Calm Down and Enjoy It: Influence of Leader-Employee Mindfulness on Flow Experience.
Xingyu Feng
Psychology Research and Behavior Management 2022 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s360880 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 458 |
| Population | Employees and leaders at software parks in China (458 employees and 114 leaders) |
| Duration | Three-wave longitudinal survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Employee mindfulness Flow experience Leader mindfulness Work-related rumination |
| Key findings | Employee and leader mindfulness were linked to lower employee affective rumination and higher problem-solving pondering and flow, with the two rumination types partially mediating the mindfulness-flow relationship; leader mindfulness also moderated the link between employees' mindfulness and their rumination. The authors argue these findings extend understanding of mindfulness's effects and can guide organizational mindfulness and flow interventions. |
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the effect of mindfulness on flow at the organizational and individual levels. Based on perseverative cognition theory, we introduced work-related rumination (affective rumination and problem-solving pondering) as the transmitter in these processes. This study conducted a three-wave longitudinal survey. The data of 458 employees and 114 leaders were collected from three software parks in China. Multilevel structural equation modeling and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method were adopted to test all hypotheses. Employee mindfulness and leader mindfulness help reduce affective rumination by employees and increase their problem-solving pondering and flow experiences. Affective rumination and problem-solving pondering partially mediate the relationship between leader and employee mindfulness and flow. Leader mindfulness moderates the effects of employees' mindfulness on their affective rumination and problem-solving pondering. Our findings contribute to the current literature on mindfulness, work-related rumination and flow experience and extend the understanding of the effect boundary of mindfulness. This study also helps guide organizations to better design and carry out mindfulness and flow interventions.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Effects of web-based mindfulness training on psychological outcomes, attention, and neuroplasticity. Scientific Reports December 19, 2023
- From Mindfulness to Flow in the Coronavirus Pandemic: Investigating the mediating role of psychological capital and coping competence. (a cross-sectional study of pre-Hospital Emergency staff) Research Square May 5, 2023
- Unlocking Flow Through Mindfulness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The Journal of Psychology 2026
- How flow and mindfulness interact with each other in mindfulness-based augmented reality mandala coloring activities. Frontiers in Psychology January 8, 2024
- Mindflow in crisis: the mediating role of psychological capital and coping competence between mindfulness and flow during COVID-19. Research Square August 8, 2023
Cites 4
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Debiasing the Mind Through Meditation Psychological Science December 6, 2013
- Internet-based instructor-led mindfulness for work-related rumination, fatigue, and sleep: Assessing facets of mindfulness as mechanisms of change. A randomized waitlist control trial. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology April 2017
- Mindfulness and flow in occupational engagement: presence in doing. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy February 1, 2011