Whither compassionate leadership? A systematic review

Sunder Ramachandran (), Sreejith Balasubramanian (), Wayne Fabian James () and Turki Masaeid ()
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Sunder Ramachandran: Abu Dhabi School of Management
Sreejith Balasubramanian: Middlesex University, Dubai Campus
Wayne Fabian James: Abu Dhabi School of Management
Turki Masaeid: Abu Dhabi School of Management

Management Review Quarterly, 2024, vol. 74, issue 3, No 9, 1473-1557

Abstract: Abstract Recent disastrous events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, has amplified the appeal for compassionate leadership in organizations and is viewed as the need of the hour. While compassion is a timeless concept, there appears to be a lack of clarity around the idea of compassionate leadership, and the current understanding appears limited, fragmented, and scattered across the literature. This integrative systematic review of 41 articles during the last 20 years (2002–2021) conceptualizes six critical dimensions of compassionate leadership, namely: empathy; openness and communication; physical, mental health and well-being; inclusiveness; integrity; respect and dignity. These findings enhance our understanding of how organizational leaders can effectively incorporate the dimensions to become compassionate leaders. The review examines how compassionate leadership is defined and understood in the literature, and a contribution in the form of a definition for compassionate leadership is offered. Finally, gaps in the literature are highlighted, offering avenues for future research, along with implications for research, theory, and practice.

Keywords: Compassionate leadership; Compassion; Leadership; Systematic review; Leadership styles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D02 D23 J24 J28 L21 L25 M12 M54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s11301-023-00340-w

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