Lessons from Social Entrepreneurship: Compassion in Action
In the past couple of years, there has been a growing focus on embedding compassion within workplaces. Compassion is now recognised as a transformative force that not only improves individual well-being but also enhances organisational performance and resilience. Studies across fields highlight that compassion brings substantial benefits, from reducing stress and burnout to strengthening relationships and enhancing overall health.
Previous research shows that compassion both, showing as well as receiving compassion, has wide-ranging benefits for individuals, communities, and organisations. In healthcare, compassionate interactions are shown to significantly reduce burnout rates for both caregivers and patients. Beyond healthcare, acts of kindness and compassion are linked to physical health improvements, such as reduced cardiovascular risks, enhanced cognitive function, and even pain relief. Individuals who consistently practice compassionate behaviours often report greater happiness, resilience, and stronger relationships.
In organisational settings, a compassionate culture promotes employee well-being, reduces stress-related health costs, and lowers turnover rates. Compassionate leadership fosters higher levels of engagement, stronger interpersonal connections, and increased productivity. Organisations that prioritise compassion tend to see additional benefits, including better customer service, reduced absenteeism, and ultimately, a stronger financial performance.
Research suggests that when compassion becomes part of a workplace’s culture, it not only supports individual health but also cultivates a connected and supportive environment, ultimately driving organisational success.
But what exactly is compassion? Definitions range from “a strong feeling of sadness” to a “prosocial emotion” characterised by sensitivity toward others’ suffering and a desire to help. However, these descriptions often reduce compassion to a fleeting emotion. Is it enough for compassion to remain just an emotion?
In our experience, true compassion is far more complex. For compassion to yield the full range of benefits observed in research, it must be more than a feeling; it needs to be a catalyst for action, resilience, and meaningful connection.
At the Social Enterprise Academy, we have seen compassion in action through the work of young people who establish social enterprises as part of our Social Enterprise Schools Programme. These students not only learn about social entrepreneurship but actively apply compassion to address real-world issues, often driven by personal encounters with those in need. Social enterprises, by their very nature, focus on solving social and environmental issues through sustainable business models, making them powerful examples of compassion in action.
The journey to launch a social enterprise is complex and demanding. Successful social entrepreneurs are clear about their purpose, driven by a desire to alleviate pain, address planetary concerns, and make the world a better place. Compassion is central to this motivation. Social entrepreneurship responds to the unmet needs of society, embodying a compassionate response to those left behind by traditional markets and services. Hence, if you really want to know what compassion means, go and ask a social entrepreneur!
Genuine Interest: The Heart of Compassion
One of the critical insights we have gained from the social entrepreneurs is that compassion requires genuine interest. While compassion can start as a prosocial emotion, it must be accompanied by a deep, lasting commitment to make a meaningful impact. True compassion asks us to reflect: What issues do we genuinely care about, and what are we willing to commit to?
Consider the story of Harris, a student from Lambert High School in Falkirk, who participated in Social Enterprise Schools in 2023. Harris and his classmates launched a social enterprise selling items like jumpers, tote bags, and water bottles, with profits directed toward supporting homeless individuals. Harris was motivated by a personal interaction with a homeless man who confided in him about the loneliness and isolation he faced. For Harris, this encounter was transformative, moving him to pledge to do something meaningful. This compassion—rooted in genuine connection and interest—drove Harris to create a project aimed at supporting his local community’s most vulnerable.
Compassion Requires Action
A second critical insight from our work with young people is that compassion must lead to action. Compassionate thoughts or feelings alone are insufficient; it is through purposeful action that compassion yields benefits for both the giver and receiver. When young people translate their compassionate feelings into tangible initiatives—like a social enterprise—they bring their empathy to life, driving positive change within their communities.
Building a Compassionate Future
The future we aim for is one in which compassion is an integral part of our communities, workplaces, and institutions. Achieving this vision requires a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach that involves everyone, from leaders to individual contributors. Our work continually demonstrates that compassionate actions can transform lives, strengthen communities, and create better workplaces and societies for all. We encourage you to consider compassion as a powerful catalyst for change and, in true Social Enterprise Academy, invite you to reflect on:
What do you care about? And what are you going to do about it?