The bright and dark sides of employee mindfulness: Leadership style and employee well-being

Stress Health. 2020 Aug;36(3):287-298. doi: 10.1002/smi.2926. Epub 2020 Feb 11.

Abstract

In this study, we use a social information processing perspective to propose that employee mindfulness will boost the positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee well-being and will amplify the negative relationship between abusive supervision and employee well-being. We found, using a time-lagged survey of 246 employees (controlling for baseline well-being), that employee mindfulness strengthened the positive relationship between transformational leadership and psychological well-being. Furthermore, employee mindfulness intensified the relationship between abusive supervision and employee psychological well-being. This study shows the benefits of employee mindfulness in certain contexts and reveals one potential dark side of mindfulness at work. We conclude with a general discussion of this study and outline future directions for research.

Keywords: abusive supervision; employee well-being; mindfulness; transformational leadership.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Emotional Abuse*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interprofessional Relations*
  • Job Satisfaction*
  • Leadership*
  • Male
  • Mindfulness*
  • Occupational Stress