Organizational effects and labor behavior of domestic violence

Purpose Using a proposed model, the purpose of this paper is to categorize small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) owners/managers’ perceptions of customer service, and of the manifestations and observable behaviors in relation to the most frequent repercussions of domestic violence in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 73 SME owners/managers was selected; a survey with 44 variables was used for data collection; and factorial and canonical analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Findings The following were found: among the most frequent manifestations of domestic violence in SME customer services, there are four categories that explain 69.46 percent of the model of variance: threats and continuous absences, frequent mistakes and bad relationships, physical damage/lack of concentration and negative manifestation with low self-esteem; among observable behavior at the workplace, there are four categories that explain 65.35 percent of the model of variance: lack of concentration/tearfulness, fear/insecurity, limited attention to customers and continuous threats; finally there is a 96.70 percent probability of the SMEs’ productivity being affected (loss of customers and low production), through three manifestations of domestic violence detected in the employees: tiredness, sleepiness and tearfulness. Research limitations/implications This research is circumscribed to only one geographical zone in Puerto Rico. Practical implications Even only three manifestations of domestic violence in workers will significantly decrease productivity. When SME managers detect these, they can take action to mitigate the problem for the benefit of the workers. Originality/value This study is a pioneer proposal in its analytical quantitative approach on domestic violence in Puerto Rico and its repercussions on the productivity of the service sector, using canonical analysis.