June Mindfulness and Workplace Wellness Research Round-Up

By The Mindful Leader Team

This month, we explore how employee and leader mindfulness helps boost innovation and project success before turning our attention to this year’s Deloitte Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Next, we’ll compare the effectiveness of two therapeutic approaches for treating bipolar disorder before examining how mindfulness-based programs reduce burnout in social workers. We have summarized the main ideas and key takeaways below with links to the full articles and sources.

Leader mindfulness and employee innovative work behaviour: a mediated moderation model    

A new study published in the European Journal of Innovation Management suggests that leaders’ mindfulness significantly enhances employee innovative work behavior (IWB). Questionnaires were administered to 337 IT professionals, asking questions to measure their leader’s mindfulness as well as their own personal work engagement and employee learning orientation. Subsequent analysis of the data revealed that leader mindfulness positively influences IWB through the mediation of work engagement. This suggests that training managers to practice mindfulness can help build a culture of engagement that promotes innovation. Similarly, high learning-oriented employees seem to show more innovative behaviors under mindful leaders. It is therefore crucial for leaders to create an environment that supports continuous learning and  provides necessary resources within a dynamic business model.

Key Points:

• Mindful leaders create an environment of attention and support, which fosters employees' creativity and engagement, leading to higher levels of innovation within the organization.
• Both work engagement and learning orientation mediate the relationship between leader mindfulness and employee innovative work behavior. Organizations can drive innovation by fostering a work environment that promotes high engagement and cultivating a culture of continuous learning.

Read the full article on Emerald. 

Employee mindfulness, innovative work behaviour, and IT project success: the role of inclusive leadership

This study considers how employee mindfulness influences project success in Information Technology projects. More specifically, the researchers explored how innovative work behavior and project manager inclusive leadership style explain the relationship between employee mindfulness level and project success. After collecting and analyzing questionnaire data from over 340 IT employees and project managers, the data indicated that mindful employees positively impact project success by fostering innovation. In other words, mindfulness leads to more innovative work behavior, which then results in higher project success. Similarly, inclusive leadership also enhances the relationship between mindfulness and innovation. The researchers conclude by offering a few practical implications of their findings, primarily that organizations prioritize mindfulness in hiring and training and foster inclusive leadership behaviors among project managers. 

Key Points:

• Employee mindfulness positively influences project success in Information Technology projects, as mindful individuals respond effectively to changes and foster innovative processes that are crucial for achieving predefined targets.
• Innovative work behavior serves as a key mechanism between employee mindfulness and project success, highlighting the importance of fostering innovation within project-based organizations.
• Project manager inclusive leadership style enhances the relationship between employee mindfulness and innovative work behavior, suggesting that creating an inclusive work environment is conducive to fostering innovation among mindful employees.

Read the full article on Springer.

The Deloitte Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey

The Deloitte Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey delves into the attitudes, behaviors, and aspirations of these two influential generations, uncovering key insights shaping the future of work, technology, and societal impact. Now in its 13th year, the survey collected data from over 23,000 respondents across 44 countries. This year’s survey highlights a growing emphasis on purpose-driven careers, with Gen Z and Millennials prioritizing opportunities that align with their values and allow them to make a positive impact on society. The survey also explores their evolving relationship with technology, indicating a nuanced approach where they seek balance between digital connectivity and real-world experiences. When it comes to their expectations for employers, these younger workers want flexibility, inclusive workplaces, and opportunities for continuous learning and development.

Key Points:

• Both Gen Z and Millennials prioritize careers that align with their values and enable them to make a positive impact on society, indicating a shift towards purpose-driven work.
• In order to attract and retain talent from Gen Z and Millennial generations, organizations will need to adapt their practices to prioritize workplace flexibility, inclusivity, and opportunities for continuous learning and development.

Read the full article on Deloitte. 

Predicting which intervention works better for whom: Moderators of treatment effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Positive Psychology Intervention in patients with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is often treated with two therapeutic approaches: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) or positive psychology intervention (PPI). This study sought to identify factors that predict which treatment is more beneficial for specific individuals in improving depressive symptoms and overall well-being. The researchers conducted two separate trials. The first trial randomly assigned half the participants to receive MBCT while the other half received treatment as usual (TAU). The second trial was set up in the same manner, only participants received either PPI or TAU. Depressive symptoms and well-being levels were recorded at the beginning of the study (baseline), right after treatment finished (posttreatment), and at 12-months from baseline. 

Analysis of the pooled data found that patients with more severe anxiety symptoms and lower levels of well-being benefited most from MBCT or PPI in reducing depressive symptoms post-treatment. Patients with low to intermediate education and lower levels of self-focused rumination of positive affect showed larger increases in well-being posttreatment in MBCT or PPI compared to TAU. At 12 months after baseline, patients with lower levels of well-being and self-compassion showed larger increases in well-being after having received either MBCT or PPI. However, married patients showed a larger decrease in depressive symptoms after MBCT posttreatment, while unmarried patients seemed to benefit more from PPI. While male patients tended to benefit more from PPI in terms of their well-being, the researchers found no other demographic or clinical differences between MBCT and PPI for improving well-being.

Key Points:

• Both MBCT and PPI were more effective in improving well-being and self-compassion and in reducing depressive symptoms than treatment as usual.
• Patients with higher baseline depression and anxiety experienced a larger decrease in depressive symptoms after MBCT compared to PPI, both directly after treatment and 12 months later.
• Overall, the findings suggest that patients with more severe symptomatology might benefit more from MBCT than PPI, though further research is needed to refine personalized treatment selection for patients with bipolar disorder.

Read the full article on ScienceDirect.

Testing Mindfulness Mechanisms of Action on the Stress and Burnout of Social Workers

The field of social work, though rewarding, presents significant challenges that often lead to high stress and burnout among practitioners. Studies indicate that social workers in the UK experience much higher stress levels than the general population, with many considering leaving their positions. This stress negatively impacts both individual service delivery and organizational effectiveness. Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) have shown promise in alleviating these issues, with evidence indicating significant reductions in stress and emotional exhaustion. However, the mechanisms behind these improvements are not fully understood. The clinically modified Buddhist psychological model for social work practice and self-care (CBPM) offers a framework to understand these mechanisms; it focuses on six mindfulness domains: mindfulness, self-compassion, attention regulation, acceptance, non-aversion, and non-attachment.

This study aimed to enhance the understanding of how MBPs reduce stress and burnout in social workers by using the CBPM framework. The researchers looked at changes in the six mindfulness domains after social workers completed either a mindfulness-based social work and self-care (MBSWSC) program or a mindfulness and self-compassion program (MSC). Overall, the findings indicate that improvements in CBPM domains are linked to reduced emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, both directly and through mediating variables like rumination. 

Key Points:

• Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) have shown significant promise in reducing stress and emotional exhaustion among social workers by enhancing mindfulness, self-compassion, attention regulation, acceptance, non-aversion, and non-attachment.
• The clinically modified Buddhist psychological model for social work practice and self-care (CBPM) provides a theoretical framework to understand how MBPs alleviate stress and burnout.
• Improvements in the CBPM mindfulness domains can reduce negative thinking patterns and improve emotional regulation, empathy, and overall job performance in social workers.

Read the full article on Springer.