Overworked and under-resourced: A mindfulness intervention for middle manager well-being

• Main Authors: AHLVIK, Catarina, LYDDY, Christopher J., REINA, Chris, GOOD, Darren J., REB, Jochen
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2018
• Subjects: Human Resources Management; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6927
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This randomized controlled field study explores the relationship of mindfulness to the personal resources of middle managers. Drawing on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, we anticipated that mindfulness training would act as a resource for managers, and predicted this would correspond with lower stress and burnout and higher engagement. Reflecting this conception, we also expected mindfulness training to result in increased psychological detachment. We tested these hypotheses with 130 middle managers drawn from four large organizations in Northern Europe who were randomly assigned to an abbreviated 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training or waitlist control. Data was collected before and after the intervention. Consistent with the hypotheses, results showed that mindfulness training correlated with lower stress and burnout and increased detachment, while the relationship between mindfulness training and engagement was marginally significant. This study contributes to both JD-R and mindfulness at work theory and practice by demonstrating the role mindfulness training can play in bolstering the personal resources of managers.