Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: This thesis studies the concept of kindness. The study of kindness is limited in \nmanagement and organizational studies and this research problematizes the concept of kindness, \nshows how kindness research is represented in other academic fields and offers ways forward to \nunderstand and engage in new thinking on kindness as a concept for individuals at work and for \norganizations. \nTo expand understanding of kindness at work, thirty-two public servants in Nova Scotia \nwere interviewed. Using Weick’s (1995) sensemaking properties these workers’ understandings \nof and resistance to the concept of kindness were analyzed. From this analysis, themes were built \nto take these individual conceptualizations of kindness and engage with the theories and theorists \nof Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) paradigmatic framework. This research allows us to better \nunderstand barriers to kindness and offers ways for organizations to get to work on integrating \nthe concept of kindness within their workplace. \nKey contributions of this research include: A unique methodological approach of fusing \nWeick’s (1995) sensemaking properties and Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) paradigms leading to \nmultiple understandings of the same phenomena. \nThe ontological and epistemological perspectives of kindness interpreted through the four \nparadigms of Burrell and Morgan contributing to kindness theorizing in organization and \nmanagement studies. \nExploration of kindness as an expression of love in action and its potential impact on \npsychological health and safety and employee well-being through greater understanding of \nindividual, relational and organizational enactment of the concept of kindness.
Author: Michelle Thomason
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3196556332