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    Compassion in Organizational Life

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    Yan Ÿan
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    Compassion in Organizational Life JASON M, KANOV University of Michigan SALLY MAITLIS University of British Columbia MONICA C. WORLINE University of Michigan JANE E, DUTTON University of Michigan Business School PETER J. FROST University of British Columbia JACOBA M. LILIUS University of Michigan Inthis article the ethos explore compassion in workogancaions. They dscusthe preva ence and cous of pain orgonsarional He. and Went compassion as a UNpOran ro ‘cen tha can ocur i esponte afer A te individual eel, compassion aes place ‘Seough tre subprocesses: nosing another's pan experiencing an mation ection to ‘hepa, andacting responce to he pam. The authors bil om this frome rk argue! “organiatona compasion esse wien members ofa satem cllectivel Notice, fe, ane respond pain experienced by member of tha stem. These processes become collective ‘fates ofan orgonztion's context legtmate them within the organization, propegate ‘hem among organizational members, and coordinate them across individuals Keywords: compassion: postive organizaionl scholarship collective processes ‘Compassion occupies a prominent role in the history of medemn society, impli cated in the creation and sustenance of human community (Clark, 1997; Nussbaum, 1996, 2001). Seen as virtuous and contributing to personal and socisl good (Blum, 1980; Nussbaum, 2001; Solomon, 1998; Wuthnow, 1991), ‘compassion lies a the core of what it means to be human (Himmelfar®, 2001; “Authors" Not: The authors wish to thank Kim Cameron, Aaron Caza and wo anonymous review fer forthe encouragement and constructive feedback. We lv wightothank Lloyd Sandlands for tn comment on an arr draft of satel [AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCENTS. ol? No.6, Ferry 208 8.55 Dot tor 7Heoazteao6o1| (© 2 Sage Pbleaces 808 Pinsky, Shih ORGANIZATIONAL POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE $07 ‘Turns. B. (2002 Jay 30) Job churning estimated ar more than 52 milion aly, Gannet Nowe ‘Service ‘alton RE (1985). From cont ycommitmentin the workplace, Harard Business Review. 63, Tr. Whyte, WH, J (1956). The organisation man. New Yar: Simon and Schuster TODD L. PITTINSKY isan asst professor tthe John F. Kennedy Seo of Govern ‘ment at Harvard University. Hs research focuses onthe individual in rows nd the groups In inividuat: Much of his research examines how individuals menage mle and, 2t times, conflicting grou identifications and commiiment, and how individual experience ‘heir transitions between groups He examines iniraindidal dberity and pluralism, in ur, elucidate the workings of diversi and pluralism in soci MARGARET. SHIH isan aston professor in ogeizational paychology othe Univer- tof Michigan. She received her BA from Stanford Universi ard her PAD. from Harvard Universi Her research focuses on understanding how sca identities campsite act individual and organization oucome. Kanov etal. COMPASSION IN ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE 309 ‘Wathnow, 1991). Discussions about the meaning of campassion as a human experience date back over two thousand years, spanning disciplines such as reli- ‘ion, philosophy, and sociology. Through early philosophical accounts to more contemporary depictions, the notion of compassion has remained remarkably constant (Nussbaum, 1996). Similarly, despite fundamental differences in phi- losophy and tradition, all major religions emphasize the importance of compas- sion. Judaism, for example, mandates toemolate God in his attribute of compas- sion (Sears, 1998), and Buddhist philosophy considers thatthe basic nature of hhuman beings isto be compassionate (Dalsi Lama, 1995). The Biblical tradi- tion, t00, teaches compassion as “a duty to divine law, as a response to divine Jove, anda sign of commitment othe Judeo-Christian ethic” (Wuthnow, 1991, .50). Compassion is a fundamental and timeless part of human existence. ‘Compassion s also an essential yet often overlooked, aspect of ie in orga: nizations. Although ofganizations ae frequently portrayed as sites of pain and suffering, they are also places of healing, where caring and compassion are both given and recsived (Frost, Dutton, Worline, & Wilson, 2000; Kehn, 1993). ‘Compassionate acts can be found at all levels in an organization, from leaders ‘vino buffer and transform the pain oftheir employees, to office workers who lis: ten and respema empathically to their colleagues" troubles (Frost, 2003). Com- passion in organizations makes people feel seen and known; it aso helps them feel less alone (Frost tal 2000; Kahn, 1993). Moreover, compassion alters the “felt connection" between people at work (Frost ea, 2000) and is associated with a range of positive atitudes, behaviors, and feelings in organizations (Dutton, Frost, Worline, Lilius, & Kanov, 2002; Llus et al., 2003). Research and writing on compassion in organizations reveals it asa positive and very powerful force. ‘We regard compassion in organizations as processual and relational. Iti ‘common to think of it as an individual characteristic, and 2 given individual as being ether “compassionate” or “uncompassionate.” Compassion is also seen 1s a state induced by another person's suffering, a “painful emotion” that one person experiences for another (Nussbaum, 1996). In contrast, we conceptusl- jae compassion as a dynamic process, or x set of subprocesses, that may be found both in individuals and collectivties. Building on Clark (1997), we idem tify these subprocesses as “noticing,” “feeling.” and “responding” each contib- uting uniquely tothe process of compassion. We argue that compassion and each of its subprocesses seltiona in nature, occurring in and through interac tions and connections between people (Dutton, In press). By strengthening peo pke's feelings of connectedness, the process of compassion builds and shapes the ‘communities in which we live and work. In this ticle, we explore te process of compassion in organizations. We do {his in two stages. First we examine what it means for individuals in orsaniza- tions to experience compassion. We identify the many sources of pain in 810 AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST ‘organizations and discuss how individuals can heal one another by noticing ‘another's suffering, experiencing an emotions} zeaction to his or her pain, and acting to help ease or alleviate it Then we develop a concepiulization of “orga- nizational compassion,” which we argue is composed ofthese same processes ‘operating at collective level. Organizational compassion exists when members ‘of a system collectively notice, feel, and respond to pain experienced by mem- bers of that system, We argue that these subprocesses become collective when they are legitimated within an organizational context and propagated among ‘organizational members, For responding to become collective, it must also be coordinated across individuals. We then explore how legtimation, propagation, and coordination are enabled by a variety of systemic organizational features, such as values, practices, and routines, Examining organizational compassion thus allows us to see organizations as systems with the capacity for collective noticing, feeling, and responding. By developing conceptualizations of compession processes that exist tthe individual and organizational levels, we contribute in important ways to unde stariding behavior in organizations, and tothe emerging field of positive organi 2ational scholarship. First, this work acknowledges both the human pain and the compassion present in organizational life. In general, the study of organizations tends toengsge out minds bu fails to engage our hearts. As aresult, researchers typically have litde to say about the humanity of aliveness of organizations (Dutton, In press; Follet, 1995; Frost, 1999; Rezin, 2001; Sandelands, 1998, 2003; Weick, 1999). The study of compassion in organizations acknowledges the realities of pain, suffering, and healing that are pan ofthe human experience, andin so doing, helpsto illin gapsin the organizational iteraturethat often fils, to portray organizations as human institutions, ‘Second, extending he idea of compassion beyond the individual allows us to see how collective capacities for noticing, feeling, and responding to human suf- fering vary by organization. By highlighting the role of organizational systems, routines, and Values in facilitating the enactment of collective compassion pro- ‘cesses, our focus on organizational compassion thus contributes to the emerging field of positive organizational scholarship, showing how one form of virtuows- ness can be enabled in organizations (Cameron, 2003; Cameron, Dutton. & Quinn, 2003). Furthermore, this article begins to articulate the mechanisms through which organizational contexts enable the pattemsof collective noticing, feeling, and responding that differentiate organizations as sites of human heal- ing. For organizations in which dealing with human pain sa persistent and cen- tral pat of the organization's mission (e.., hospitals and health care organiza: tions, fire-fighting units social service, and support organizations) tis form of collective compassion capability may be particularly important for sustained organizational survival and effectiveness Kanov el, COMPASSION IN ORGANIZATI LIFE 81 PAIN AND COMPASSION AT WORK Given the amount of time people spend at work, it should come as no surprise that work organizations are fraught with pain and suffering (Frost, 1999, 2003; Frostet al, 2000). People often carry pain from their personal lives with them to work. For example, @ family member being diagnosed with cancer, a single ‘working mother leaving her sick child in someone else’s care, or a failing per- sonal relationship all affect how people feel at work. Equally, a vast number of work-related factors, such as hostile coworker interactions, an abusive boss, or having to deal with overly demanding clients, can lead people to experience intense and endsring pain, Pain can also result from organizational actions such as a merger that produces severe conflict, poorly handled change, or indiscrimi- nate restructuring and downsizing. Hostile or unethical acts from other organi- zations can further contribute to the pain felt by employees in an organization. For instance, companies with deep economic pockets coming into communities can drive smaller or less wealthy competitors out of business, causing pain and suffering for many who are on the losing end of the competition. Finally, emo- tional pain stems from inevitable calamities, be they environmental (heavy pol lution, earthquakes, floods) political (painful imer-group conflict or contests for power), or economic (jolts felt as the economy falters and one’s livelihood is threatened). Whether organizations themselves directly cause pain and suffer- ing, they ae sites that harbor the emotional duress and anguish that stem from all aspects of members’ lives (Dutton et al., 2002; Frost & Robinson, 1999; Frost etal., 2000). Pain and suffering have serious implications for organizational performance and productivity. Employee grief, for example, costs work organizations upwards of 75 billion dollars annually (Zaslow, 2002). The costs also extent ‘beyond financial losses to include a variety of psychological, physiological, and {interpersonal outcomes such as a diminished sense of self-worth, a weakened {immune system, and workplace sabotage (Frost, 2003; Ryff & Singer, 2001). Organizational members are often left without reliable opportunities to deal ‘with their suffering, however, because of organizations’ typically limited capacity to acknowledge and respond to it (Frost, 1999). Given the pain present inthe workplace and the dearth of resources available ‘ohandle it, compassion in organizations clearly has a critical and consequential role. The possibility for compassion as a part of organizational work is power- fully tlustrated inthe medical and nursing literatures, where clinicians and pol- icy makersemphasize the importance of attending o patients’ suffering (defined an impairment or threat to the meaning of the self, Reich [1989)), as well as their physical iliness. For instance, medical ethics discourse increasingly includes compassion (¢x., Brody, 1992; Shelp, 1985, as cited in Brody, 1992), spurring interest in understanding what it means for medical professionals to be compassionate and how they can express compassion in interactions with their patients (e.g., Connelly, 1999). The nursing literature similarly identifies 812. AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST compassion asa morlimpersive that isn essential component of patient care (von Dietze & Orb, 2000). ‘Compassion brings medical practitioners closer to ther patients, allows them to establish a connection with ther patients, and enables them to achieve a deeper level of healing through heir weatmentof the“ whole person” rather than justliness Brody, 192; Cassell 2002) Ivealshy reducing the felepresenceof Fain though being notice, thzough feling cared for and understood, and through receiving responses that alleviate pain. Toatend 0 patents suffering, isto guard against “ising” the person in the medical proces (rank, 1992) Compassion provides comfor in a time of distress and disorientation, and serves asa remindet to professionals ofthe buman dimension of practices that can easily become exclusively system, function, or technique driven, Recent ‘work with dying people explores how insensitive communications by physi- cians canengender more suffering than the iiness itself oran awareness tha the conditions terminal (Kuh, 2002), Findings from research on compassion nthe caring professions parallel those on terminal experiences inthe workplace, such 2 rings, layoffs, and downsizing, where the compassion with which pinfl acts are carried out has been shown to positively influence the perceptions and feelings of the target individuals (Cameron, 1994; Gell & Cameron, 2003; Wanburg, Bunce, & Gavin, 1999). ELEMENTS OF COMPASSION Inthis section, we identify the key elements of the process of compassion asit is experienced among individuals. Following Clark (1997), we regard compas sion as a process comprising three interrelated elements: “noticing” another’s suffering, “feeling” the other's pain, and “responding” to that person's suffer- ing. We discuss each of these below. NoncNG A critical firs step in the compassion process is noticing another person’s suffering and becoming sware of the pain he or she is feeling. Noticing often requires an openness and receptivity towhat is going on in those around us, pa ing attention to others’ emotions, and reading subtle cues in our daily interac- tions with them (Frost, 2003). Noticing may take the form of a cognitive recog- nition of another's suffering, or may first be experienced through an "unconscious phy'scal or emotional reaction to that person's distress, which in turn creates in us an awareness of their suffering. Equally, we may notice the pain of others because people call our attention to it. In al cases, awareness of another's pain is a critical first step in the compassion process. People’s motivation and skill in noticing varies across individuals and situa- tions: We tend to find noticing easiest when the person is similar tous and when ‘Kanoy et ./COMPASSION IN ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE $13 we like him or her; we are also more likely o detect a person's suffering when ‘we have experienced a similar kind of pain ourselves (Clark, 1997). When we are especially busy at work and preoccupied with our own deadlines and con- ‘ceri, however, we are often unable to notice the pain that may be in front of us (Frost, 2003; Hallowell, 1999). FRELING All accounts of compassion from ancient Greek philosophy toeveryday ver~ nacular recognize that people fee! compassion. Compassion is a social emotion in that itis inherently other-regarding: People feel compassion for someone el (Cassell, 2002; Solomon, 1998). Moreover, the feeling of compassion implies that the object of one’s compassion is experiencing some sort of pain or suffer- ing (e.g, Frost eta, 2000; Reich, 1989; Solomon, 1998). Compassion literally ‘means suffer with Solomon, 1998; von Dietze & Orb, 2000). Feelings of com- ‘passion thus connect one person toanother'shurt, anguish, or Worry. These feel- ings can be snore or less intense, and may last over a long period, for example, toward a disadvantaged group of people, or be experienced only briefly in response to someone's short-lived misfortune. Feelings of compassion also vary in form: A person may simply feel concern for another, or she may experience a ‘more complex set of emotions, for instance, simultaneously feeling concern as ‘well as indignation on the person’s behalf, or guilt at not having done more to prevent his distress (Clark, 1997). ‘Compassionate feelings resemble empathic concern (Batson, 1994; Davis, 1983) in which a person imagines or feels the condition of the person in pain ‘or suffering. Nussbaum (2001, p. 327) talks of “the imaginative reconstruction ofthe experience ofthe sufferer,” which allows someone to get a sense of whatit ‘means for a person to suffer, and to connect himself to that person's situation. ‘and prospects. These feelings also involve “taking the altitude” of the other per- son (Mead, 1962, p. 366; Shott, 1979), seeing the situation from her perspective, and taking her role (Clark, 1997). To feel empathic concem, we must there- fore be able to appreciate the suffering person's pain from his or her perspec- tive, Noticing another’s pain does not, however, inevitably lead to the feeling ‘of compassion: itis possible to acknowledge that a person is suffering, but feel nothing for her, or even feel that she deserves what has happened (Lerner, 1980), RESPONDIN( In addition to connecting those who feel empathic concern with those who suffer the experience of compassion also moves those feeling the concern to act toward casing or eliminating the other's suffering (Reich, 1989; von Dietze & Orb, 2000). As Rinpoche (1992) explains, S16 AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST [compassion] isnot simply sense of sympathy or caring forthe person suffering, not simply a warmth of heart toward the person before you, ora sharp recognition ‘of their needs and pain, i is also a sustained and practical determination to do watever is possible and necessary to help alleviate ther sutfering.(p. 187) ‘Compassion is thus an empathic emotional response elicited by another per- son’s suffering that moves people to act in a way that will ease the person's anguish or make it more tolerable (Frost etal, 2000; Reich, 1989). ‘We introduce the term compassionate responding to refer to any action or

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