Cross-cultural Compassion

This entry conceptualises cross-cultural compassion as the ability to develop deep, authentic, and genuine emotional bonds, contrasting it with instrumental and task-oriented work relationships across cultures. Unlike empathy, which has a longer research tradition, compassion involves not only the ability to put oneself in the shoes of others but also going further to initiate action to alleviate suffering. Hence, empathy is seen as a precursor to compassion, with the former encompassing shared positive and negative feelings, while the latter focuses on alleviating another’s suffering through action. The discussion also addresses cultural variations in understanding and practicing compassion, emphasising its significance in multinational enterprises. Ultimately, compassion is viewed as a universal force with potential positive impacts on organisational culture and leadership in a globalised business environment.