The Art of Learning Empathy: Advancing Organizational Ethics Education With the SpaceJam Pedagogical Strategy

Amidst the ethical challenges facing the corporate world, there is an urgent demand for enhanced ethics education in business schools. This article introduces SpaceJam, an innovative pedagogical strategy designed to nurture empathy-an indispensable capacity for guiding ethical decision-making and behavior within organizational settings. Grounded in a pragmatist and humanistic approach to ethics education, SpaceJam offers a holistic strategy that targets the affective, cognitive, and motivational dimensions of empathy as well as ethical reflection. By diversifying learning spaces-encompassing the classroom, home, and community-and employing experiential and art-based methods, this strategy fosters multiple immersive learning experiences and opportunities in diverse contexts. The core of its integrative nature is manifested through the creation of an artistic portfolio, serving as a fourth learning space for students to express, comprehend, and reflect upon their learning journey through creative work. Implemented on three cohorts of students enrolled in a Bachelor of Business Administration program, the strategy was found effective in cultivating empathy and ethical reflection among future business leaders, offering a promising pathway for business schools to meet the imperative need for ethical education.