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Empathy as an Antecedent of Social Justice Attitudes and Perceptions

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Abstract

At the same time that social justice concerns are on the rise on college campuses, empathy levels among US college students are falling (Konrath et al. 2016). Social injustice resulting from organizational decisions and actions causes profound and unnecessary human suffering, and research to understand antecedents to these decisions and actions lacks attention. Empathy represents a potential tool and critical skill for organizational decision-makers, with empirical evidence linking empathy to moral recognition of ethical situations and greater breadth of understanding of stakeholder impact and improved financial success. This study explores the potential relationship between empathy and social justice, using a multifaceted operationalization of social justice, which includes management actions (corporate social responsibility and socially responsible attitudes) and social sympathies (distributive justice in US society and agreement with the goals of Occupy Wall Street). Results broadly support the positive empathy and social justice relationship and suggest higher education interventions to develop empathy in college business students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608-2089, USA

    Brian G. Whitaker & Jennifer Westerman

  2. Department of Management, Appalachian State University, ASU Box 32089, Boone, NC, 28608-2089, USA

    Matthew Cartabuke, James W. Westerman & Jacqueline Z. Bergman

  3. Managerial Sciences Department, College of Business, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557-0206, USA

    Rafik I. Beekun

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  1. Matthew Cartabuke
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  2. James W. Westerman
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  3. Jacqueline Z. Bergman
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  4. Brian G. Whitaker
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Correspondence to James W. Westerman.

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Cartabuke, M., Westerman, J.W., Bergman, J.Z. et al. Empathy as an Antecedent of Social Justice Attitudes and Perceptions. J Bus Ethics 157, 605–615 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3677-1

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