Predictors and outcomes of workplace violence

The authors developed and assessed the psychometric properties of an instrument measuring risk for workplace violence and expanded a model linking (a) risk and experience of violence and aggression from the public and (b) experience of aggression from coworkers to emotional well-being, psychosomatic well-being, affective commitment, and turnover intentions. Using data from 254 employees represent-ing 71 different occupations, the measure demonstrated acceptable within-occupation and 1-month test–retest reliability. The data supported the model and showed that public-initiated violence and aggression and coworker-initiated aggression were differentially associated with personal and organiza-tional outcomes. Workplace violence is a critical health and safety issue facing North American organizations. Homicide, the most severe form of violence, is the second leading cause of death in American work-places (Jenkins, 1996b). On average, 20 employees are murdered each week while at work or on duty (National Institute for Occu-pational Safety and Health [NIOSH], 1996). Although occupa-tional homicide occurs more frequently in the United States, Ca