Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-2018

Abstract

Organizations are under pressure to perform and adapt to an ever-changing environment, creating stress on the employees, translating to direct and indirect costs to the organization. Mindfulness is recognized as an effective approach to managing stress, and has benefits on cognition, attention, and well-being, but limited research has investigated how individuals integrate mindfulness into their workplaces, which is the purpose of this study. The primary research question in this study asked how mindfulness workplace practice help individuals to self-regulate a) attention or thoughts, b) emotions, and c) both attention or thoughts and emotions and what the associated benefits are in mindfulness workplace practice. It also examined the barriers to mindfulness workplace practice and what can support it. This study addressed these questions through a qualitative exploratory approach using semi-structured interviews with working individuals who have a mindfulness practice (N=8). Each participant was interviewed three times for about thirty-minutes over a course of six to ten weeks. The interviews were transcribed and coded using descriptive and thematic codes to reduce, analyze and report the data. A major finding in this study was self-regulation grounded specific mindfulness facets (non-judging, non-striving, acceptance, letting go) as foundational to the integration of mindfulness in the workplace. I defined this as mindful self-regulation, and found that this fostered the ability to work mindfully. Additionally, the development of community as a grassroots effort encouraged the integration of mindfulness in the workplace. Barriers to mindfulness in the workplace included time, distractions, the work culture of ‘doing’, and systemic pressure to perform. Support mechanisms included having a space to formally practice mindfulness, developing a community to support mindfulness, and mindful leadership.

Degree Name

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Organization, Information & Learning Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Patricia Boverie

Second Committee Member

Dr. Vaness Svihla

Third Committee Member

Dr. Nick Flor

Fourth Committee Member

Dr. Fran Wilkinson

Language

English

Keywords

Mindfulness, Workplace, Self-regulation, Mindful self-regulation, Agency

Document Type

Dissertation

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