PractisingMindfulnessintheWorkplace:IdiographicPerspectivesofMindfulLineManagers

NiamhImbusch*,SabirGiga,AlisonCollins.CentreforOrganizationalHealthandWellbeing,LancasterUniversity

ResearchPurpose

Toexplorelinemanagers’livedexperiences:

Whatarethefeaturesofcommercialorganisations’ thateitherencourage

ordiscouragemanagersfrompractising mindfulnessatwork?

InterpretativePhenomenologicalAnalysis(IPA)Methodology

Idiographic- smallhomogenoussample(n=7)• Linemanagers• Workingincommercialorganisation• Experienceofmindfulness(Baer2003)• Highdispositionalmindfulness(SF-FiveFacetMindfulness

Questionnaire)(Bohlmeijer etal2011)

Semi-Structured1-2-1Interviews• Recorded,transcribed,redacted,pseudonyms• Descriptive,language-useandInterrogative

interpretations• Emergentthemes• Recurrentthemes– inductiveanddeductive• Superordinatethemes

SuperordinateTheme:Organisational Perspectives– factorswhichencouragethepractise ofmindfulness

Theme(s) Description

Emotionalcontrol Mindfulnessenablesindividualsto‘showup’betteratwork

Performance Mindfulnessimprovespersonalandteamperformance

Interactions Mindfulnesshumanises work-basedrelationshipswithsubordinatesandpeers

SuperordinateTheme:Organisational Perspectives– factorswhichdiscourage thepractise ofmindfulness

Theme(s) Description

PhysicalSpace(P) Findingappropriatephysicalspaceintheofficeinwhichtopractise mindfulness

Perceptions(C) If mindfulnessisviewedasabit‘outthere,’howwillmyteamperceiveme?

CareerRisk(E) Beingassociatedwithmindfulnessatworkcouldbecareerlimiting

ConclusionsCommercialworkplacesrequireemotionalcontrol,performance-orientationandinhibitionofhuman,relationalcharacteristics.

Mindfulnessenableslinemanagerstocopeandfunctioneffectivelyinthiscontext.

Barrierstomindfulnesspractise incommercialworkplacesinclude:• Practical – e.g.physicalspace

• Cultural – e.g.perceptionsabouthowthoseinauthority–particularlymen- oughttobehave

• Ethical – e.g.overtandhiddenmessagesaboutthetypesofbehaviours andattitudeswhichgetrewarded/promoted

Supports:

ShoninandVanGordon(2015):mindfulnesstrainingenhancesmanagers’jobperformance(includingsupervision)

PurserandMilillo (2015):commercialsettingspresentchallengestotheenactmentofmindfulness-basedbehaviours

ImplicationsSuggeststhatMBIsoughtto:

Practical• Provide spatialandtimetablingconsiderationto

implementationand continuingpractiseCultural• Focusonbusiness-relatedbenefits• Provideclearsenior,malerolemodelsandchampionsEthical• Continuetobeofferedonavoluntarybasis• Continuetobeofferedatanindividuallevel• BeofferedinconjunctionwithestablishedEAPorsimilar

supportprogrammes

OpportunitiesforFurtherResearch:

Closerinvestigationofrelationshipsbetweenindividualmindfulnessand(a)organisational mindfulness(ChoiandTobias2015),and(b)compassionintheworkplace(Kanov etal2004).

Comparativeexplorationofpublicallyquotedandtriplebottomlineentities

Correspondenceto:n.imbusch@lancaster.ac.ukKeyReferences:

Baer,R.A.,Smith,G.T.,Lykins,E.,Button,D.,Krietemeyer,J.,SauerS.,Walsh,E.,Duggan,D.,andWilliams,M.J.(2008)“Constructvalidityofthefivefacetmindfulnessquestionnaireinmeditatingandnonmeditatingsamples,”inAssessment,Vol.15,No.3,pp.329-342.

Bohlmeijer,E.,tenKlooster,P.M.,Fledderus,M.,Veehof,M.,andBaer,R.(2011)“PsychometricPropertiesoftheFiveFacetMindfulnessQuestionnaireinDepressedAdultsandDevelopmentofaShortForm,”inAssessment,Vol.18,No.3,pp.308– 320.

Hunter,J.,andChaskalson,M.(2013)“Makingthemindfulleader:Cultivatingskillsforfacingadaptivechallenges,”inLeonard,H.S.,Lewis,R.Freedman,A.M.,andPassmore,J.(eds.)TheWiley-BlackwellHandbookofthePsychologyofLeadership,ChangeandOrganizationalDevelopment, Wiley-Blackwell.

Reb,J.,Narayanan,J.,andChaturvedi,S.(2014)“Leadingmindfully:twostudiesontheinfluenceofsupervisortraitmindfulnessonemployeewell-beingandperformance”,inMindfulness,Vol.5,pp.36-45.

Shonin,E.andVanGordon,W.(2015)“Managers’experiencesofmeditationawarenesstraining,”inMindfulness,Vol.6,pp.899-909.

Smith,J.A.,Flowers,P.andLarkin,M.(2009)InterpretativePhenomenologicalAnalysis:Theory,MethodandResearch Sage,London.