The influence of kindness on academics' identity, well-being and stress

Abstract

The well-being of people working and studying in higher education, including students, staff, and faculty, is a topic of increasing concern. The lack of well-being may be attributed to the current academic context, which does not consistently provide cues that affirm social inclusion to all members of the academic population. This study examines the role of kindness (defined as actions that affirm dignity and social inclusion) in promoting identification with community and well-being in higher education utilizing a cross-sectional study of 182 diverse members of higher education. To assess the extent that kindness relates to the acquisition of institutional identity, well-being, and stress, we developed and validated two novel psychometric rating scales for kindness: Kindness Received (α = 0.927, ω = .921) and Kindness Given (α = .859, ω = .860). Initial analysis showed that receiving kindness was significantly associated with increased well-being, reduced stress, and improved institutional identity. Giving kindness was significantly associated with decreased stress reduction and decreased institutional identity. Results from structural equation modeling shows that institutional identity mediates the relationship between receiving kindness and well-being. Qualitative analysis of micronarratives regarding kindness showed that feeling safe and being acknowledged are the most commonly described experiences of kindness, both acts that affirm dignity. The findings from this study suggests that kindness contributes towards improving diverse people's well-being and increased identification with institutions of higher education. Measurement of kindness provides methods for assessing institutional changes that foster greater positivity and inclusion in higher education settings.