SUMMARISING THE CASE

Square D is an American manufacturer of electrical equipments headquartered in Palatine,

Illinois. Square D is the flagship brand of Schneider Electric which acquired the company in
1991. Company has turned to team management approach in various areas ranging from
manufacturing to international research and development financing. But the area which required
team management that the company failed to notice was work related violence. According to
American Management Association is on the rise. At Square D , the problem of workplace
violence arose when John Ebeling, vice president of purchasing for the company, was stabbed to
death in his apartment. According to Police records, the stabbing was classified as workplace
violence because the dispute apparently originated over paperwork. It was a dispute over
paperwork and who was supposed to be responsible for it. However the intensity was unknown.
At square D, managers had actually sought help from an outside agency prior to Ebelings
murder. They suggested a workshop on violence reduction and prevention.
The Need Of Threat Management Team:
Many companies are beginning to increase the use of psychological testing of employees as
well as more intensive personal screening. Threat management team is one measure that is
recommended. A threat management team typically consists of a counselor, an attorney and a
security officer. The team can serve as a forum for employees to report threats or actual acts of
workplace violence. Moreover, the counselors and attorneys can provide either advice or
merely a source of relief by allowing employees to vent their anger. These teams are
invaluable in assessing the seriousness of potential conflicts as well as reducing tension
between employees. Major problem is that the the threat in most cases arent recognizable.
Also other problem was co- workers knew there were problems, but they didnt know who to
report them to. Many companies unfortunately wait until job- related violence has actually
occurred before they institute precautionary measures such as the threat management team.
Also the sexual harassment issue, verbal use and even physical assault is not dealt by the
company extensively which can be dealt by introducing Sexual harassment Policy and a
management team for the same.

I.

THREAT MANAGEMENT TEAM

THREAT MANAGEMENT
Threat management is the actions taken to identify, assess and manage threats of violence
whether such threats are:

directly reported/received

observed first hand, or,

discerned from the problematic or concerning behaviours/actions of individuals which

can reasonably be interpreted as early indicators of future violence or threatening
behaviour

The objective of threat management is to allow the organization to identify potential threats of
violence at the earliest possible stage to:
1.

facilitate action aimed at defusing threats before violence occurs, and

2.

enable a more effective response in the event of a violent act

THREAT MANAGEMENT TEAM

A multi-disciplinary group of personnel selected by an organization to receive, respond to and
resolve reports of problematic behavior made under the organizations workplace violence
prevention policy.
Broadly speaking, the threat management team is focused on three core objectives:
1.

To effectively identify, evaluate and manage a range of problematic or concerning

behaviours (ranging from inappropriate to violent)

2.

To bring together the appropriate tools and resources (including external

stakeholders) to form a systematic, multi-disciplinary approach to threat management

3.

To actively coordinate, monitor and evaluate threat management activities across the
organization

Many managers and senior leaders are wary of implementing or serving on a threat
management team. Some senior managers are concerned about the liability they perceive to be
attached to internal judgements about workplace violence threats. Other managers feel they
are unsuited or unqualified to assess violence-prone behaviour. Whilst both of these
viewpoints are understandable to some extent, they are not based on a clear understanding of
the role of a threat management team and the potential consequences to the organization of
failing to address threat management in a structured, defensible manner. Threat management
teams are typically comprised of management individuals from Human Resources,
Security/Operations, Legal Department and other applicable stakeholders. Some larger
organizations may have additional internal resources to act as team members such as health
and safety professionals or counseling staff. In some small to mid-sized organizations the team
could be comprised of two people. The threat management team should be supported by a
clear governance and operating framework that sets out the teams mandate, authority and
operating protocols. In addition to developing policies and procedures the threat management
team should also be formally trained in threat identification, threat assessment and violence
risk management.
A threat management team typically consists of a counselor, an attorney and a security officer.
The team can serve as a forum for employees to report threats or actual acts of workplace
violence. Moreover, the counselors and attorneys can provide either advice or merely a source
of relief by allowing employees to vent their anger. These teams are invaluable in assessing
the seriousness of potential conflicts as well as reducing tension between employees.
II.

THREAT MANAGEMENT TEAM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TYPES OF

TEAM

A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common
purpose, common performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually
accountable.
There are 4 types of teams: Work Teams, Problem Solving Team, Management Teams, Virtual
Team.
Threat Management Team falls into the category of Management Team. They are also known
as cross functional team. These are teams made up of employees from about the same
hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task. These

consist of managers from various areas and coordinate work team. They are relatively
permanent.
Job of Management team.
1. To coach and council other teams to be self managing by making decisions within the
teams.
2. To coordinate work between work teams that are independent in some manner.
A threat management team is different from Work Team. Firstly, Work Teams are primarly
concerned with the work done by the organisation such as developing and manufacturing new
products, providing services for customers, etc. Principal focus is on using the organisations
resources effectively. These are highly empowered. However the Threat Mangement team,
effectively identify, evaluate and manage a range of problematic or concerning behaviours. It has
nothing to do with work done by the organization or the resources of the organization.
A threat management team is different from Problem Solving Team because Problem Solving
Team are temporary teams established to attack specific problem and after solving problem, the
team is usually disbanded. However the threat management team comes into existence even
before problematic behaviour i.e; either a threat or violence and remains into existence even such
problematic behaviour is reported and possible solutions provided.
A threat management team is different from Virtual Team. A virtual team never actually meet
together in the same room-their activities take place on the computer via teleconferring and other
electronic information systems. However a threat management team, consists of the members
from different levels of the organisation. As the violence prone behaviour occurs in the
organisation therefore the counselling cannot be done virtually via electronic forms of
communication.

III.

BENEFITS OF INTRODUCING THREAT MANAGEMENT TEAMS IN THE

ORGANISATION

Yes we would introduce threat management teams in the organization to overcome firslty
workplace violence as the case widely discusses. The three objectives of Threat Management
Team mention above are core to answer this question. Also occasionally, threatening
workplace situations turn into serious acts of violence, making workplace violence a
foreseeable risk that should be managed. Although seriously violent acts in the workplace are
low-probability occurrences, they can have severe consequences when they do occur.
Employees and others who are aware of potential occurrences can become concerned and
afraid. Thus, employers should be equipped to effectively prevent, prepare for and respond to
workplace violence incidents. The company Square D confronted work-related violence. At
square D, the problem of workplace violence arose when John Ebeling, vice resident of
purchasing for the company, was stabbed to death in his Schaumburg, Illinois,
apartment.According to police records , the stabbing was classified as workplace violence
because the dispute apparently originated over aperwork. Many companies unfortunately like
the Square D wait until job-related violence has actually occurred before they institute
precautionary measures such as the threat management team. These management can consist
of the following teams:

A trained, multidisciplinary Threat Response Team to plan for, investigate, assess, and
defuse threatening situations. The team should consist of members of management and
include backups, and it should be able to notify and mobilize members immediately when
a threat occurs. Employees should know the organization has a team trained to respond to
signifi cant threats. Core team members should include, at a minimum, managers from
Corporate Security, Human Resources, and Legal. The core team should be supplemented
with additional resources as needed, including internal managers, a police offi cer (best if
known to management), threat consultant, private investigator, forensic specialist,
linguistics analyst, profi ling specialist, guard service, threat-experienced mental health
professional, employment attorney, surveillance specialist, undercover investigator,
executive protection specialist, dispute resolution provider, hostility management expert,
IT security specialist and a polygraph examiner.

A multidisciplinary Human Impact Team that is trained and prepared to specialize in the
human side of crisis response. For example, this team should have appropriate next-ofkin notifi cation procedures in the event of death or serious injury as well as plans for
memorials and funeral outreach. Team members should include those who are equipped
to address legal, fi nancial, benefi ts, human resources and security issues of impacted

people.
A trained Family Assistance Program Team, staffed by trained employee volunteers or
outsourced to behavioral health professionals experienced in family representative
services.

Following are suggested steps to be followed by the Threat Management Team in response to a
workplace violence crisis.

Investigate and assess the threat. The Threat Response Team can be only as good as the
information it receives. When assessing a threat, this means verifying facts, investigating
unverifi ed information and rumors, playing what if to adequately consider contingency
plans, and applying good judgment. You should also consider the unintended
consequences the threat poses, such as untruths spreading through the rumor mill and
inadvertently provoking the threatening person. Meanwhile, it is vital to employ a
professional and purposeful manner for obtaining sensitive information, perhaps even

from an uncooperative informant.

Defuse threatening individuals and situations. In threatening situations, management
may need to take action that is potentially provokingfor example, disciplinary job
action, termination of employment, arrest, or injunctive relief. In such cases, management
should also take actions to defuse the situation. A threatening individual may respond
favorably to being heard, feeling understood, and being treated fairly with a sense of
dignity. Management will need to determine whether a strong hand is best (for example,
calling in law enforcement), whether a caring, supportive response would be more

effective, or whether a balance of the two would be optimal.

Follow up. Workplace violence can occur days, weeks and even months after an
employer thinks a threatening situation was resolved. Management may need to
orchestrate a method to monitor and/or intervene with regard to a threatening individual
over time. That can mean making diffi cult decisions about how best to monitor and who
(inside or outside the organization) should intervene.

Purposefully disengage. What are the indicators that management can safely discontinue
monitoring the threatening case? Who needs to be notified that the case is being closed?
What circumstances would indicate that reactivation of the plan is necessary? The
decision to disengage should be based on the consensus of the Threat Response Team and
others with threat management expertise and knowledge in the case, and it should also

include input from all appropriate stakeholders.

Document decisions and actions. Maintaining legally defensible documentation is
paramount, because lawsuits are likely following a serious workplace violence incident,
and all written records will be subpoenaed. Plaintiff attorneys will search for evidence of
negligence in order to overcome state workers compensation laws. Document facts that
are uncovered, decisions made, and actions taken as well as the reasons for not taking
certain actions when addressing a situation. This documentation may be your companys
best defense in court. Managements rationale for any decision made or action taken
should pass the reasonable person test: Is this what a reasonable person would do under
the circumstances?

Secondly, Threat Management Team can also helps in curbing Sexual Harrasment at
Workplace that is on a rise. A separate threat Mangement Team, should be there for Sexual
harassment at the work place. This team would ensure for the Organisation's compliance with
state laws and Organisation policies and procedures regarding discrimination, retaliation and
sexual harassment for staff. This team would work to promote and integrate the principles of
equal opportunity, affirmative action, nondiscrimination and excellence through diversity in
organisation. Further it would also Find organisation and community services for women and
men who have been affected by sexual assault or domestic violence. Also provides resources for
confidential support and information.