NUS study: Working with animals could result in employees that are more compassionate

New research findings by NUS Business School have shown that employees who work with animals gain an unintended benefit—developing greater compassion, which in turn could lead them to work better with their colleagues.

Led by Associate Professor Sam Yam, Head of the Department of Management & Organisation, the study was published in one of the most prestigious human resource management journals, Personnel Psychology.

The research team conducted three studies: the first with zookeepers from the Mandai Wildlife Group in Singapore, and the second and third with employees who engage in human-animal work in Hong Kong and the United States respectively.

“Our research suggests that working with animals can lead to benefits for both employees and organisations. While the benefits of interacting with animals are well known, we are surprised to be one of the first to study the effects of working alongside them,” remarked Assoc Prof Yam.

For future studies, the research team aims to examine a larger scope of emotional responses, including whether working with animals can bring negative effects.

Read the release and study here.