Grief at the Work-Life Interface

As recent research shows, grief is an integral part of organizational life as well as the experience which spills over from one domain to another. Nevertheless, we know relatively little about: (1) the processes involved in experiencing life-related and work-related grief, (2) the impact such grief has on a griever as well as their colleagues, (3) what circumstances make this experience lighter or harder, and (4) how colleagues, leaders, and organizations can best help to grieving employees as they move through grief towards recovery. Thus, our symposium includes qualitative and quantitative research that enriches the understanding of the phenomenon of a grieving employee, provides research-based recommendations for organizations in managing and interacting with a grieving colleague, and, therefore, strongly contributes to the Academy of Management’s conference theme “Creating a Better World Together”. The symposium includes five papers showcasing the impact of personal and professional grief on employees’ work and non-work lives. Together with discussion, led by Dr. Sally Maitlis, the papers aim to provide insight into the consequences of grief and mourning for employees, their colleagues, and organizations, build an emerging community of scholars focused on issues related to grief and the work-life interface, and generate a strong program of future academic research. From Grieving to Career Change: How a Personal Grief-Inducing Event Affects Professional Identity Presenter: Lidiia Pletneva; ESSEC Business School Ambivalence in the Early Stages of Compassion: The Relational Process of Noticing Suffering Presenter: Ashley Elizabeth Hardin; Washington U. in St. Louis Presenter: Liza Yasemin Barnes; U. of Colorado, Boulder Presenter: Kristina Marie Workman; Cornell U. Presenter: Kira Franziska Schabram; U. of Washington The Vicious Solitude of Grief in the Work and Non-work Lives of Police Officers Presenter: Kimberly Rocheville; Creighton U. Keeping Mom and Pop Alive: Collective Mourning and Continuity during Rapid Organizational Growth Presenter: Hilary Hoyt Hendricks; U. of Michigan “Fake it till you make it?” On surface acting and depression following the loss of a loved one Presenter: Hadar Freidin; Tel Aviv U. Presenter: Sharon Toker; Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv U.