Chapter 7 Unraveling the Complexities of Empathy Research: A Multi-Level Model of Empathy in Organizations

Purpose Empathy, or the process of feeling or knowing how another feels, is a critical component of social interactions, and may be of particular importance to organizational functioning. This chapter addresses a literature gap on empathy in organizational contexts by providing a review of empathy research in a management setting. Methodology/approach We integrate the developing field of empathy research and provide a conceptual framework built on Ashkanasy’s (2003) five levels of analysis in emotions research, emphasizing within-person, between-person, interpersonal, group-level, and organization-level processes. Findings Our model addresses the complaint that empathy definitions are not consistent by illustrating how the level of analysis alters the view of empathy’s role in organizations. Research implications This multi-level model of empathy provides a framework to identify gaps in the empathy literature and make recommendations for future research. Practical implications This new model of empathy will help practitioners use and understand empathy by providing a structure of how empathy is manifested in organizational settings. Originality/value The field of empathy research has been limited by inconsistent definitions and a lack of a model that outlines how empathy is used in organizations. This multi-level model of empathy provides the necessary framework for researchers and practitioners to advance the research and practice of empathy in organizations.