The relationship between mindfulness and individual adaptability in a dynamic workplace

Abstract

Purpose. Individual adaptability has been proposed as a source of adaptive performance, an increasingly important performance dimension in dynamic contexts. However, there is limited understanding of the antecedents of adaptability. Mindfulness has been shown to improve performance and well-being in the workplace, but the underlying mechanisms of this relationship are not well understood. Answering this need, we hypothesize a link between mindfulness and adaptability and conduct an empirical study to examined this relationship in dynamic work contexts. Methodology and findings. 198 knowledge workers in dynamic workplaces completed a self-rating survey that measured mindfulness and a multifactor measure of individual adaptability. Correlation analysis found a significant positive relationship between mindfulness and individual adaptability, and also between mindfulness and five sub-factors of adaptability. Regression analysis found mindfulness could significantly predict adaptability and that mindfulness added incremental variability to various sub-scale factors of adaptability, over and above work stress adaptability. In other words, mindfulness is not simply a stress management skill but also enhances other aspects of adaptability such as learning and problem-solving. Implications. Individual adaptability helps to explain the relationship between mindfulness, performance and well-being in the workplace. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have established protocols and proven outcomes in organizational and psychological literature. It may be possible to enhance individual adaptability through such MBIs and thus support adaptive performance while reducing negative impacts on individual well-being.