Mindfulness-based practices, psychological capital, burnout and performance anxiety

Purpose The study examined the role of classroom-based mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) on psychological capital, burnout, and performance anxiety among business executives. Design/Methodology/Approach 52 mid-level and senior leaders filled up a structured questionnaire on mindfulness, psychological capital, and performance anxiety before and after the intervention. They also participated in 2 week-long classroom-based mindfulness intervention programs for 1 hour daily. Findings The finding suggests that mindfulness-based intervention significantly improved PsyCap and reduced burnout and performance anxiety among the executives. Research limitations/implications Self-report measures, sample size, and programmed duration could be a limitation. We can plan long-term (4 weeks) intervention on cross-section data for better outcomes and generalizations. Research implications Mindfulness-based interventions can help save healthcare costs by reducing anxiety and burnout. Leaders can also quantify the value of such intervention for developing PsyCap. Practical implications Management should conduct mindfulness-based training programs, and leaders can practice it in their daily routine to improve psychological resources to reduce stress and better face workplace challenges. Originality/value The study's contribution was using the classroom-based mindfulness-based intervention to improve psychological capital and reduce dysfunctional outcomes in leaders.

Does psychological safety at school affect psychological capital at work? Evidence from part-time MBA students

Purpose Existing research regarding the value of school education focuses primarily on the effects of educational level on core task performance after graduation. However, it is worth noting that knowledge, skills and abilities are not the only individual gains from school education. For part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) students, the impact of MBA education on their real-time work during their two-year or so study journey has not been reported. This study aims to provide theoretical reasoning and empirical insights to clarify the impact of psychological safety at school on psychological capital (PsyCap) at work for part-time MBA students and examines the moderating role of constructive controversy at school in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 286 part-time MBA students was conducted in a university located in Beijing to address the theoretical issue. Findings Students’ psychological safety at school is positively related to PsyCap at work. Constructive controversy at school acts as a positive moderator in the relationship between psychological safety at school and PsyCap at work. Originality/value This study establishes a link between the school and the workplace. It explores the relationship between an individual’s psychological states at school and at work and contributes to the literature on human resources and management education. Furthermore, the findings prove that students not only gain knowledge, skills and abilities from education but also positive psychological states, such as psychological safety.

Flourishing in the Workplace: A One-Year Prospective Study on the Effects of Perceived Organizational Support and Psychological Capital

People working in urban areas often experience various work-related stressors, such as long working hours, high work pressure, and work-life interference, which can lead to severe mental and physical consequences. Identification of the protective factors that enable employees to flourish and thrive is especially important. The present study aims to identify the organizational and personal resources that contribute to employee flourishing. Adopting the conservation of resources theory and organizational support theory, it was hypothesized that perceived organizational support (POS) would promote employee flourishing through increasing psychological capital (PsyCap). A prospective study was conducted on a sample of 400 working adults from the social and personal services industry in Hong Kong. Data were collected at baseline, three months, and one year. Both Diener’s composite model of flourishing and Seligman’s PERMA model of flourishing were tested. Structural equation modeling showed that PsyCap at three months significantly mediated the effects of POS at baseline on flourishing and all dimensions of PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishments) at one year. Findings suggest that PsyCap underlies the process through which POS influences flourishing, whereby the promotion of positive psychological resources in a nurturing and supportive organization contributes to psychosocial functioning in the long run.

The Effect of Social Undermining on Employees’ Emotional Exhaustion and Procrastination Behavior in Deluxe Hotels: Moderating Role of Positive Psychological Capital

The purpose of this study was to determine if social undermining as perceived by frontline employees significantly affects their emotional exhaustion and procrastination behavior and to clarify the moderating role of positive psychological capital. A total of 310 deluxe hotel employees in South Korea participated in this study by completing a self-administered questionnaire. The study results showed that social undermining perceived by deluxe hotel employees positively influenced their emotional exhaustion. In addition, when emotional exhaustion became severe, employees’ procrastination behavior, which harmed their organizations, increased. Additionally, the findings suggest a mediating effect, thereby indicating that employees’ procrastination behaviors may increase when they experience emotional exhaustion resulting from social undermining. When employees perform their jobs with a positive attitude in a work situation, the negative influence of social undermining and emotional exhaustion may be partially offset. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.