Assessing differences in workplace relational compassion between religious and non-religious employees

Purpose The present study examines relational compassion, defined as the perception of compassion exhibited by others towards others in the context of workers' industry type. Relational compassion is an understudied social phenomenon, and little is known about its mechanisms or foundations in organizational contexts. Accordingly, we examine differences in relational compassion between religious and non-religious employees within four major industry groups: Private Sector, Non-Profit, Government and Healthcare. Design/methodology/approach The direct and interaction effects of religiosity and industry type on relational compassion are examined in order to gain insights on how affiliation is associated with relational compassion. To accomplish this, generalized linear models are applied to examine differences between two groups, one identifying as religious, the other identifying as non-religious in order to determine how religiosity and industry are associated with relational compassion scores from respondents from four major industry categories. Findings Significant differences in relational compassion between religious and non-religious groups were found. Specifically, religiously affiliated respondents identifying as private sector and non-profit workers are found to have significantly more relational compassion than non-religiously affiliated employees in the same industry groups. Originality/value These results suggest that religiosity and industry group affiliation interact and can have notable effects on employee relational compassion.