TY - JOUR
T1 - Conceptualizing Empathy Competence
T2 - A Professional Communication Perspective
AU - Fuller, Melissa
AU - Kamans, Elanor
AU - van Vuuren, Mark
AU - Wolfensberger, Marca
AU - de Jong, Menno D.T.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was made possible with the financial support of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, Doctoral Grant for Teachers, under Grant #023.005.094.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021/7/1
Y1 - 2021/7/1
N2 - Empathy competence is considered a key aspect of excellent performance in communication professions. But we lack an overview of the specific knowledge, attitudes, and skills required to develop such competence in professional communication. Through interviews with 35 seasoned communication professionals, this article explores the role and nature of empathy competence in professional interactions. The analysis resulted in a framework that details the skills, knowledge, and attitudinal aspects of empathy; distinguishes five actions through which empathy manifests itself; and sketches relationships of empathy with several auxiliary factors. The framework can be used for professional development, recruitment, and the design of communication education programs.
AB - Empathy competence is considered a key aspect of excellent performance in communication professions. But we lack an overview of the specific knowledge, attitudes, and skills required to develop such competence in professional communication. Through interviews with 35 seasoned communication professionals, this article explores the role and nature of empathy competence in professional interactions. The analysis resulted in a framework that details the skills, knowledge, and attitudinal aspects of empathy; distinguishes five actions through which empathy manifests itself; and sketches relationships of empathy with several auxiliary factors. The framework can be used for professional development, recruitment, and the design of communication education programs.
KW - communication professionals
KW - competencies
KW - empathy
KW - higher education
KW - interpersonal communication
KW - professional communication
KW - UT-Hybrid-D
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102698919&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/10506519211001125
DO - 10.1177/10506519211001125
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85102698919
SN - 1050-6519
VL - 35
SP - 333
EP - 368
JO - Journal of business and technical communication
JF - Journal of business and technical communication
IS - 3
ER -
