Desperately seeking kindness : an epistemological paradigmatic adventure

Abstract

This thesis studies the concept of kindness. The study of kindness is limited in management and organizational studies and this research problematizes the concept of kindness, shows how kindness research is represented in other academic fields and offers ways forward to understand and engage in new thinking on kindness as a concept for individuals at work and for organizations. <br> To expand understanding of kindness at work, thirty-two public servants in Nova Scotia were interviewed. Using Weick’s (1995) sensemaking properties these workers’ understandings of and resistance to the concept of kindness were analyzed. From this analysis, themes were built to take these individual conceptualizations of kindness and engage with the theories and theorists of Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) paradigmatic framework. This research allows us to better understand barriers to kindness and offers ways for organizations to get to work on integrating the concept of kindness within their workplace. <br> Key contributions of this research include: A unique methodological approach of fusing Weick’s (1995) sensemaking properties and Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) paradigms leading to multiple understandings of the same phenomena. <br> The ontological and epistemological perspectives of kindness interpreted through the four paradigms of Burrell and Morgan contributing to kindness theorizing in organization and management studies. <br> Exploration of kindness as an expression of <i>love in action</i> and its potential impact on psychological health and safety and employee well-being through greater understanding of individual, relational and organizational enactment of the concept of kindness.