Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T16:50:28.719Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cultivating organizational compassion in healthcare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2019

Ace Volkmann Simpson Open the ORCID record for Ace Volkmann Simpson [Opens in a new window] ,
Ben Farr-Wharton  and
Prasuna Reddy
Ace Volkmann Simpson*
Affiliation:
Brunel Business School, Brunel University, London
Ben Farr-Wharton
Affiliation:
School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Australia
Prasuna Reddy
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: ace.simpson@brunel.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The compassion of healthcare workers towards patients is widely recognized, but research suggests a dearth of compassion among co-workers. Indeed, workplace bullying and negative employee outcomes are over-represented in the healthcare sector (including burnout and substantial staff turnover). In this paper, we discuss the cultivation of compassion for healthcare workers, using the lens of positive organizational scholarship. Our concern is not only with the individual level compassion (i.e. between employees), we also consider how compassion can be cultivated systemically across healthcare institutions at the organizational level. More specifically, we present a proposed Noticing, Empathising, Assessing and Responding Mechanisms Model of Organizational Compassion as a tool for consciously cultivating workplace compassion in healthcare organizations.

Keywords

group dynamicshealthcare managementhealth and wellnesspositive organizational scholarship (POS)
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 26 , Special Issue 3: Positive Organisational Scholarship in Healthcare (POSH) , May 2020 , pp. 340 - 354
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allen, B. C., Holland, P., & Reynolds, R. (2015). The effect of bullying on burnout in nurses: The moderating role of psychological detachment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(2), 381–390.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Araújo, M. L., Simpson, A. V., Marujo, H. A., & Miguel, L. P. (2019). Selfless and strategic, interpersonal and institutional: A continuum of paradoxical organizational compassion dimensions. Journal of Political Power, 12(1), 16–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Askew, D. A., Schluter, P. J., Dick, M.-L., Régo, P. M., Turner, C., & Wilkinson, D. (2012). Bullying in the Australian medical workforce: Cross-sectional data from an Australian e-Cohort study. Australian Health Review, 36(2), 197–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Atkinson, V., & Jones, C. (2018). Endemic unprofessional behaviour in health care: The mandate for a change in approach. Medical Journal of Australia, 209(9), 380–381.Google Scholar
Boyatzis, R. E., Smith, M. L., & Blaize, N. (2006). Developing sustainable leaders through coaching and compassion. The Academy of Management Learning and Education, 5(1), 8–24.Google Scholar
Bradshaw, A. (2009). Measuring nursing care and compassion: The McDonaldised nurse? Journal of Medical Ethics, 35(8), 465–468.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brunetto, Y., Xerri, M., Trinchero, E., Farr-Wharton, R., Shacklock, K., & Borgonovi, E. (2016). Public–private sector comparisons of nurses’ work harassment using Set: Italy and Australia. Public Management Review, 18(10), 1479–1503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cameron, K. S., Bright, D., & Caza, A. (2004). Exploring the relationships between organizational virtuousness and performance. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(6), 766–790.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cameron, K. S., Dutton, J. E., & Quinn, R. E. (2003). Foundations of positive organizational scholarship. In Cameron, K. S., Dutton, J. E., & Quinn, R. E. (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline (pp. 3–13). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.Google Scholar
Cameron, K. S., Mora, C., Leutscher, T., & Calarco, M. (2011). Effects of positive practices on organizational effectiveness. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 47(3), 266–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cameron, K. S., & Spreitzer, G. M. (2012). The Oxford handbook of positive organizational scholarship. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Christakis, N. A. (2004). Social networks and collateral health effects. British Medical Journal, 329, 184–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cornwell, J., & Goodrich, J. (2009). Exploring how to ensure compassionate care in hospital to improve patient experience. Nursing Times, 105(15), 14–16.Google ScholarPubMed
Crawford, P., Gilbert, P., Gilbert, J., Gale, C., & Harvey, K. (2013). The language of compassion in acute mental health care. Qualitative Health Research, 23(6), 719–727.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crossan, M., Mazutis, D., & Seijts, G. (2013). In search of virtue: The role of virtues, values and character strengths in ethical decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(4), 567–581.Google Scholar
Cunha, M. P., Rego, A., Simpson, A. V., & Clegg, S. (2019). Positive organizational behaviour: Management as a force for good. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Cunha, M. P. E., Simpson, A. V., Clegg, S. R., & Rego, A. (2018). Speak! paradoxical effects of a managerial culture of ‘Speaking Up’. British Journal of Management. published online ahead of print.Google Scholar
Czarniawska, B., & Joerges, B. C. (1997). Narrating the organization: Dramas of institutional identity. London and Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Danos, T., & Daly, F. (2018). More compassion and empathy will improve our health system. Sydney Morning Herald. June 6, Online. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/more-compassion-and-empathy-will-improve-our-health-system-20180606-p4zjty.html.Google Scholar
Department of Health. (2010). The NHS constitution. London: The Stationary Office.Google Scholar
Dover, P. A., & Dierk, U. (2010). The ambidextrous organization: Integrating managers, entrepreneurs and leaders. Journal of Business Strategy, 31(5), 49–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutton, J. E., Frost, P., Worline, M. C., Lilius, J. M., & Kanov, J. M. (2002). Leading in times of trauma. Harvard Business Review, 80(1), 54–61.Google ScholarPubMed
Dutton, J. E., Lilius, J. M., & Kanov, J. M. (2007). The transformative potential of compassion at work. In Piderit, S. K., Fry, R. E., & Cooperrider, D. L. (Eds.), Handbook of transformative cooperation: New designs and dynamics (pp. 107–124). Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Dutton, J. E., & Workman, K. M. (2011). Compassion as a generative force. Journal of Management Inquiry, 20(4), 402–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutton, J. E., Workman, K. M., & Hardin, A. E. (2014). Compassion at work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 277–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutton, J. E., Worline, M. C., Frost, P. J., & Lilius, J. (2006). Explaining compassion organizing. Administrative Science Quarterly, 51(1), 59–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dzurec, L. C. (2013). Status limbo: Analysis of nurse faculty member reports of administrator response to workplace bullying complaints. Journal of Professional Nursing, 29(5), e1–e9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edmondson, A. C. (1996). Learning from mistakes is easier said than done: Group and organizational influences on the detection and correction of human error. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 32(1), 5–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eley, R., Eley, D., & Rogers-Clark, C. (2010). Reasons for entering and leaving nursing: An Australian regional study. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28(1), 6–12.Google Scholar
Eurofound. (2015). First findings: Sixth European Working Conditions Survey. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document/ef1568en.pdf.Google Scholar
European Agency for Health and Safety at Work [EU-OSHA]. (2009). Workplace violence and harassment: A European picture. European Risk Observatory Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.Google Scholar
Faust, H. S. (2009). Kindness, not compassion, in healthcare. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 18(3), 287–299.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feldman, M. S., & Pentland, B. T. (2003). Reconceptualizing organizational routines as a source of flexibility and change. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48(1), 94–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Figley, C. R. (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. London: Brunner-Routledge.Google Scholar
Figley, C. R. (2002). Compassion fatigue: Psychotherapists' chronic lack of self care. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(11), 1433–1441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Firth-Cozens, J., & Cornwell, J. (2009). The point of care: Enabling compassionate care in acute hospital settings. London: The Kings Fund.Google Scholar
Francis, R. (2010). Independent inquiry into care provided by mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust January 2005-March 2009 (Vol. 1 and 2): London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Freshman, B., & Rubino, L. (2004). Emotional intelligence skills for maintaining social networks in healthcare organizations. Hospital Topics, 82(3), 2–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frost, P. J., Dutton, J. E., Worline, M. C., & Wilson, A. (2000). Narratives of compassion in organizations. In Fineman, S. (Ed.), Emotions in organizations (pp. 25–45). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Gallagher, A. (2013). Compassion conundrums London, England: Sage Publications Sage UK.Google Scholar
Gillen, P. A., Sinclair, M., Kernohan, W. G., Begley, C. M., & Luyben, A. G. (2017). Interventions for prevention of bullying in the workplace. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD009778(1), 1–67.Google Scholar
Groves, P. S., Meisenbach, R. J., & Scott-Cawiezell, J. (2011). Keeping patients safe in healthcare organizations: A structuration theory of safety culture. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(8), 1846–1855.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hallowell, E. M. (1999). The human moment at work. Harvard business review. (January-February), 1–8.Google ScholarPubMed
Huppert, F. A. (2017). Mindfulness and compassion as foundations for well-being. In White, M. A., Slemp, G. R., & Murray, A. S. (Eds.), Future directions in well-being: Education, organizations and policy (pp. 225–233). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iannotti, R. J. (1978). Effect of role-taking experiences on role taking, empathy, altruism, and aggression. Developmental Psychology, 14(2), 119–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jeffrey, D. (2016). Empathy, sympathy and compassion in healthcare: Is there a problem? Is there a difference? Does it matter? Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 109(12), 446–452.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kamel Boulos, M. N., & Wheeler, S. (2007). The emerging Web 2.0 social software: An enabling suite of sociable technologies in health and health care education 1. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 24(1), 2–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kanov, J. M., Maitlis, S., Worline, M. C., Dutton, J. E., Frost, P. J., & Lilius, J. M. (2004). Compassion in organizational life. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(6), 808–827.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations (Vol. 2). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Kilduff, M., & Tsai, W. (2003). Social networks and organizations. London: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lilius, J. M., Worline, M. C., Dutton, J. E., Kanov, J. M., & Maitlis, S. (2011). Understanding compassion capability. Human Relations, 64(7), 873–899.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lilius, J. M., Worline, M. C., Maitlis, S., Kanov, J. M., Dutton, J. E., & Frost, P. J. (2008). The contours and consequences of compassion at work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(2), 193–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lutgen-Sandvik, P., & Tracy, S. J. (2012). Answering five key questions about workplace bullying: How communication scholarship provides thought leadership for transforming abuse at work. Management Communication Quarterly, 26(1), 3–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meltzer, D., Chung, J., Khalili, P., Marlow, E., Arora, V., Schumock, G., & Burt, R. (2010). Exploring the use of social network methods in designing healthcare quality improvement teams. Social Science & Medicine, 71(6), 1119–1130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Powley, E. H., & Cameron, K. S. (2006). Organizational healing: Lived virtuousness amidst organizational crisis. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 3(1-2), 13–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sabo, B. M. (2006). Compassion fatigue and nursing work: Can we accurately capture the consequences of caring work? International Journal of Nursing Practice, 12(3), 136–142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schein, E. H. (1984). Coming to a new awareness of organizational culture. Sloan Management Review, 25(2), 3–16.Google Scholar
Sheehan, M. (1999). Workplace bullying: Responding with some emotional intelligence. International Journal of Manpower, 20(1/2), 57–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverman, W. A. (2004). Compassion or opportunism? Pediatrics, 113(2), 402–403.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simpson, A. V., & Berti, M. (2019). Transcending organizational compassion paradoxes by enacting wise compassion courageously. Journal of Management Inquiry, Published online ahead of print.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. V., Clegg, S., & Cunha, M. P. (2013). Expressing compassion in the face of crisis: Organizational practices in the aftermath of the Brisbane floods of 2011. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 21(2), 115–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. V., Cunha, M. P., & Clegg, S. (2015). Hybridity, sociomateriality and compassion: What happens when a river floods and a city's organizations respond? Scandinavian Journal of Management, 31(3), 375–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. V., Cunha, M. P., & Rego, A. (2015). Compassion in the context of capitalistic organizations: Evidence from the 2011 Brisbane floods. Journal of Business Ethics, 130(3), 683–703.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. V., & Farr-Wharton, B. (2017). NEAR Organizational Compassion Scale: validity, reliability and correlations. Paper presented at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM), RMIT, Melbourne Australia.Google Scholar
Sinclair, S., Hack, T. F., Raffin-Bouchal, S., McClement, S., Stajduhar, K., Singh, P., & Chochinov, H. M. (2018). What are healthcare providers’ understandings and experiences of compassion? The healthcare compassion model: A grounded theory study of healthcare providers in Canada. BMJ Open, 8(3), e019701.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, W. K., & Lewis, M. W. (2012). Leadership skills for managing paradoxes. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 5(2), 227–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sprang, G., Clark, J. J., & Whitt-Woosley, A. (2007). Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout: Factors impacting a professional's quality of life. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12(3), 259–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Straughair, C. (2012a). Exploring compassion: Implications for contemporary nursing. Part 1. British Journal of Nursing, 21(3), 160–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Straughair, C. (2012b). Exploring compassion: Implications for contemporary nursing. Part 2. British Journal of Nursing, 21(4), 239–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Kleef, G. A., Oveis, C., Van der Lowe, I., LuoKogan, A., Goetz, J., & Keltner, D. (2008). Power, distress, and compassion. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1315–1322.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Way, D., & Tracy, S. J. (2012). Conceptualizing compassion as recognizing, relating and (re) acting: A qualitative study of compassionate communication at hospice. Communication Monographs, 79(3), 292–315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
World Health Organization. (2008). Best practice in workplace violence and bullying interventions Occupational Health and Safety Publications, 10.Google Scholar
Worline, M., & Dutton, J. E. (2017). Awakening compassion at work: The quiet power that elevates people and organizations. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.Google Scholar
Zhang, S.-E., Liu, W., Wang, J., Shi, Y., Xie, F., Cang, S., & Fan, L. (2018). Impact of workplace violence and compassionate behaviour in hospitals on stress, sleep quality and subjective health status among Chinese nurses: A cross-sectional survey. BMJ open, 8(10), e019373.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed