Purpose:
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a communication approach focused on expressing oneself with honesty and empathy while fostering understanding and connection with others. Past research indicates that NVC’s impact on managing conflicts in clinical settings is widely studied. Quantitative evidence of its impact in organizational and family settings remains limited. Building on the concept of Empathy and utilizing Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), this study examines whether NVC training can enhance multidimensional empathy and self-compassion among professionals working in organizations and in families.
 
Methodology:
The interventions involved training participants on the concepts and techniques of Nonviolent Communication by experienced trainers. Using a quasi-experimental retrospective pre-test design, we then analyzed data from 139 participants, comprising a primary corporate cohort (n=120) and a secondary family-focused cohort (n=19). The study utilized IRI to measure empathy sub-scales and the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF) to assess self-compassion.
 
Findings:
The intervention yielded a statistically significant 18.9% increase in Perspective Taking and a 13.4% increase in Self-Compassion. Crucially, the training significantly reduced Personal Distress by 8.8%, suggesting that NVC decouples cognitive understanding from emotional overwhelm. Further analysis revealed that the family cohort – which additionally received one-on-one coaching for all participants – experienced amplified effects (Perspective Taking +26.9%; Personal Distress -17.5%), indicating the value of individualized guidance in empathy training.
 
Implications:
The findings suggest that training employees in NVC equips them to address conflicts effectively without succumbing to burnout.

(This paper was accepted for presentation at the 26th Annual Conference of the European Academy of Management (EURAM 2026) and was presented in the online paper session on 9 June 2026. This record contains the authors' manuscript made available for scholarly dissemination.)