From belief to behaviour: The influence of childhood domestic violence on self-efficacy and self-leadership

The relationship between self-efficacy and self-leadership has been widely explored, with research indicating that higher perceived self-efficacy is positively associated with effective self-leadership. Self-leadership has been a focus of attention in recent studies, particularly with the increasing emphasis on the context of knowledge work, where self-leadership is associated with job performance, motivation and job satisfaction. As organisations shift towards less hierarchical and more team-based organisations, self-leadership, which involves guiding oneself through internal drive rather than external leadership, has become significant. However, much is unknown about early self-leadership development, especially as it pertains to contextual factors, such as childhood exposure to domestic violence. Specifically, prior work suggests that childhood exposure to domestic violence negatively impacts self-efficacy, but the long-term impact on self-leadership is unclear.

This study explores the influence of childhood experiences with domestic violence on adult self-leadership and self-efficacy. The findings show a small, but not significant difference in the self-efficacy and self-leadership of individuals who experienced childhood domestic violence versus those who did not. This research extends leadership development research by exploring early life contextual factors as potential influences on self-efficacy and self-leadership. Practically, this study emphasises the value of trauma-informed leadership development initiatives and highlights that certain factors may buffer the long-term impacts of childhood trauma.