Eastern and Western Mindfulness in The Workplace
Keywords:
Mindfulness, Mindfulness Spectrum, Metacognitive PracticeAbstract
Mindfulness is gaining popularity in organizations, with management placing increased importance on the quality of life of employees while responding to the demands of today’s environment. Current research explains the effects of mindfulness on management constructs by basing their studies on either Eastern or Western conceptualizations of mindfulness. This article combines the Buddhist teachings used in the Eastern perspective with the scientific-based Western thought in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of mindfulness and the components that lead to its benefits. The mindfulness process is portrayed through a spectrum, which explains the states of mind and qualities developed before reaching the “ready to use” state in the workplace context. The development of the mindfulness spectrum contributes to the academic field and provides a more detailed understanding of mindfulness for management to further apply in the organizational context. In addition, the elaboration of the mindfulness process opens more areas for future studies in mindfulness and management literatures.
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