Social Empathy in the Workplace: Elucidation from the Relationship between Prosocial Voice Intention and Personal Involvement, Workplace Institutions and Supervisor Influence.

This study examines the relationship between employees' experiences, workplace systems and the influence of superiors on their motivation and behavior in relation to pro-social voices. In contemporary Japan, although the position of employees appears to be improving, it cannot be merely recognized that their working environment and rights are guaranteed. In particular, there is a large gap between companies in terms of their awareness regarding improvement of the workplace environment and diversity. Under the circumstances, how can employees in reality exclaim about problems in the workplace?

Employee voices regarding the improvement of workplace issues have traditionally been dealt with from the perspective of VOICE exit. In Japan, due to the stagnation of labor union movements, this framework is rarely used to solve problems at the macro level within organizations. On the other hand, labour mobility has been increasing, and if we focus on this phenomenon, it is possible that the power of employee voice is weakening and that exit alone indicates employee dissent. However, workplace stress and psychological disorders have become social issues, and companies are now obliged to address these issues through human resource management systems. There are aspects of social systems that may address the source of employees’ voice. Do such systems calm employees' dissatisfaction and lead them to silence, or do they increase employees' personal empathy, leading to more voices and awareness of problems?

In this study, the main focus is placed upon employees' willingness to speak for prosocial issues, and the factors influencing it are hypothesized as their own experience, the company's policies on diversity and personnel practices, and the influence of their direct supervisor. I will analyze the outcome of the employee survey to clarify the interrelationships between these factors.