in the NHS. The research methodology and a timescale for the study are also included. The research seeks to understand the relationship between strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence, analyze the impact of enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence, and analyze the importance of workplace safety climate in the NHS. The proposal concludes with a list of references and an illustration index.

Research Proposal

Table of Contents
Research Title:.................................................................................................................................4
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................4
1.1 Background of Study........................................................................................................4
1.2 Problem Statement............................................................................................................5
1.3 Aims and Objectives.........................................................................................................5
1.4 Significance of study........................................................................................................5
2. Literature Review.........................................................................................................................6
2.1 Effectiveness of strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence.
................................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Impact of workplace violence and workplace safety climate...........................................7
2.3 Importance of workplace safety climate in the NHS........................................................8
3. Research Methodologies..............................................................................................................9
4. Time scale.........................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

Illustration Index
Illustration 1: Impact of workplace violence on employees............................................................3

Research Title:
Workplace violence and workplace safety climate.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Workplace violence refers to the activities like harassment, threatening and physical
violence within organisation. It cause negative impact on the employees and working staff
(Lanctôt and Guay, 2014). In order to reduce or overcome such kind of situations at workplace
various safety measures are considered. Different type of steps are implemented by the firms, for
controlling these activities. The present research proposal is focused on analysing the
effectiveness of strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence, in
context with NHS (Laschinger, 2014).
National Health Organisation is the largest healthcare service provider of UK. The
organisational structure of the firm is independent of political and government agencies. They
are providing medical treatment and facilities to the patients of UK (Blando and et.al., 2015). As
any other healthcare company NHS are also facing various challenges related to workplace
violence. It created huge impact on the performance of their employees and also affected their
reputation. In order to overcome these issues, the company has applied various changes
introduced into structure firm. Along with this rules and regulations are also imposed by the
management of the business organisation (AbuAlRub and Al-Asmar, 2014). With the help of
present research proposal, researcher will be able to analysing the effectiveness of strategies for
reducing the workplace violence and enhancing safety polices within company.
On the basis of that, management will be able to apply necessary methods to overcome
such situation. NHS has imposed various rules and regulation against organisational violence and
providing positive environment to their employees. Along with this they have also installed
CCTV camera and other advance monitoring devices. Through this step they are able to record
movement of workforce and patients. In case of emergency situations able to take necessary
steps. They are taking very legal actions and also dismissing their staff. It influences the
workforce, to maintaining decorum of the company. In some cases if any victim is identified,
sufficient compensation and justice is provided to the individual. The organisation is providing
training and learning program, so that employees can deal with the situation (Cartwright and
Cooper, 2014). Also developing transparent organisational structure, for controlling violence
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activities. Along with this various activities are conducted for resolving conflicts among staff.
Workplace violence and safety is considered as one of the most important element for the
organisation.
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1.2 Problem Statement
Workplace safety is very essential for providing positive environment and motivating
them producing profitability. It increases trust and loyalty of workers towards the firm.
Therefore, it is considered as most significant element for the company. The present research
proposal is based on the effectiveness of the strategies considered by the NHS in order to reduce
workplace violence. It is one of the biggest issues related to the growth and productivity of
company.
1.3 Aims and Objectives
Aim: To analyse the effectiveness of strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing
workplace violence: A study on NHS.
Objectives:
 To understand the relationship between strategies for enhancing safety climate and
reducing workplace violence.
 To analyse the impact of enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence.
 To analyse the importance of workplace safety climate in the NHS
 To recommend the strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace
violence
Research Questions.
 What are the relationship between strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing
workplace violence?
 What are the impact of enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence?
 What are the importance of workplace safety climate in the NHS?
1.4 Significance of study
This is considered as most significant step in order to determine the effectiveness of work
place environment. If employee's are facing challenges related to the workplace violence, it
creates negative impact on their mental and physical health condition. Therefore, by determining
the loopholes of safety they are able to take necessary step and able to maintain positive
environment.
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2. Literature Review
2.1 Effectiveness of strategies for enhancing safety climate and reducing workplace violence.
Workplace violence is considered as one of the biggest issues of healthcare industry. In
this situation employees are threaten and physical abused by staff and patients. It is creating
negative impact on the physical and mental health of an individual. As per the Branch, Ramsay
and Barker, (2013) there are various safety and security measures are provided by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. According to the report of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) workers of health sector are mostly facing violence. They are handling
risks and providing emergency services, during this process all the aggression and anger of
patients are coming out in the form of physical violence. There are various rules and regulations
are implemented in order to control activities like harassment, physical violence, threatening and
so on. However, NHS is very serious toward this problem, they have introduces various changes
into the structure and process. Lachman, (2014) stated that with the help of maintaining
positivity at the workplace, firm is able to motivate their workforce. With the help of all these
steps they are providing positive environment to their employees. It supports in increases their
concentration towards work, due to which they are able to produce effective outcomes. It
enhancing their performance and increases productivity of the organisation. Therefore,
implementation of effective strategies for enhancing safety climate is creating significant impact
on the growth of the business group. With the help of this method they are able to motivate
workers in order to produce better amount of services.
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(Source: The impact of workplace violence. 2017)
2.2 Impact of workplace violence and workplace safety climate
Workplace violence is creating negative impact at both personal and professional level. It
is affecting the physical and mental health of the individual. Along with this diminishing the
brand value and reputation of the healthcare organisation. As per the view of Khubchandani and
Price, (2015) violence is imposing direct and indirect impact on the organisational activities such
as psychological, work functioning, financial, social emotional, etc. It is affecting the
performance of the workers, due to which they are not able to complete their responsibilities. It
create negative impact on the services of the healthcare industry and affects the medical
treatment of other patients. It is influencing other part of the society also. It also create huge
impact on the behaviour of employees and increase feeling of fear, pressure and stress.
According to the Calhoun and Weston, (2016) it is leading huge amount of financial as
well as human resource loss for the companies. In order to overcome this problem, firms are
applying various changes into their policies and also adopting laws. With the help of these
strategies they are providing safety and security to their employees and trying to encourage them.
It supports their motivation level and results into productive outcomes. Through applying
effective workplace environment, organisation is able to stop violence and provide peaceful
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Illustration 1: Impact of workplace violence on employees

environment (Workplace features that have a negative impact on health, 2017). It helps in
boosting up their confidence and enhances their performance.
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