Understanding mindfulness outcomes: a moderated mediation analysis of high-performance work systems

Mindfulness, the practice of being present and aware without judgment, has gained significant attention across various disciplines. However, empirical research on mindfulness in management studies, particularly concerning higher education faculty, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effects of mindfulness on positive organizational behavior variables (employee voice behavior), positive attitudinal variables (job satisfaction and affective commitment), and burnout among faculty members in Indian management schools. The study's central premise is that mindfulness enhances positive work behaviors and attitudes, while reducing burnout. Furthermore, the study posits that a high-performance work system (HPWS), characterized by aligned HR practices promoting employee participation and development, moderates the relationship between mindfulness and these outcome variables, amplifying the positive impact of mindfulness. This research thus aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of mindfulness in a workplace context by considering the influence of both individual characteristics (mindfulness) and organizational context (HPWS).

Existing literature highlights the growing interest in mindfulness across diverse fields, including psychology, health science, and neuroscience, but acknowledges a scarcity of empirical research, especially within management studies and higher education contexts. Studies have shown mindfulness's positive effects on stress reduction and emotional balance among students. This research builds upon these findings by exploring its impact on faculty well-being and performance, including its relationship with job satisfaction, affective commitment, and burnout. Studies have also shown that aligned HR practices, particularly those within a high-performance work system (HPWS), can enhance the effects of positive interventions. Therefore, the study investigates HPWS as a potential moderator of the relationship between mindfulness and its outcomes. Previous research on employee voice behavior underscores its importance for job performance and employee retention, suggesting its potential mediating role between mindfulness and job satisfaction, burnout, and affective commitment.

Data were collected from 1092 full-time faculty members at top management schools in India, selected from the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2018 list. Data collection involved two time points separated by over 15 days to minimize common method variance. Several validated scales were employed: the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R) for mindfulness; a 10-item questionnaire (Shih et al., 2006) for HPWS, encompassing job infrastructure and job security; Maynes and Podsakoff's (2014) questionnaire for constructive employee voice behavior; Victorino et al.'s (2018) scale for faculty job satisfaction; the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (Maslach et al., 1996) for burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization); and Allen and Meyer's (1996) scale for affective commitment. Age, gender, and tenure served as control variables. Common method variance (CMV) was addressed through a two-stage data collection process and Harman's single factor test, with confirmatory factor analysis confirming the distinctness of the measured variables. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis and Hayes' PROCESS macro for moderated mediation analysis. Bootstrapping with 5000 replications was used to assess the significance of indirect effects. The study also examined the moderating effect of HPWS on the relationship between mindfulness and the outcome variables.

The findings revealed significant positive relationships between mindfulness and employee voice behavior (β = 0.62, p ≤ 0.01), job satisfaction (β = 0.38, p ≤ 0.01), and affective commitment (β = 0.54, p ≤ 0.01). A significant negative relationship was observed between mindfulness and burnout (β = -0.21, p ≤ 0.01). Employee voice behavior significantly mediated the relationships between mindfulness and job satisfaction (β = 0.21, p < 0.01), burnout (β = -0.09, p ≤ 0.01), and affective commitment (β = 0.27, p < 0.01). Sobel's test confirmed the significance of these mediation effects. The study also found significant moderating effects of HPWS on the relationships between mindfulness and the outcome variables. The interaction effects were significant for job satisfaction (β = 0.41, p ≤ 0.01), burnout (β = -0.10, p ≤ 0.05), and affective commitment (β = 0.27, p ≤ 0.01), indicating stronger relationships for faculty members with higher HPWS scores. Conditional moderated regression analysis confirmed these findings with significant effect sizes.

The results support the study's hypotheses, demonstrating that mindfulness positively influences employee voice behavior, job satisfaction, and affective commitment, while negatively impacting burnout. Employee voice behavior plays a crucial mediating role, suggesting that mindful individuals are more likely to express concerns and provide constructive feedback, leading to improved job satisfaction, reduced burnout, and increased commitment. The moderating role of HPWS highlights the importance of organizational context. Organizations with strong HPWS practices create an environment that facilitates the positive effects of mindfulness. The strong HPWS practices support open communication, provide necessary resources, and foster a culture of psychological safety, further amplifying the positive impacts of mindfulness. This finding underscores the importance of considering both individual-level (mindfulness) and organizational-level (HPWS) factors to optimize employee well-being and organizational performance.

This study offers valuable insights into the positive impact of mindfulness on various workplace outcomes among higher education faculty. The mediating role of employee voice behavior and the moderating role of HPWS provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. The findings emphasize the importance of mindfulness training and fostering HPWS in higher education institutions to improve faculty well-being, enhance performance, and increase organizational commitment. Future research could explore these relationships in other higher education disciplines and across different cultural contexts using longitudinal designs to further strengthen the findings.

The study's limitations include its cross-sectional design and focus on management faculty in Indian institutions. The use of email-based data collection also raises concerns about potential common method variance, despite efforts to mitigate this issue. Future research should address these limitations by employing longitudinal studies with diverse samples and different data collection methods. Investigating the generalizability of these findings across other contexts and cultural settings is crucial for broadening the scope and applicability of the study's conclusions.