PREDICTORS OF EMPATHIC ABILITY IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING: A RESEARCH NOTE

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between selected context variables and empathic ability. The specific purpose was to determine the relative strengths of association between intimacy, status difference, trust, and empathic ability. A correlational analysis was applied to the data collected from 29 pairs of supervisors and subordinates in a Denver financial organization. Results indicated that trust was the context variable most strongly associated with empathic ability. Intimacy and status difference were only slightly related to empathic ability. Discussion centered on the implications of the inverse relationship between trust and empathic ability.