Enhancing Workplace Well-Being: Integrating Buddhist Appreciative Joy and Positive Empathy for Prosocial Growth
Introduction
This article explores the potential benefits of combining appreciative joy, a concept from Buddhism, with positive empathy, a psychological concept, to promote workplace well-being and foster prosocial growth.
Appreciative joy—one of Buddhism’s four noble truths—encourages cultivating joy for others through meditation.
Positive empathy, as defined in psychology, involves empathizing with others’ positive experiences.
This article reviews two studies examining the distinctions and potential synergies between these concepts in a professional context.
Examining the Relationship Between Appreciative Joy and Positive Empathy
To better understand the connection between these two concepts, Oei and Zeng (2017) formulated three hypotheses:
Appreciative joy is more closely linked to altruism in daily life and meditation-induced prosocial emotions than positive empathy.
Envy would have a stronger negative correlation with appreciative joy than with positive empathy, as they represent opposing responses to another’s emotions.
Appreciative joy would be more strongly connected to subjective well-being due to its association with life satisfaction.
Study 1: Survey-Based Approach
The first study employed an online survey to assess the relationship between appreciative joy, positive empathy, prosociality, social bonding, and daily life experiences.
Key Findings:
Appreciative joy was directly linked to prosocial intentions, whereas positive empathy was not (Zeng et al., 2017).
Envy was strongly associated with appreciative joy, contradicting the second hypothesis.
Since this study relied on self-reported data, a second experimental study was conducted to provide more clarity.
Study 2: Laboratory-Based Experiment
A second study was conducted in a controlled lab environment to directly compare appreciative joy and positive empathy. This approach helped mitigate self-reporting biases and provided deeper insights.
Key Findings:
Appreciative joy tends to generate other-focused emotions, whereas positive empathy elicits emotions similar to those of the target (Zeng et al., 2017).
This distinction supports the idea that appreciative joy and positive empathy, while related, are separate psychological constructs.
Implications for Workplace Well-Being
Integrating appreciative joy and positive empathy in professional settings can create a holistic approach to employee well-being and prosocial workplace growth.
How Organizations Can Apply These Concepts:
Managers and team leaders can encourage practices that cultivate appreciative joy (e.g., mindfulness meditation) to promote a more empathetic and supportive work environment.
Fostering positive empathy can strengthen interpersonal connections, leading to better teamwork and job satisfaction.
Implementing workplace well-being initiatives that incorporate both concepts can enhance employee engagement, reduce stress, and improve overall morale.
Conclusion
By understanding the differences and complementary benefits of appreciative joy and positive empathy, organizations can develop more effective well-being strategies. Encouraging employees to cultivate both mindfulness-based joy and empathic connection may lead to stronger social bonds, greater job satisfaction, and a healthier work environment.
References
Zeng, X., Chan, V. Y. L., Oei, T. P. S., Leung, F. Y. K., & Liu, X. (2017). Appreciative joy in Buddhism and positive empathy in psychology: How do they differ? Mindfulness, 8(5), 1184–1194. https://doi-org.ezproxy.utpb.edu/10.1007/s12671-017-0690-5
Zeng, X., Ran, L., Zhang, R., Oei, T., Yao, Z., Leung, F., & Liu, X. (2016). Development of the Appreciative Joy Scale. Mindfulness. doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0599-4
