Working with stigma: the buffering role of self-compassion

Occupational stigma is often viewed as challenging. Though researchers have proposed several coping strategies, empirical testing on their effectiveness is still insufficient. Focusing on occupational stigma’s negative social evaluation challenges and based on compassion theory, we propose that self-compassion can prompt individuals to craft their stigmatized job cognitively. Specifically, for individuals with higher self-compassion, the negative influence of occupational stigma on cognitive crafting will be weaker. Further, cognitive crafting is positively related to job engagement. Results from a time-lagged field study with 284 employees and their paired 99 leaders supported our hypotheses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.