From workplace violence to work-based violence: Advancing human resource management scholarship with policy and practical implications

Éditeurs invités

• Fang Lee Cooke, Monash University
• Zhou Jiang, RMIT University
• Shuang Ren, Queen's University Belfast
• Chidozie Umeh, University of York

Synthèse

This special issue reconceptualizes workplace violence as work-based violence to capture harmful behaviors—bullying, harassment, abuse, assault—that now extend beyond physical workplace boundaries into virtual, hybrid, and domestic settings, reflecting contemporary work arrangements and globalization.

Current HRM research predominantly focuses on individual-level analysis and specific forms like bullying and sexual harassment, with limited understanding of structural causes, political-ideological dimensions, employee-to-customer violence, and the roles of institutional actors beyond employers. The issue seeks multidisciplinary research integrating law, psychology, sociology and political economy perspectives to understand violence as embedded in power systems and inequality.

The special issue calls for research examining work-based violence through multi-level theoretical lenses, cultural and intersectional dimensions, and investigates how trade unions and communities contribute to prevention. Contributions should offer practical implications for HR professionals, policymakers and organizational leaders seeking to build safer, more inclusive work environments.

Thèmes proposés

• Violence related to public sector work and prevention through HR interventions
• Violence from employees to customers and organizational factors influencing such behaviors
• Working from home and domestic violence, including gendered patterns and protective policies
• Political tensions, polarization and ideological clashes leading to workplace violence
• Intersectionality and work-based violence across gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and cultural traditions
• Managing work-based violence in international contexts and multinational enterprises
• Role of institutional actors such as trade unions, NGOs and local communities in mitigating work-based violence
• Multi-level theoretical frameworks linking micro-level acts to meso-level organizational cultures and macro-level factors
• Proactive awareness training, structural changes and workplace reporting policies
• Cultural nuances in defining, addressing and responding to work-based violence across national and organizational contexts