Eastern and Western Mindfulness in the Workplace

Mindfulness is gaining popularity in organizations,withmanagementplacing increasedimportance on the quality of life of employeeswhileresponding tothe demands of today’s environment. Current researchexplainsthe effectsof mindfulnesson management constructsby basing their studies oneitherEastern or Western conceptualizations of mindfulness.This article combines the Buddhist teachings used inthe Easternperspective withthe scientific-basedWesternthoughtin an attempt togain a deeper understanding of mindfulness and the componentsthat lead to its benefits. The mindfulness process is portrayed through a spectrum,which explains the statesof mindand qualities developed before reaching the “ready to use”statein the workplace context.The development of the mindfulness spectrum contributes to the academic field and providesa more detailed understanding of mindfulness for managementto further applyin the organizational context.In addition, the elaboration of the mindfulness process opens more areasfor future studies in mindfulness and management literatures.