Abstract
This study sets out to reveal recipients’ perceptions of empathy in interpersonal communication processes in organisations. Thereby, the goal is to highlight empathy’s relevance for promoting and valuing cooperation and well-being in today’s diverse and rapidly changing work environment. Following an exploratory approach, semi-structured interviews considering 20 everyday work situations were conducted. In order to analyse the interviews, the study applies qualitative content analysis using deductive-inductive category formation. The study identifies seven main categories with underlying statements relevant to empathy recipients. Results show that recipients appreciate the experience of receiving empathy, which leads to an improvement in daily interactions. Likewise, the interviewees outline measures that can be used to help individuals receive empathy. To date, these efforts seem to have been rarely put into practice. However, in-depth knowledge of the recipients’ perspective is essential to get a holistic understanding of empathy and its implications in the professional context. By focusing exclusively on the empathy recipients’ perspective, this study makes an innovative contribution to current research and enriches the picture of empathy perception in the professional context, paving the way for an improvement in interpersonal communication in organisations, while, at the same time, offering valuable solutions for present-day challenges, such as uncertainties due to Covid-19.
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Notes
- 1.
As the interviews were conducted in German, the direct quotations given in this paper are verbatim translations by the authors.
- 2.
I10 experienced PoE and LoE situations in different employment relationships. Therefore, a distinction is made between LoE and PoE for department affiliation and branch affiliation, respectively.
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Muss, C., Fürstenau, B. (2023). Recipients’ Views on Empathy in Everyday Work Communication—Insights from an Exploratory Interview Study. In: Schmidt, C.M., Heinemann, S., Banholzer, V.M., Nielsen, M., Siems, F.U. (eds) Soziale Themen in Unternehmens- und Wirtschaftskommunikation. Europäische Kulturen in der Wirtschaftskommunikation, vol 35. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-40705-6_15
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