An emerging awareness of the role organizational culture and management style can play in triggering workplace violence

Workplace violence (WPV) gradually became an issue of concern during the 1960s mainly in the form of intruders robbing and assaulting staff. In the 1970s violence among healthcare workers, mainly nurses, became an issue. Since the 1960s there have been many attempts to develop typologies that can encompass the possible range of violence experienced in work settings. More recently the role of organisations in minimising or accelerating WPV has been identified. However, many of the most well-known typologies minimise or omit such organisational violence aspects. The main emphasis of this chapter is on the organisational violence aspect of WPV.