A recently defended master’s thesis at the University of Tartu titled “A Model for Shaping Managers’ Attitudes and Behaviour to Prevent Domestic Abuse Through Employers” reveals that Estonian managers feel a sense of responsibility in preventing domestic abuse (DA) in the workplace. However, they often fail to act due to a lack of knowledge, skills, and supportive structures.
The study, conducted by Merle Liisu Lindma, explored how employers can shape managers’ attitudes and behaviour when it comes to identifying and preventing domestic abuse. The results show that managers are willing to help but need more support, information, and tools to do so.
“For someone experiencing abuse at home, the workplace might be their only safe space. That’s why it’s crucial for managers to notice and support employees,” Lindma emphasises. “The managers in the study admitted that they want to help but often don’t know how to do it without saying the wrong thing or crossing boundaries.”
Why are managers hesitant?
The study identified three key factors influencing a manager’s readiness to recognise and respond to domestic abuse:
– Does the issue feel meaningful and relevant to their role?
– Do they feel supported by colleagues and the organisation in responding?
– Do they have sufficient knowledge and support to act skilfully?
The most common barrier cited by managers was a lack of knowledge and skills. Many were unsure how to initiate a conversation with an employee who might be experiencing domestic abuse or where the boundary lies between personal life and employer responsibility.
“There was also fear of making mistakes — concern that a well-meaning action might cause more harm than good. Some managers also mentioned lack of time and emotional strain as obstacles, particularly in workplaces without support systems or clear action plans,” Lindma explains.
Some managers also expressed concern over shifting norms — fearing that addressing personal matters at work could become “a slippery slope.” This reflects a broader cultural and organisational attitude in society that enforces a strict boundary between work and private life, even though people are whole individuals.
The manager as a shaper of culture
Raising awareness and providing practical tools to managers is key — not to turn them into counsellors, but to help them confidently recognise signs and encourage employees to seek professional help, according to Lindma.
“It’s important to stress that employers and managers are not expected to solve people’s personal problems. Still, they play a powerful and important role as shapers of cultural space — every organisation makes a choice whether to stay silent or to notice,” she adds.
Employers should also consider whether they prioritise personal values and empathy when promoting leaders, or only professional skills.
An evidence-based model to support employers
One of the key outcomes of the study was the development of an evidence-based model to help employers systematically support managers in recognising and handling complex situations. The model was created with input from members of the Kersti Kaljulaid Foundation’s “Violence-Free” employer initiative and the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa).
The model is based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour and Fishbein & Yzer’s Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction. It is further enriched by theories of power, responsibility, organisational culture, psychological safety, mindset, trust, and vulnerability.
“This is the first model to link the development of managerial attitudes and behaviour to societal, organisational, and personal factors. It provides a framework for creating a psychologically safe work environment that supports responsible and courageous leadership,” Lindma explains.
What can employers do right away?
Managers in the study highlighted several immediate actions employers can take to help prevent domestic abuse and support employees:
– Normalise the topic in internal communications through campaigns and information sharing (e.g. intranet, internal mailing lists, staff meetings).
– Provide clear contact points and guidelines for referring employees to help, in a way that minimises risk of harm.
– Offer training for managers to help them understand their role and boundaries, and to sensitively identify and address the issue.
– Strengthen managers’ self-awareness and empathetic leadership style. Equip them to actively create a safe environment where employees feel able to talk about difficult topics without fear of judgement or consequences.
“The most important thing is the manager’s own example in creating a safe and conscious space, and authentic, trustworthy leadership that sends the message: we care,” Lindma concludes.
The full thesis is, unfortunately, available only in Estonian: [https://dspace.ut.ee/server/api/core/bitstreams/02776076-02ba-4240-ba80-5a39d420625e/content]
Merle Liisu Lindma’s reflections on the research process
Why did you choose to focus on domestic abuse for your thesis?
This topic speaks to me on many levels. We spend a significant portion of our lives at work, so organisations and managers play a critical role in how people feel day to day. I believe every person should be valued, supported, and protected at every stage of life — including in the workplace.
Organisational culture is often discussed in terms of implementing corporate strategy, but more rarely as a deliberately shaped cultural space that affects people’s mindsets, attitudes, behaviours, and sense of safety — which in turn influences the actions of individuals, including leaders.
My aim was to link two areas that are rarely connected: organisational culture and domestic abuse prevention. I wanted to understand and demonstrate how employers can shape a cultural space where people can be authentic and where every person — especially managers — are both willing and able to notice and support others in difficult situations, including domestic abuse. Everyone has a role to play in preventing violence.
By studying how culture and leadership attitudes are shaped and how they can be influenced, I hope to contribute to building environments where people feel safer — including those who perpetrate violence, who may also need help — and where difficult, painful topics can be discussed openly and supportively.
Which results stood out as most interesting or important to you?
What struck me most was how strongly managers themselves value trust and empathetic leadership, even in relation to domestic abuse prevention — despite lacking concrete knowledge or skills. Many expressed a desire to help but didn’t know how.
This showed that beyond awareness and knowledge, psychological safety in the workplace is key. Employees need to feel safe enough to talk about their struggles.
I also found it powerful how managers described their unconscious influence on workplace culture. Realising that silence or looking the other way also shapes culture was an important insight.
Another meaningful discovery was how different theories — such as psychological safety, power and responsibility, empathy, and behavioural change models — can form a framework for scientifically supporting managers as culture-shapers, including in preventing violence. This opens up the possibility of employers driving broader societal change — both individually and collectively. We need a more conscious, collaborative approach where employers, leaders, and support systems work in synergy, not isolation.
What surprised you the most during the research process?
What’s always unsettled me is how critically and unsupportively we often talk about societal problems. During the writing process, I was especially shocked by how widespread domestic abuse is — and how little we talk about it. Personally, this experience was deeply eye-opening, not just as a researcher, but as a human being. I believe everyone plays a part in building a culture with less violence.
What touched me most was how many managers had experienced or understood domestic abuse on a deeply personal level — through their own lives, or through stories of family members and colleagues. While my research focused on the professional role of managers, many interviews revealed a very vulnerable and human side. It confirmed for me just how important empathy and non-judgmental support are in everyday life.