Abstract
A peer support program in which students voluntarily help other students on campus is gaining popularity in many Japanese universities. However, partly because of the top-down approach adopted by universities in order to introduce the system, students sometimes do not have sufficient empathic feelings toward other students. By referring to the research on organizational citizenship behavior and customer voluntary performance, this study examined whether or not students' satisfaction and diligence influenced empathy toward other students. A comparison of structural equation models revealed that these two antecedents independently affected students' empathy for other students. Further, this study discussed some implications of improving students' empathy for other students.
