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Sustaining Workforce Engagement: From Mindfulness to Psychological Flourishing

Author

Listed:
  • Connie Zheng

    (University of South Australia, Centre for Workplace Excellence, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia)

  • Asanka Gunasekara

    (School of Business, Law, and Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia)

Abstract

(1) Background: Practising mindfulness has been suggested in several recent media reports to help employees reduce stress in their effort to balance work and life pressures, especially during the pandemic when they have to work from home. During COVID-19, organisations have also struggled to effectively engage, retain and sustain employees when managing their work remotely. It is uncertain whether there is a close link between mindfulness and sustained workforce engagement. Although data were collected prior to COVID-19, this study contributes to adding new knowledge to this line of research by investigating how the flow-on effect of being mindful and psychological flourishing helps create positive effects on workforce engagement. (2) Methods: Path analysis was run to test the hypothesised relationships among key constructs with a sample of 229 participants. Direct and indirect effects were further tested with organisational mindfulness training program. (3) Results: The findings show that positive emotions gained from being mindful and maintaining a high level of psychological flourishing enhance workforce engagement. Organisational mindfulness training programs moderated the mediating effect of psychological flourishing on the relationship between mindfulness and workforce engagement, in which the indirect effect of mindfulness on workforce engagement via psychological flourishing is stronger when employees participated in mindfulness exercises and training programs. (4) Conclusions: Positive emotions attained from being mindful and experiencing psychological flourishing help sustain workforce engagement. (5) Implication: In order to sustain an engaged workforce, organisations need to implement effective mindfulness training programs that help the workforce broaden and build their personal resources via psychological flourishing and positive emotions, especially in times of facing difficult circumstances and managing uncertainty in challenging circumstances.

Suggested Citation

  • Connie Zheng & Asanka Gunasekara, 2022. "Sustaining Workforce Engagement: From Mindfulness to Psychological Flourishing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:14413-:d:962288
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anastasia Tellez Infantes & Fina Antón Hurtado & Fulgencio Sánchez Vera & Javier Eloy Martínez Guirao, 2022. "Mindfulness in Health Education: From Physical to Virtual Presence during the Pandemic, an Anthropological Study in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Adam Hanley & Alia Warner & Eric Garland, 2015. "Associations Between Mindfulness, Psychological Well-Being, and Subjective Well-Being with Respect to Contemplative Practice," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(6), pages 1423-1436, December.
    3. Jen-Ho Chang & Chin-Lan Huang & Yi-Cheng Lin, 2015. "Mindfulness, Basic Psychological Needs Fulfillment, and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1149-1162, October.
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    5. Lucy Hone & Aaron Jarden & Grant Schofield, 2014. "Psychometric Properties of the Flourishing Scale in a New Zealand Sample," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 1031-1045, November.
    6. Asanka N. Gunasekara & Melissa A. Wheeler & Anne Bardoel, 2022. "The Impact of Working from Home during COVID-19 on Time Allocation across Competing Demands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-16, July.
    7. Ed Diener & Derrick Wirtz & William Tov & Chu Kim-Prieto & Dong-won Choi & Shigehiro Oishi & Robert Biswas-Diener, 2010. "New Well-being Measures: Short Scales to Assess Flourishing and Positive and Negative Feelings," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 143-156, June.
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