ViolenceatWork:WestsideHealthSystemsMaryanneWalkerarrivedatworkrelaxedandrefreshedfromhertwo-weekvacationinFlorida.MaryannewasDirectorofPharmacyServicesatWestsideHealthSystems,andthefirstitemonhercalendarwasaregularlyscheduledtotalqualitymanagementmeetingwiththefoursupervisorswhodirectlyreporttoher.Duringthemeeting,routinebusinessmattersandnormalprogressreportsonprojectswerecovered.However,Maryannewasverydisturbedbywhatoccurredatthecloseofthemeeting.RhondaCarterreportedthatonepharmacytechnician,SusanMiller,hadallegedlyassaultedanother,BrendaLawson,inthereceivingareaofthemainhospitalpharmacy.Neitherofthetechniciansreportedtheincident,therewerenowitnesses,andRhondalearnedofthealtercationfromanotheremployee.Maryannestressedherdesiretobekeptinformedonallmattersandhercompleteconfidenceinanopencommunicationsystemonwhichtotalqualitymanagementwasbased.MaryanneaskedRhondawhyshedidnotviewtheeventasimportantenoughtocontactherduringhervacation.Rhondareportedthattheepisodedidnotoccurduringhervacationbutsixweeksearlier.Maryannewasperplexedtofindthatsomethinghappenedsixweeksago,anditwasjustbeingbroughttoherattention.Maryannehaddealtwithproblemsofjobperformancebuthadneverfacedpersonnelproblemsunrelatedtoperformance.Itneveroccurredtoherthatphysicalfightingwouldbeaprobleminapharmacywhoseworkforcewaspredominatelywomen.Uponreturningtotheoffice,Maryannereceivedthefollowingmemofromhersupervisor,NancySmith:“Whileyouwereaway,IwasmadeawarethatSusanMillergrabbedBrendaLawsonbytheshoulders,shovedheragainstapartition,andperhaps職場暴力事件WestsideHealthSystems剛從佛羅里達州度假兩週回來的藥品服務部門主任MaryanneWalker神清氣爽、心情輕鬆地返回工作崗位。她在工作時程表上排定的首項工作就是與她手下的四個主管開一個定期性的全面品質管理會議。會中，他們討論了常規性的業務事項，與一些專案的正常進度。然而在會議即將結束時，卻發生一件讓她十分困擾的事。RhondaCarter報告說，一個叫SusanMiller的藥學技師，據說在總院藥局的收貨處，攻擊另一個叫BrendaLawson的技師。他們倆人都沒向上級主管報告此事，也沒有目擊證人，而Rhonda是從另一個員工那裡聽聞此衝突事件的。Maryanne強調她希望任何事都要向她報告，以及她對全面品質管理的根基－開放性的溝通制度－之全然信心。Maryanne問Rhonda為何她不認為此事重要到應該和正在度假中的她聯絡呢？Rhonda回答說，此事件並非發生在她去度假時，而是早在六個星期前就已經發生了。Maryanne對六週前就已然發生的事件，卻直到剛剛才讓她知道，感到懊惱。Maryanne曾處理過工作表現上的問題，但從未碰到過與工作表現無關的人事問題。她從來就沒想到在員工大多是女性的藥局，也會有肢體衝突的問題。一回到辦公室，Maryanne就收到其主管NancySmith給她的備忘錄：“妳不在時，我得知SusanMiller抓著BrendaLawson的肩膀，把她推靠在隔間牆上，也許把拳頭伸向後肩，好像要揮拳揍她一樣。我建議妳針對此事件做drewherfistbackasiftohither.Isuggestthatyoudofurtherresearchintothismatter.Dependentupontheoutcomeoftheinvestigation,theappropriateresponsescouldrangefromignoringtheincidentashearsayorasgossiptotermination.ThisisnotthewayIwouldwishforyourweektostartbutIreallyneedtotalktoyouassoonaspossible.”AsMaryanne’sbosshadalreadylearnedoftheincident,someactionmustbetaken.BackgroundWestsideHealthSystemswasaprivate,nonprofithealthcaresystemlocatedinChicago.Thesystemconsistedofa150bedhospital,an80bednursinghome,andfive“minoremergency”clinics.AlthoughWestsidewasnon-union,manyofthehospital’spersonnelpracticesandpoliciesweresimilartothosefoundinunionizedsettings.Maryannedir...