JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Managing With Empathy: Can You Feel What I Feel?
Author(s): Rebecca L. Somogyi, Aaron A. Buchko, Kathleen J. Buchko
Citation: Rebecca L. Somogyi, Aaron A. Buchko, Kathleen J. Buchko, (2013) "Managing With Empathy: Can You Feel What I Feel?," Journal of Organizational Psychology, Vol. 13, Iss. 1/2, pp. 32 - 42
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
Empathy is the ability “to sense the other’s private world as if it were your own but never losing the ‘as
if’ quality” (Rogers, 1957). We suggest that this ability has been overlooked as a potentially useful
construct for management. We review the literature to provide a conceptual definition of empathy and to
develop an understanding of the effect empathy might have on managerial practice. We develop a
framework for the application of empathy to management, suggesting methods to develop the empathic
abilities of managers in ways that will produce positive organization outcomes. Implications for
researchers and practitioners are discussed.