The experience of work and workplace disclosure for women living with the effects of intimate partner abuse
type: CreativeWork
description: Context: Historically considered to be a private issue, the organisational impact of Intimate Partner Abuse (IP Abuse) and the potential role that work plays in the lives of those living with abuse has begun to attract increasing attention. Literature which engages with the interaction between work and Intimate Partner Abuse crosses a range of disciplines; it is, however, notably absent within the Organisational Management literature and has tended to be atheoretical in nature. Beginning from the premise that work potentially offers a social setting capable of supporting the three needs of autonomy, belongingness and competence identified via self-determination theory (SDT), this research explores the experience of work for women living with the effects of IP Abuse and begins to bridge the existing gap. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven women living with the effects of IP Abuse to understand their experiences of work before and after disclosure; and their experiences of and aspirations for workplace support. Interview transcripts were interpreted via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with the women’s accounts set against the context of existing literature, prevailing attitudes towards abuse survivors and the researcher’s own reflections of this highly emotive research area. Key Findings: The research identified a number of key themes and explores women’s experiences of work, disclosure and support in the context of: issues of shame, blame and the stigma of abuse, the existence of multiple roles including a workplace persona, interactions with co-workers, personal autonomy and impact, the journey towards becoming a survivor of abuse, post-traumatic growth and the prevailing support model for those who disclose abuse. For women living with IP Abuse, work is experienced as a social setting capable of supporting the three needs (identified by SDT); by allowing women the opportunity to exercise autonomy over their workplace interactions,…
abstract: Context: Historically considered to be a private issue, the organisational impact of Intimate Partner Abuse (IP Abuse) and the potential role that work plays in the lives of those living with abuse has begun to attract increasing attention. Literature which engages with the interaction between work and Intimate Partner Abuse crosses a range of disciplines; it is, however, notably absent within the Organisational Management literature and has tended to be atheoretical in nature. Beginning from the premise that work potentially offers a social setting capable of supporting the three needs of autonomy, belongingness and competence identified via self-determination theory (SDT), this research explores the experience of work for women living with the effects of IP Abuse and begins to bridge the existing gap. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven women living with the effects of IP Abuse to understand their experiences of work before and after disclosure; and their experiences of and aspirations for workplace support. Interview transcripts were interpreted via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with the women’s accounts set against the context of existing literature, prevailing attitudes towards abuse survivors and the researcher’s own reflections of this highly emotive research area. Key Findings: The research identified a number of key themes and explores women’s experiences of work, disclosure and support in the context of: issues of shame, blame and the stigma of abuse, the existence of multiple roles including a workplace persona, interactions with co-workers, personal autonomy and impact, the journey towards becoming a survivor of abuse, post-traumatic growth and the prevailing support model for those who disclose abuse. For women living with IP Abuse, work is experienced as a social setting capable of supporting the three needs (identified by SDT); by allowing women the opportunity to exercise autonomy over their workplace interactions,…
author: Mcneill, Sinead
language: eng
keywords: Intimate partner abuse, Domestic abuse, Stigmatised identity, Humanistic management, Self-determination theory, Liminal experience, Lived experience, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
date published: 2024-3-28
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:26:59Z
provider: University of Northampton
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Northampton