Mindfulness practice improves managers’ job demands-resources, psychological detachment, work-nonwork boundary control, and work-life balance – a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

PurposeContemporary workplaces undergo frequent reorganizations in order to stay competitive in a working life characterized by globalization, digitalization, economic uncertainty, and ever-increased complexity. Managers are in the frontline of these challenges, leading themselves, organizations and their employees in high stress environments. This raises questions on how to support managers’ work-life sustainability, which is crucial for organizational sustainability. Mindfulness has been related to enhanced capacities to cope with challenges that are associated with organizational change. The authors evaluated short- and long-term effects of an eight-week mindfulness-based intervention in a company setting, which was going through reorganization.Design/methodology/approachForty managers (42.5% males), mean age 54.53 (SD 5.13), were randomized to the mindfulness intervention or a non-active wait-list control. Self-report data were provided on individual sustainability factors in a work context: job demands and resources, psychological detachment, i.e. possibilities for letting go of work-related thoughts during leisure, control over work-nonwork boundaries, work-life balance, and mindfulness at baseline, postintervention, and at 6-month follow-up.FindingsLinear mixed models (LMMs) analysis (all ps < 0.005 to 0.05) showed that the intervention group had a larger decrease in job demands and a smaller decrease in job resources, a larger increase in psychological detachment, work-nonwork boundary control, work-life balance, and mindfulness from baseline to postintervention when compared with the reference group. These initial effects were sustained at 6-month follow-up.Originality/valueThe study provides evidence that mindfulness practice can enhance managers’ long-term capacity to cope with challenging working conditions, and increase their work-life sustainability in times of organizational change and disruption.

Mindfulness in Politics: A Qualitative Study on Mindfulness Training in the UK Parliament

“…The findings in this study broadly correspond with previous research on mindful leadership and mindfulness in the workplace (Donaldson-Feilder et al, 2019 ; Reb et al, 2014 ; Vonderlin et al, 2020 ). For example, studies on mindfulness in the workplace have shown reductions in stress and anxiety following a mindfulness intervention (Brendel et al, 2016 ; Schneider et al, 2010 ; Wasylkiw et al, 2015 ; see also Mellner et al, 2022 ). There is also evidence to suggest that mindfulness training can improve self-regulation, perspective-taking, and helping behavior among individuals in leadership positions (Urrila, 2022 ).…”

The impact of mindfulness on nurses’ perceived professional benefits: the mediating roles of workplace spirituality and work-life balance

“…Mindfulness, as conceptualized by McNall et al (2021) , emphasizes the importance of being fully present in the moment, engaging with current experiences without judgment. By being fully present, individuals can better assess their current needs, both professionally and personally, leading to more informed decisions about time allocation and prioritization ( Thimmapuram et al, 2019 ; Mellner et al, 2022 ). This heightened awareness can also reduce the cognitive rumination about work during personal time, and vice versa, thereby enhancing the quality of experiences in both domains ( Yang and Jo, 2022 ).…”

Organisational Adaptive Leadership Framework Through Systems Thinking

“…A reward system without autonomy and empowerment could lead to micro-management, which would work against the organisational effectiveness of achieving the vision. According to Maran et al [41], autonomy and empowerment are essential to simulate the cognition of the followers by specifying the goals of the followers' actions and their meanings for the overall strategic organisational vision.…”