Conceptualizing and Constructing Kindness

Abstract

This chapter offers an overview of the research the author completed for her dissertation. She studied public servants' understanding and enactment of kindness at work. Through the questions she asked and Weick's (1995) sensemaking properties, themes emerged. These themes are explored in the chapter through the voices of the public servants and how kindness is and is not understood in the working lives of the informants. Using a sensemaking approach, the author illustrates the multitude of meanings workers have of kindness. Finally, the chapter considers how kindness in management and organizational studies can move beyond theory and engage in meaningful practice to support the health and well-being of employees.

Citation

Thomason, M. (2022), "Conceptualizing and Constructing Kindness", Thomason, M. (Ed.) Kindness in Management and Organizational Studies (Kindness at Work), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 171-186. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-157-020221012