Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T21:40:19.732Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Minding the Mechanisms: A Discussion of How Mindfulness Leads to Positive Outcomes at Work

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2015

Dexter Miksch ,
Meghan I. H. Lindeman  and
Lebena Varghese
Dexter Miksch*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University
Meghan I. H. Lindeman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University
Lebena Varghese
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dexter Miksch, Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Hyland, Lee, and Mills (2015) asserted that the many benefits of mindfulness practices have been underutilized and understudied at work. We agree with the focal article's stance that more research is needed on mindfulness at work. We extend this argument to include a request that future research pays attention to the mechanisms responsible for the effects of mindfulness at work. In this commentary, we (a) briefly discuss the practical importance of understanding the mechanisms by which mindfulness practices lead to positive outcomes, (b) outline the mediating mechanisms proposed by the leading theoretical model of mindfulness effects and how those mediators apply to work, and (c) argue that more rigorous, empirical research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which mindfulness practices lead to positive work outcomes.

Type
Commentaries
Information
Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , December 2015 , pp. 620 - 629
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashford, S., & Tsui, A. (1991). Self-regulation for managerial effectiveness: The role of active feedback seeking. Academy of Management Journal, 34 (2), 251–280. doi:10.2307/256442CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atwater, L., & Yammarino, F. (1992). Does self–other agreement on leadership perceptions moderate the validity of leadership and performance predictions? Personnel Psychology, 45 (1), 141–164. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.1992.tb00848.xGoogle Scholar
Baer, R. A., Walsh, E., & Lykins, E. L. (2009). Assessment of mindfulness. In Didonna, F. (Ed.), Clinical handbook of mindfulness (pp. 153–168). New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-09593-6_10Google Scholar
Bishop, S., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N., & Carmody, J., . . . Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11 (3), 230–241. doi:10.1093/clipsy.bph077Google Scholar
Boruch, R. F. (1997). Randomized experiments for planning and evaluation: A practical guide (Vol. 44). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Buddhaghosa, B. (1991). The path of purification (Visuddhimagga). Onalaska, WA: Buddhist Publication Society Pariyatti Editions.Google Scholar
Carmody, J. (2009). Evolving conceptions of mindfulness in clinical settings. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 23 (3), 270–280. doi:10.1891/0889-8391.23.3.270CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carmody, J., Baer, R. A., Lykins, E. L. B., & Olendzki, N. (2009). An empirical study of the mechanisms of mindfulness in a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65 (6), 613–626. doi:10.1002/jclp.20579Google Scholar
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (2004). Self-regulation of action and affect. In Vohs, K. D. & Baumeister, R. F. (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (2nd ed., pp. 13–39). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Chiesa, A., & Malinowski, P. (2011). Mindfulness-based approaches: Are they all the same? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67 (4), 404–424.Google Scholar
Cook, T. D., & Shadish, W. R. (1994). Social experiments: Some developments over the past fifteen years. Annual Review of Psychology, 45 (1), 545–580. doi:10.1146/annurev.ps.45.020194.002553CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Decety, J., & Chaminade, T. (2003). When the self represents the other: A new cognitive neuroscience view on psychological identification. Consciousness and Cognition, 12 (4), 577–596. doi:10.1016/S1053-8100(03)00076-XGoogle Scholar
de Greck, M., Wang, G., Yang, X., Wang, X., Northoff, G., & Han, S. (2012). Neural substrates underlying intentional empathy. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7 (2), 135–144. doi:10.1093/scan/nsq093CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eisenberg, N., Eggum, N. D., & Di Giunta, L. (2010). Empathy‐related responding: Associations with prosocial behavior, aggression, and intergroup relations. Social Issues and Policy Review, 4 (2), 143–180. doi:10.1111/j.1751-2409.2010.01020.xGoogle Scholar
Fan, Y., Duncan, N. W., de Greck, M., & Northoff, G. (2011). Is there a core neural network in empathy? An fMRI based quantitative meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35 (3), 903–911. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.10.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fiori, F., David, N., & Aglioti, S. M. (2014). Processing of proprioceptive and vestibular body signals and self-transcendence in Ashtanga yoga practitioners. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8 (1). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00734Google Scholar
Gino, F., Schweitzer, M. E., Mead, N. L., & Ariely, D. (2011). Unable to resist temptation: How self-control depletion promotes unethical behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 115 (2), 191–203. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.03.001Google Scholar
Goleman, D. (1996). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Learning, 24 (6), 49–50.Google Scholar
Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 37, 1–12. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.006Google Scholar
Gunaratana, H. (2011). Mindfulness in plain English. Boston, MA: Wisdom.Google Scholar
Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6 (6), 537–559. doi:10.1177/1745691611419671CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hyland, P. K., Lee, R. A., & Mills, M. J. (2015). Mindfulness at work: A new approach to improving individual and organizational performance. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 8 (4), 576–602.Google Scholar
Jameison, K., & Dinan, T. G. (2001). Glucocorticoids and cognitive function: From physiology to pathophysiology. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 16 (4), 293–302. doi:10.1002/hup.304CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Judge, T., & Bono, J. (2001). Relationship of core self-evaluations traits—self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability—with job satisfaction and job performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86 (1), 80–92. doi:10.1037//0021-9010.86.1.80CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Some reflections on the origins of MBSR, skillful means, and the trouble with maps. Contemporary Buddhism, 12 (1), 281–306. doi:0.1080/14639947.2011.564844Google Scholar
Khalsa, S. S., Rudrauf, D., Damasio, A. R., Davidson, R. J., Lutz, A., & Tranel, D. (2008). Interoceptive awareness in experienced meditators. Psychophysiology, 45 (4), 671–677. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2008.00666.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kinser, P. A., & Robins, J. L. (2013). Control group design: Enhancing rigor in research of mind-body therapies for depression. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 1–10. doi:10.1155/2013/140467Google Scholar
Klatt, M. D., Buckworth, J., & Malarkey, W. B. (2008). Effects of low-dose mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR-ld) on working adults. Health Education & Behavior, 42 (3), 1–14. doi:10.1177/1090198108317627Google Scholar
Koole, S. L., Van Dillen, L. F., & Sheppes, G. (2011). The self-regulation of emotion. In Vohs, K. D. & Baumeister, R. F. (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory, and applications (2nd ed., pp. 22–40). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Laible, D., Carlo, G., & Roesch, S. (2004). Pathways to self-esteem in late adolescence: The role of parent and peer attachment, empathy, and social behaviours. Journal of Adolescence, 27 (6), 703–716. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.05.005Google Scholar
Lipsey, M. W., & Cordray, D. S. (2000). Evaluation methods for social intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 51 (1), 345–375. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.51.1.345Google Scholar
Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (1993). The efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment: Confirmation from meta-analysis. American Psychologist, 48 (12), 1181–1209. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.48.12.1181Google Scholar
McCarthy, A. M., & Garavan, T. N. (1999). Developing self-awareness in the managerial career development process: The value of 360-degree feedback and the MBTI. Journal of European Industrial Training, 23 (9), 437–445. doi:10.1108/03090599910302613Google Scholar
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Stress, adaptation, and disease: Allostasis and allostatic load. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 840 (1), 33–44. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.xGoogle Scholar
McEwen, B. S. (2008). Central effects of stress hormones in health and disease: Understanding the protective and damaging effects of stress and stress mediators. European Journal of Pharmacology, 583 (2), 174–185. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.11.071CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, L., & Kaszniak, A. W. (2006). Awareness of subtle emotional feelings: A comparison of long-term meditators and nonmeditators. Emotion, 6 (3), 392–405. doi:10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.392CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noe, R., & Wilk, S. (1993). Investigation of the factors that influence employees' participation in development activities. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78 (2), 291–302. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.78.2.291Google Scholar
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Paine, J. B., & Bachrach, D. G. (2000). Organizational citizenship behaviors: A critical review of the theoretical and empirical literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26 (3), 513–563.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reb, J., Narayanan, J., & Ho, Z. W. (2013). Mindfulness at work: Antecedents and consequences of employee awareness and absent-mindedness. Mindfulness, 6 (1), 111–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Safran, J., & Segal, Z. V. (1996). Interpersonal process in cognitive therapy. New York, NY: Random House.Google Scholar
Sahdra, B. K., Shaver, P. R., & Brown, K. W. (2010). A scale to measure nonattachment: A Buddhist complement to Western research on attachment and adaptive functioning. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92 (2), 116–127. doi:10.1080/00223890903425960Google Scholar
Salzberg, S. (2011). Mindfulness and loving-kindness. Contemporary Buddhism, 12 (1), 177–182. doi:10.1080/14639947.2011.56483Google Scholar
Sapolsky, R. M. (2003). Stress and plasticity in the limbic system. Neurochemical Research, 28 (11), 1735–1742. doi:10.1023/A:1026021307833CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2012). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice-friendly meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65 (5), 467–487. doi:10.1002/jclp.20593Google Scholar
Singer, T., & Lamm, C. (2009). The social neuroscience of empathy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1156, 81–96. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04418.xGoogle Scholar
Torlak, O., & Koc, U. (2007). Materialistic attitude as an antecedent of organizational citizenship behavior. Management Research News, 30 (8), 581–596. doi:/10.1108/01409170710773715Google Scholar
Varela, F. J., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1992). The embodied mind: Cognitive science and human experience. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Vago, D. R., & Silbersweig, D. A. (2012). Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): A framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 296–326. doi:/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00296Google Scholar
Waikar, S. V., & Craske, M. G. (1997). Cognitive correlates of anxious and depressive symptomatology: An examination of the helplessness/hopelessness model. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 11 (1), 1–16. doi:10.1016/S0887-6185(96)00031-XGoogle Scholar
Yiend, J. (2010). The effects of emotion on attention: A review of attentional processing of emotional information. Cognition and Emotion, 24 (1), 3–47. doi:10.1080/0269993090320569Google Scholar
Zamahani, M., & Rezaei, F. (2014). The impact of managers' self-awareness, positivity and psychological ownership on organizational citizenship behavior. International Review of Management and Business Research, 3 (3), 1355–1368.Google Scholar