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Researchers at business schools are investigating how compassion in the workplace can create a happier and more productive environment. They are examining situations where workers experienced inspiration and productivity, in order to understand how those conditions arose. If they can gain that knowledge, the hope is they can apply it to many organizations and help them function better.
Focusing on what is effective within a culture for behavior change is known as positive deviance. There are groups living and working within society that do not follow the norms, and yet are more successful. One of the fascinating aspects of positive deviance is that it was born out of feeding people in a healthier way.
The first use of positive deviance to address a real world problem helped malnourished children in Vietnam. In fact, about 64% of children in some villages were malnourished. However, there were other villagers whose children were not malnourished. They had created their own diet using the same local foods that were available, and their changes made it healthier. Once the positive deviance researchers identified this healthier diet, they were able to share it with the other villagers and malnutrition dropped by 85% in their children.
Sometimes workers in organizations also change the way they do things or interact, in positive ways. They may not label these changes as positive deviance, but they figure out better ways of functioning.
"It has profound effects on the individuals and organizations that partake and benefit from such activities," said Gretchen Spreitzer, a professor at the University of Michigan business school. (Source: Univ. of Michigan)
Another professor at the same business school has been conducting research that has shown compassion in the workplace could be helpful in generating happiness and more dedication to the organization. (In some workplaces compassionate behavior would be considered positive deviance, because it is not the accepted norm.)
"We found that employees who’d experienced compassion at work saw themselves, their co-workers, and the organization in a more positive light,” said Jane Dutton. (Source: Greater Good)
Compassion can also be exercised by managers towards their employees. Research conducted by Thomas Wright at the University of Nevada found 10% to 25% of an employee's performance is related to their psychological well-being.
Just like the different diet that fed the healthier village children, it may turn out compassion in the office is one of the things that feeds happier workers.
Image Credit: Ismoon, Wiki Commons
