Domestic Violence and Organizations: Developing a Research Agenda for Management Studies

Domestic violence was once seen as a private concern, but is now acknowledged as playing out in very public ways and as embedded in social, economic and political relationships. Organization, in particular the organization of work and employment, is inextricably linked to the lives of those involved with domestic violence. Domestic violence has now been legitimized as an important social problem in many western countries, and organizations are beginning to adopt initiatives responding to domestic violence as part of corporate social responsibility, human resources and risk management programmes. We aim to develop the theorization of these practices and to introduce these into debates in business ethics and corporate social responsibility, ultimately opening this previously-under investigated area to critical and ethical scrutiny.