Three School of Business scholars collaborated, along with a former colleague, on a longitudinal study about the role of empathy in leadership, as perceived among business students. This paper, titled, “Cultivating Empathy: New Perspectives on Educating Business Leaders” is the second in an ongoing research sequence and was published in the Journal of Values-Based Leadership.
Abstract:
In recent years, leadership effectiveness has been examined extensively in connection with relational management as a critical factor for organizational success. Using empirical data, this new study takes a longitudinal view of business students’ perceptions on leadership effectiveness, especially as it relates to the phenomenon of empathy. This article includes an extensive overview of recent developments in the studies of leadership development, builds a case for empathy as an essential component of the business environment, and, based on the findings of the study, offers potential enhancements to the methodology of training business students for future leadership roles.
This paper marks the second point of reporting in an ongoing research project. The first paper in this study, “Empathy in Leadership: Appropriate or Misplaced? An Empirical Study on a Topic that is Asking for Attention” was published in the Journal of Business Ethics in 2012. The authors of the recently published peer-reviewed article are, Dr. Svetlana Holt, Dr. Joan Marques, Dr. Adam Wood, and Dr. Jenny Hu.