The psychology of gratitude: Implications for organizations
What’s the state of research on gratitude in organizations? In this paper, we review the latest science, highlighting what we know and what we have yet to learn about how gratitude is experienced and expressed in the workplace.
Fehr, R., Heng, Y. T., & Fulmer, A. 2026. The psychology of gratitude: Implications for organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13. [link]
Witness reactions to leader-directed expressions of gratitude
How do employees feel when they see their coworkers express gratitude to a shared leader? Across multiple studies, we show that employees think more of their coworkers who show gratitude to their leaders, but only if those leaders seem to deserve it.
Fehr, R., Heng, Y. T., Wang, Y., & Guo, Y. 2024. They don’t deserve your thanks! Witness reactions to leader-directed expressions of gratitude. Journal of Applied Psychology. [link]
How self-compassionate reflection influences reactions to interpersonal helping failures
When we try but fail to help a colleague, what impact can self-compassion have? We show that self-compassion improves employees’ self-confidence but reduces their guilt, with mixed implications for future helping efforts.
Heng, Y. T. & Fehr, R. 2022. When you try your best to help but don't succeed: How self-compassionate reflection influences reactions to interpersonal helping failures. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. [link]
Compassion during difficult times: Team compassion behavior, suffering, supervisory dependence, and employee voice during COVID-19
What impact does a compassionate team have in difficult times? During the COVID pandemic, team compassion mitigated employees’ suffering, helping them feel more comfortable voicing their opinions at work.
Wee, E. X. M. & Fehr, R. 2021. Compassion during difficult times: Team compassion behavior, suffering, supervisory dependence, and employee voice during COVID-19. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106: 1805-1820. [link]
The grateful workplace: A multilevel model of gratitude in organizations
What good is gratitude at work? In this theory paper, we argue that gratitude improves outcomes like employee well-being and organizational resilience, and discuss what organizations can do to bring more gratitude into the workplace.
Fehr, R., Fulmer, C. A., Awtrey, E. C., & Miller, J. A. 2017. The grateful workplace: A multilevel model of gratitude in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 42: 361-381. [link]
The road to forgiveness: A meta-analytic synthesis of its situational and dispositional correlates
What are the strongest predictors of forgiveness? In this meta-analysis, we show how underrecognized factors like transgressor intent are particularly crucial to forgiveness.
Fehr, R., Gelfand, M.J., & Nag, M. 2010. The road to forgiveness: A meta-analytic synthesis of its situational and dispositional correlates. Psychological Bulletin, 136: 894-914.
When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims’ self-construals facilitates forgiveness
When do apologies lead to forgiveness? This paper shows that it depends on both the person and what is said. For example, some people prefer offers of compensation, while others prefer expressions of empathy.
Fehr, R. & Gelfand, M. J. 2010. When apologies work: How matching apology components to victims’ self-construals facilitates forgiveness. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 113: 37-50.