Effects of Mindfulness Practices

In the
Employees’ Job Performance
(10,000-word report)

i
Research results:

PSAKUIJIR_6-2(1).pdf

(PDF) Examining workplace mindfulness and its relations to job performance and turnover
intention (researchgate.net)

Frontiers | The Influence of Individual and Team Mindfulness on Work Engagement |

Psychology (frontiersin.org)

STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH PAPER

A research paper is typically made up of three main divisions: (1) preliminary, (2) body, and (3)
supplementary. Each of the sections contains different kind of contents. You are required
to assemble the report in the following order:
Preliminary Materials
Abstract [350]
The paper should contain an abstract of up to 350 words. An abstract represents
a summary of the results of the paper. By summarizing the results of the
research, it allows other people to get an idea of what was accomplished without
having to read through the whole paper.
Body of the Report
Chapter I Introduction [2000]
Chapter II Literature Review [5600]
Chapter III Methodology [800]
Chapter IV Results [1200]
Chapter V Conclusions [250]
Supplementary Materials
References
Appendices
BODY OF THE THESIS REPORT
Introduction - Background information on the topic so that you are able to ‘place’ your
research in the context. The contents of this chapter may include:

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Background of the Study [700]
Problem Statement and Research Questions [300 + 50]
Purpose of the Study [300]
Significance of the Study [250]
 Structure of the Report [350]
Literature Review – This chapter should include the following:
Present and to analyse, in a critical manner, that part of the published literature
which is relevant to your research topic, and which acts as the basis for a fuller
understanding of the context in which you are conducting your research.
Show that you know what the key variables and trends are in the context of your
study.
Show that not only have you discovered and reported what you have found to be
relevant in the literature search, but that you have understood it and that you are
able to analyse it in a critical manner.
Identify and state where the knowledge gap exists which justifies your research.
Methodology - You clearly outline what methodology you used in your research i.e.
what you did and how you did it. It must be clearly written so that it would be easy for
another researcher to duplicate your research if they wished to. The contents of this
chapter may include:
Research Approach
Respondents and Sampling Procedure
Research Instruments
Collection of Data
Statistical Treatment of Data
Results – This chapter has two sections. In the first section data are analyzed statistically
and results are presented and interpreted. This is where you indicate what you found in
your research. You give the results of your research.
In the second section, based on these results, you give your interpretation. You are
supposed to develop analytic and critical thinking on primary results and analysis. The
discussion will basically consist of argumentation. In other words, you investigate a
phenomenon from several different perspectives. To discuss means to question your

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findings in the context of your research questions and objectives.
Conclusions - This chapter includes key facts from your research findings to help explain
your results as needed. You must summarize, compare, and evaluate your research
results in the context of existing theories, and make comments about its success and
effectiveness. You should also bring back your research questions and state clearly your
understanding of those questions. Be careful not to make claims that are not substantiated
from the evidence you have presented in earlier chapters.
You could also indicate some areas where your research has limitations and where further
research would be useful. Implications of the research for furthering understanding of the
research problem needs to be explored.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In the era where we have distracting forces everywhere through several mediums, everyone is
hustling and getting busy in the number of works. In such cases, people tend to lose their focus
easily and also get stressed out. Everything seems stressful due to the lack of organization and
management of thoughts and feelings. Not having the ability to stay calm and focused gives rise
to anxiety and depression. This applies to every individual involved in any field. However, here
we focus especially on the employees throughout the research work since it generalizes the
workers of every field. Employees are the essence of a job regardless of its type. Job
performance refers to the productivity gained from the job by the employee, product, and the
whole company. The job performance mostly depends on the employee working for the
particular company.

As discussed initially, the distractions and stressing factors for the employees are the work
deadlines, job responsibilities, personal performance, workload, work-life balance issues, and
many more. It is tough to manage the physical routine followed by emotional state and feelings.
Stress has become a common phenomenon in human life. People have not been able to meet
their potential at work due to stress levels. It gradually reduces creativity, energy, and
productivity too. This directly cast impact on the company. Job performance and company
growth are directly proportional. As long as the employee demonstrates focus and concentration
on work, the company is more likely to progress at a higher pace.

In between the need for a solution is where the idea of mindfulness comes into practice.
Mindfulness is the practice of acknowledging what you’re feeling without judging the emotions
or sensations as you’re feeding them. It helps to direct attention away from stress or other
negative thoughts. It supports good mental health by giving a simple way to manage negative
thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere at any time and produce a state

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of mindfulness in many different ways. It can simply be practiced with breathing exercises and
meditation. It also promotes relaxation, living in the moment, and develops concentration.

Mindfulness emphasizes every factor that would enhance the job performance which makes us
clear about its necessity in an employee’s life. Mindfulness enhances the personal and
professional goals of an individual. It keeps a person organized and calm providing clearance of
thought and focus. When employees are concentrated on work with no negativity and
distractions, a productive and creative workspace is generated. Mindfulness promotes empathy
and a feeling of gratitude. Mindfulness practice is applied to the employee will eventually create
a cooperative and friendly workspace. The little effort of mindfulness-awareness among the
employees can impact the growth of a company on a large scale.

This idea can serve and benefit a huge number of a wide range of people. Increasing the job
performance of each company and organization can gradually benefit the whole nation. The level
of stress and negativity is the major barrier to attaining this condition which can be solved by the
application of mindfulness practices into daily work. Stress, anxiety, depression, and other
mental health-related issues are increasing rapidly in our country. We won’t be wrong if we
claim that the country is lacking the proper discussion about this topic and implementation of an
efficient solution. Awareness among the employee regarding mindfulness is a simple way to
generate higher productivity and benefits in the workspace.

1.2 Problem Statement

In the modern world, a workplace seems to be a frustrating place with every employee being
occupied with negativity and stress. Long hours, tight deadlines, gender/race/age-based biases,
and ever-increasing demands have become a workplace reality almost everywhere. This makes a
person worried, drained, and overwhelmed. There are various factors causing stress which
exceeds the limit of bearable stress level. It eventually starts causing damage to mental and
physical well-being. It’s one of the major reasons why people tend to leave their work after a
certain period when they feel no satisfaction with their job after losing the ability to cope with
such stress.

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Various researches have been carried out on workplace conflicts, majorly they are observed due
to differing values of millennial, X, and Z generation (Dittmann, 2005). Researches in the past
suggested that mindfulness is negatively associated with the composite PIU (Problematic
Internet Use). Countries like China and S. Korea have enforced the internet shutdown policy to
tackle PIU, but the policy had insignificant output (Choi et al., 2018). Study in the
entrepreneurial domain shows that mindful individuals are less engaged. The largest study
carried out on the workplace environment in corporate America for women suggested that
despite the significant rise of their works, they still remain underrepresented. Survey results
show that black women and Asian women are ignored more often than not. More than 1 in 6
Asian women’s shared they were mistaken for their identity. As per the survey of Wrike (in
2019), 94 percent of the US workers feel stressed, and among them 23 percent rate their stress
level as high.

Although the problem in employees has been identified, the Nepalese corporates are not making
enough effort to reduce it. Mindfulness is the most effective solution to this problem which
would assist in attaining better job performance. Lack of awareness and implication in the
corporate sector of Nepal has given rise to this research. While various researches and
mindfulness practices have been carried out in the corporates of other countries, proper research
presenting the mental status of the employees and the impact of mindfulness on the job
performances of the employees in the corporate sector of Nepal is lacking.

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1.3 Research Questions
The research aims to answer the following questions and also solve several queries regarding the
topic.

• What is the relationship between mindfulness practice and willingness to perform?

What is the relationship between mindfulness practice and capacity to perform?
• What is the relationship between mindfulness practice and positive attitude?
• What is the effect of mindfulness practices on performance?
• How can mindfulness be implemented?
• What factors create a barrier in mindfulness practices?
• What are the impacts of mindfulness practice on job performance, on an individual,
and the whole association?

1.4 Purpose of the study

The study targets to produce a productive and effective workplace by generating awareness
regarding mindfulness and implementing it in a long term for the overall benefit of the company.
The major objective is to explore the effect of mindfulness practices on job performances.
Similarly, the general purpose of this study is to examine the best ways to handle and help
employees find work-life balance. I believe that initiating the idea of mindfulness to employees
can keep lots of people sane and at their peace. The job performance depends on the work of an
employee and their work depends on their ability. The purpose of this study is to bring this
concept into implementation and find out the best way to present it. The study aims to collect all
the necessary convincing facts and examples to observe analyze and finally conclude the best
idea out of it. Since this study focuses on mindfulness in job performance, the research is
performed to find out applicable methods for improvement in job performance through
mindfulness in the future. The study will give reasonable ideas about the necessity, importance,
impacts, and ideas of practicing mindfulness to enhance job performance. It’s the major purpose

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to be declared here, however, this research will give rise to new curiosities, queries, and ideas
which will be considered during concluding the study.

1.5 Significance of the study

The primary significance of this study is to generate applicable ideas for implying mindfulness
practice to increase job performance. The research questions will be answered clearly with
examples taking the help of available articles and journals. Besides these, this study will try to
show the connection between a state of mindfulness in employees and its impact on their job
performance.

1.5.1 To an Individual:
We have discussed earlier how mindfulness is important to an employee for better job
performance. Furthermore, mindfulness serves an individual with good mental and physical
well-being. Better job performance helps a person in career grow th. Also when the job
performance is getting improved through stress reduction, work-life balance becomes easier for a
person. They can meet their personal goals together with professional growth. Mindfulness keeps
a person calm, relaxed, fresh, and energetic, this will gradually bring noticeable change in an
individual.

1.5.2 To high-level managers:

High-level managers are mostly under the pressure of upper as well as lower-level workers and
subordinates. They have to balance both the levels and they are getting sandwiched in this. In
such a state taking big decisions and leading even lower-level employees can be stressful for
both. Mindfulness practice can bring ease into it and reduce stress and increase capacity to cope
with this and work in managers. Similarly, under the supervision of a mindful manager, a
company can flourish. The employee work under efficient supervision and when the
management is efficient, it impacts the overall performance of the company.

1.5.3 To the organization:

Happier workers are more energized, more engaged, more creative, they solve problems more
effectively and collaborate better with their colleagues. The practice of mindfulness can bring all

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these to an organization in any industry or sector. The well-being of the employee and betterment
in job performance finally benefits the organization in every way.

1.6 Structure of the report

This report is divided into several sections which include different kinds of contents. It is divided
into three main divisions, (1) preliminary, (2) body, and (3) supplementary part.

In the preliminary part, the abstract is written. An abstract represents a summary of the results of
the paper. By summarizing the results of the research, it allows the readers to get an idea of what
was accomplished in the paper without having to read through the whole paper.
The body of the report is sub-divided into 5 chapters. Chapter I is an introduction that provides a
brief description of the study. The introduction part includes background information of the topic
to place research in the context of the topic. The background information is followed by a
problem statement, research questions, the purpose of the study, and the significance of the
study. Chapter II is a literature review where the available research works are presented from
several mediums which are necessary for our study. The part of the published literature which is
relevant to our research is presented and analyzed critically. It helps in expanding understanding
of the context in which our research is being conducted. The key variables and trends in the
context of our study are also presented in the literature review section. We have presented our
reports as a piece of relevant information and also possess the ability to understand and analyze
them critically. The knowledge gap is identified and stated here. Chapter III is a methodology
where the study and research methods are described. The methodologies used in the research are
clearly outlined in this section of the body. The contents in this chapter include research
approach, respondents and sampling procedures, research instruments, collection of data, and
statistical treatment of data. What we did and how we did are answered in chapter III. The IV
chapter is for results where the result of the study is discussed. This chapter has two sections. In
the first section, data are analyzed statistically and results are presented and interpreted. This is
where we have indicated what we have found in our research. In the second section, based on
these results, we have given our interpretation. The conclusion has been drawn after analytical
and critical thinking on primary results and analysis. Similarly, the last chapter of the body,

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chapter V has the conclusion derived from the research. This chapter includes key facts from our
research findings to help explain the results as needed. The result is summarized, compared, and
evaluated to determine the conclusion. Also, the research questions are answered while
concluding. Similarly, the lacking of our research is also indicated which has given place for
further research on this topic. Overall, the implications of the research for further understanding
of the research problem are explored.
Finally, references and appendices are mentioned in the supplementary part.

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Chapter II

Literature Review

This section of the research report presents the overview of the research that has been done by
other researchers and scholars on the topic of the effect of mindfulness practices on the job
performance of the employees. The literature review incorporates the historical development of
the concept, and the status quo of the mindfulness practices in the European and American
countries, along with the preliminary research and implementation that has been done in the
context of Nepal. The theoretical framework in the Literature review establishes the conceptual
relationship among the dependent and the independent variables of the research topic.

2.1 Theoretical review

This section is mainly related to the mindfulness practices in the job performance in different
organizations which tries to help in delivering a framework for the study over which a suitable
methodology for the study could be developed.

2.1.1 Job Performance and Mindfulness Practices

Job performance helps in making analysis if the person performs their duty and responsibility in
a proper way. It is considered as the part of the industrial or organizational psychology which
helps in the performance of the human resource management in a proper way. It relates mainly to
the act of doing the job. It is a means for reaching to the goal or the set of goals within the duty
parameters of the job assessment but not the consequences of the acts which is performed with
the help of the job.1 Job performance refers to how people act in their work obligations. As well
1

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329978024_Factors_affecting_employee_performance_an_empirical_
approach

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as preparing and innate capacity (like adroitness or an intrinsic ability with numbers), work
execution is affected by work environment climate factors including truly requesting
assignments, representative resolve, feelings of anxiety, and working expanded hours. Helpless
conditions and high pressure can prompt compromising wellbeing propensities like smoking and
additionally less than stellar eating routine, which then, at that point, have expanding
inconvenient consequences for work execution. On the opposite finish of the range, very much
planned workplaces, low pressure, and a strong boss can significantly build work execution.
Work execution is a significant piece of working environment usefulness and security.

Job performance reflects different significant perspectives that rely upon organization
development, extension, and creation. A labor force comprising of sound representatives in great
working conditions encourages consistent creation, limits dangers of mishaps/wounds, and
abridges medical services charges. In any case, normal incapacitating wellbeing illnesses can put
a monetary and useful strain on the business. For example, stoutness is a pervasive wellbeing
concern prompting expanded dangers for falls, creating heart conditions, degenerative outer
muscle problems, and surprisingly hearing misfortune2.

A worker's work execution can be somewhat anticipated by testing like wellness to work and
character tests. In any case, genuine work execution is affected by many elements and the
consequence of such effect may not be promptly obvious until after it starts to influence
execution.

Job performance portrays the feeling of the employees related with the job as it is influenced by
different external factors. It consists of combination of the psychological environmental and
physiological situation which causes a person to truthfully assess that he or she is satisfied with
the job. This also consists of the mindfulness situation for the analysis of the job. Better job
performance leads to better job satisfaction which helps in the enhancement of the operational
activities in the business organization3.

Mindfulness practices generally include the activities like paying attention, being active at the
moment, accepting oneself, and focusing on breathing. In mindfulness, employees are taken to
2

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310498763_Job_Performance_Job_Satisfaction_and_Motivation_A_Cri
tical_Review_of_Their_Relationship
3
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236624589_Job_Performance

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the meditation world where they are made aware of themselves by forgetting the real-world
entities. Mindfulness activities never are associated with the interpretation or judging of any
situation, but they are concerned with the intense awareness of what they are sensing or feeling
at a particular moment of time. Employees need to be controlling their breaths, should be
generating guided imagery, and finally needs to relax their mind soul, and body to reduce real-
world stress and dilemma. Mindfulness activities are supposed to help reduce stress, anxiety,
pain, insomnia, depression, hypertension, and so on by improving attention, decreasing burnout
at the job, improving the sleep cycle, and controlling health issues.

Creativity really affects mindfulness and job performance. Any creative process engagement will
provide an increase in the creativity of the employees. There can be seen a direct relationship
between employee creativity and mindfulness activity. So, mindfulness can be mounted into the
job performance of the employee4. Engagement of the employees in the mediating process can
build a good working environment. If the employees are giving their best on what they are
performing, then they can improve the job efficiency. If they are not in the best of their mind or
mental status then the efficiency of the job also decreases. The employees need to be given some
mindfulness practices in the organization so that they can increase their creativity and hence
improve the job performance efficiency.

Many types of research state that the meditation practice always has a positive impact on the
cognitive as well as non-cognitive functioning related to the job performance of the employees.
The studies show how common are meditation is among the employees, what are the traits of the
employees who are carrying out the meditation practices, and finally define the relationship
between the mindfulness practice and the job performance of the employee. The improvement in
the performance of the employee in any domain or field has been a long time discussion topic.
Management sectors, health sectors, organizations, etc. are researching the impact of cognitive
intelligence on their employee’s job performance. Most recently the business fields have
introduced mindfulness training as a psychotherapy tool. The mindfulness practices improve
memory power, concentration power, creativity, motivational impacts, and emotional
intelligence. Neuroscience also suggests that mindfulness activities and practices significantly
impact the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine systems too. Biologically also it is

4
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2019.12.003

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proven that meditation can enhance the job performance of the employees in the business world.
A major focus of the researches remains on the reduction of conflicts, stress, and depression
among the employees5.

Many studies suggest the benefits of mindfulness in clinical, as well as personal aspects. There is
lack of better data to correlate the individual employee’s mindfulness and the impact on their
performance. Mindfulness has various definitions revolving around bringing non-judgmental
consciousness to the present experience, so it can be considered the art of conscious living.
According to (Marlatt &Kristeller, 1999), mindfulness is bringing one’s absolute attention to the
present experience on a moment-to-moment basis. It is also the psychological process of
bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment (Baer, 2003), which one
can develop through the practice of meditation and through other training.
Although Mindfulness has only been recently embraced by Western psychology, its practices
and techniques have been part of many Eastern philosophies, such as Buddhism, Taoism, Tai
Chi, Hinduism, and most martial arts, for thousands of years (Chiesa & Malinowski, 2011).
According to (Kabat-Zinn, 2003) In 2013 Kabat-Zinn wrote this definition: “Mindfulness is the
psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences

occurring in the present moment, which may be achieved through the practice of meditation and

Other training.” It is a process of consciously bringing awareness to your here-and-now

experience, with openness, interest, and receptiveness (Harris, 2006).

Training in mindfulness attempts to increase awareness of thoughts, emotions, and maladaptive

ways of responding to stress, thereby helping practitioners learn and cope with stress in healthier,
more effective ways (Shapiro, Astin, Bishop, & Cordova, 2005).

Job performance is studied academically as part of industrial and organizational psychology

along with a part of human resources management. It is an important criterion for organizational
outcomes and success as improvement of employee job performance has been an issue of interest
in the fields of management, occupational health, and organizational psychology. (Campbell,
McCloy, Oppler, & Sager, 1993) described job performance as an individual-level variable, or

5
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/1809754

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something a single person does which differentiates it from more encompassing constructs such
as organizational performance or national performance, which are higher-level variables.

One promising intervention that may improve individual job performance is a meditation
practice as meditation training has been used as a tool in psychotherapy and has recently been
introduced to the field of business. The practice of Mindfulness through meditation may have a
positive impact on concentration, memory, creativity, emotional intelligence, and motivation as
there is increasing evidence from the field of neuroscience suggesting that meditation practice
can enhance employees’ job performance via its influence on the autonomic nervous and
endocrine systems (Shiba, Nishimoto, Sugimoto, & Ishikawa, 2015).

Researchers in recent times are concerned with mindfulness in the workplace. The degree to
which the employees are aware of the mindfulness settings needs to be known by the
organization. In a dynamic environment, mindfulness is positively related to job performance.
There are various researches that have been conducted that show that despite having attention
there is a very poor linkage between mindfulness and job performance efficiency. Also, the
researchers and managers have been concerned about how to reduce the distraction among the
employees and have their high level of mental and physical wellbeing, and a higher level of
engagement in the job activities. According to a theory of Conservation of resources (CORs), the
initial acquisition of the resources will bring more and more resources to the individuals, and the
initial scarcity of the resources will ultimately lead towards a further depleted resource
availability in the future. As per the COR theory, the mindfulness of the employees is a special
resource of them, which ultimately helps to improve the psychological aspect of job
performance. If the employees are mindful and aware of the internal as well as external stimuli,
they can be able to maintain a high level of vigilance to their own experience and situation when
they are performing any tasks or job.

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2.1.2 History of mindfulness practices and their effects.

Mindfulness practice has been initiated as a business practice in the very recent past, but the
original practice can be dated back to thousands of years. Mindfulness practice was started as a
part of religious traditions in Buddhism and Hinduism, and more recently the yoga and
meditation practices have increased in a non-religious manner. Mindfulness practice was
originally famous in the Eastern part for the spiritual beliefs, but in the case of the West, it
became popular through the secular institutions. The wave of mindfulness practice that has
grown in the west has its roots in Eastern religions and spiritual values. There is an overlap of
mindfulness and yoga practices as both of them include the notion of being aware of one’s body.
There is an interesting coincidence that the rise of Hinduism coincides with the birth of yoga.
There has been quite a historical shift of mindfulness practices from the east to the west. Jon
Kabat-Zinn is considered to be one of the most significant people to have brought the
mindfulness concept to the western culture, through his Center for Mindfulness at eh
Massachusetts University. Now he is even considered as the guru and founder of the modern-day
notion of mindfulness that is familiar to us. Mindfulness is not a trend or just a cultural moment,
it is a culmination of the study that has been made for thousands of years. This study
encompasses religious, spiritual, philosophical, and scientific perspectives of mindfulness.  

Hinduism being one of the oldest religions, tracing its history is quite difficult. According to
many British writers, Hinduism is called a Vedic tradition that started back in the 1800s. Since
the start of Hinduism, it has been intertwined with mindfulness practices. In the Bhagavad Gita,
yoga and Vedic meditation have been discussed in detail. Along with Hinduism, Buddhism is
also credited to the flourishment of the mindfulness practice. Gautam Buddha was born in Nepal
and meditated for several years. Currently, Dalai Lama has been serving to flourish the
mindfulness acts across the east.

For several hundreds of years, sages from various cultures and traditions have been claiming the
benefits of mindfulness as a psychological state. Although historically mindfulness has been
associated with the philosophical and traditional domains rather than the scientific domains,
since the 2000s the research activities around mindfulness and its impact on the various fields
have increased immensely. Mindfulness has been included in clinical as well as counseling
psychology.

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In the present time mindfulness practice has grown and its implementations in organizations,
especially in the western communities, have evolved immensely. Organizations since 2003 have
started to train the staff, and managers for spiritual as well as wellbeing practices. The
mindfulness practices including especially the meditation and the contemplation aspects have
been leading the movement in the businesses. In the articles after 2016 6 we can observe that
mindfulness practices have been intervened in the workplace by using the spiritual and various
therapeutic approaches.

The movement of introducing the mindfulness practice to the employees of the organizations has
provoked some serious debate among the researcher and the scholars, which has given rise to
two dominant theories regarding the mindfulness concept. First of the approach suggests a
positive approach that there can be tangible outcomes of the mindfulness practices in the
employees, as they can have reduced stress. The approach thinks that the mindfulness practice is
a humanist concept which ultimately supports the workflow and workforce. While the second
type of approach and scholars are critical of the mindfulness practices in the context of western
businesses. The critics are that the term ‘mindfulness’ is quite vague and holds extensively
diverse programs. Though there is a commonality in the programs the toots in spirituality and
clinical therapy have become diminished. These critical points focus on the implementation of
mindfulness practices that have been more work acceleration centric rather than following the
actual spiritual process and wellbeing. Very few of the studies have been providing the critical
reflective perspectives of the mindfulness practice in the organizational context. Modern-day
research states that mindfulness practice can have affect employee work performance on the
three levels. Organizational level, group level, or individual level. The organizational level
means that the practice has an effect on the entire organization, the group level indicates that the
effects are prominent to a certain group or team or department, and the individual level indicates
the impacts on the personal circumstances. Though historically the mindfulness practice has
started from the root of religion, spirituality, and tradition, nowadays with its integration into the
organization's business acceleration approach and plans, there have been some deviations from
the original root. Some clinical therapies have been in increasing number, and the secular

6
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1350508420968195

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application of mindfulness practices has been used in the medical industry as a medical treatment
approach for physical as well as mental illness7.

2.1.3 Current situation of Mindfulness practices in Nepal and its effect in employee’s job
performance

Every type of organization be it service-oriented or profit-oriented, they have some sort of

conflicts and issues prevailing in their workplace. This is a global situation. Employees across
the globe are facing mental sickness and poor wellbeing of their health. Anxiety and depression
are the key mental issues among the employees. Organizations in Nepal have been concerned
about the stress factor of the employees that is indirectly influencing the efficiency of the job
performance, and also the satisfaction level is decreased.

In Nepal organizational productivity, and the performance factor are heavily dependent on the
mental state of the employees. The behavior of the employees has been found to be influenced
by the overall health of the individual as well as the organization itself. In recent years, the
researches on mindfulness have been increased effectively in Nepal. There has been some
empirical research that has made a research on mindfulness from a workplace perspective in
Nepal. All the issues and problems of depression, stress, anxiety, etc. can be solved easily by a
deeper understanding of mindfulness practices. This practice has been adopted by international
organizations and companies for the efficiency of their employees in the workplace. But yet
Nepalese organizations are way behind in implementing such practices. We are neglecting the
concept of mindfulness practice in the workplace. Some companies provide special corporate-
level courses for mindfulness practice and its implementation.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have become significant interventions in the treatment

of psychiatric conditions. According to a research article, Nepalese have now begun to perform
multitask in the company and the stress factor is increasing as compared to the previous years.
So, Nepalese companies are trying to introduce mindfulness practices and stop multitasking, and
also have started campaigns to aware the employees about self-compassion. Some companies
7
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1350508420968195#

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and businesses have been evolving in Nepal to provide mindfulness practices for other
companies. Talking about the example, an organization Om Shanti has been offering such
practices for several schools, colleges, and companies in Nepal, especially around the
Kathmandu valley. They offer their mindfulness course to the employees of the companies.
Many individuals have been active participants of such programs, however, their full-fledged
application at the company level is yet to be implemented. Several business articles and columns
have been posted by The Kathmandu Post in the recent past to make Nepalese businesses aware
of the effect of the mindfulness practice on the job performance of their employees. According to
(Ruchin Singh) meditation has become a sham in the current time, as the word and practice are
not as mystic as it was originally. Despite the buzz in Nepal, still, Nepali community has a
muddy vision regarding mindfulness practices.

2.1.4 Importance of Mindfulness practice in the performance of the employees

Mindfulness is much more than just practicing the yoga poses and being self-aware.
Many business organizations believe that mindfulness and meditation will improve work
performance, and the thinking outside the box nature of the employees. Even startups and
businesses have been looking to hire individuals who practice meditations. At first
glance, one may think of no relation of mindfulness to the business world, but upon
closer look, the clear connection can be visualized. The significance of the mindfulness
practice in the performance of the employees can be discussed as follows:

 There will be a better balance between work and life. The balance between work and life
can foster a better performance on the job, irrespective of the number of working hours.
Employees who are granted some level of freedom have a better loyalty and work ethics.
Mindfulness practice makes life easier for the employees by identifying the actual needs
and requirements of the employees, by assisting them to understand their inner lives.
 A better emotional intelligence can be achieved by the employees by the practice of
mindfulness activities. Every business and entrepreneur has recognized the necessity of
emotional intelligence in their employees. Rather than the raw brainpower emotional

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 intelligence is concerned with the job at hand. Employees can be brought to a new sense
of calmness as well as acceptance. The executives and managers who have a high level of
emotional intelligence can better manage their employees and deal with a variety of
personalities.
 The mindfulness practice improves the focus of the employees. There have been several
types of research that suggest the positive impact on employee focus and concentration.
Nowadays people are lacking the ability to focus on the job. Employees often get
distracted by smartphones and the meetings that are conducted for a longer period of
time. So, the mindfulness practice allows the employees to focus on one task at a time.
 Similarly, the creativity8 of the employees can be enhanced by the implementation of
mindfulness activities. The businesses in the current time and world are best if they could
get attached to the nerve of every customer or the end-users. Bigger companies like
Apple have been able to do the same. All the successful companies have been supporting
one common thing, i.e. progressive creativity. And this ongoing creativity is achieved
through the mindfulness of every employee. Employees can have a creative environment
to think out of the box, and this provides a real competitive edge to the business.
 Reduction in the stress of the employees, as well as the workplace, is another important
aspect of mindfulness. Due to work overload, and elongated worktime, employees might
get disengaged in their tasks or job, due to which their job performance of them declines
in quality. As per the research9 carried out by the European Agency for Safety and Health
at work, more than 80 percent of employees shared that they suffer from stress in their
workplace, and over 550 million workdays are hindered due to stress-related
absenteeism. For tackling this stress-related situation, giant companies like Google,
Adobe, etc. are organizing formal mindfulness programs. Such programs reduce the
stress and increase the job engagement of the employees. Stress can be due to personal
issues, job security-related issues, workload, etc.
 Problem solving and adaptability of the employees have been found to increase
immensely when there is a mindfulness environment in the job place. Employees seem to
adapt faster at work. They can deal with the multiple work demands effectively. Mainly
the adaptability is important for the employees at the leadership position so that they can
8
https://www.mindful.org/does-meditation-boost-creativity/
9
https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress/

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 manage the ever-changing priorities. Adaptability makes the employees adjust to their
beliefs as well as perceptions. Similarly, mindfulness practice helps to remove the clutter
from the raw brain. The problem-solving ability of the employees seems to enhance by
the mindfulness activities. New angles to think and reflect can be instantiated in the
peaceful and distraction-free mind.
 One crucial aspect of the mindfulness activities is the change in perception towards the
world, and other people. Many surveys have shown the increase in empathy towards
other employees and staff. Employees become capable to understand the mindset of
others and resonate with others mental state in emotional way. This could the best and the
most important part of practicing mindfulness among the employees.
 In the hectic world of today, taking breaks in between the job and tasks seems to be the
most important part. Mindfulness practices help to provide this much-needed break to the
employees. Break from critical thinking, and problem-solving activities will provide
prevention from stagnant thinking, and employees can absorb new information.

2.1.5 Factors affecting the mindfulness practices and their effect on the employees

Mindfulness practice and its real impact are not been given as much importance as they should
be given. The intrinsic and extrinsic factors are present that affect the way mindfulness practices
can impact the job performance of the employees. Various researches suggest that the working
environment and the basic psychological needs of the employee at work have an indirect
association with job performance10. The mindfulness practice itself is an important factor to
promote well-being in the workplace. Emotional exhaustion becomes an important factor that
demands mindfulness practices.

The intrinsic factors could be the emotional nature of the job assigned to the employee, the
behavior of the seniors in the workplace, the reward system for the job performance. While the
extrinsic factors could be the way legal and ethical situations are panning out in the organization,
economic state of the workplace, political influence in the working environment, etc. In the
current time, employees also look towards the priority given by the organization to the

10
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-014-0338-7

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mindfulness and mental health/well-being of the staff. Every employee wants to feel safe and
sound while performing their job, and by doing so their performance also increases and
improves. So, these influential factors need to be made part of the researches more often than
not.

2.1.6 Researchers showing the positive impact of mindfulness practices in the job
performance of the employees.

Mindfulness practice is great for a person in every aspect of life. Mindfulness generates
creativity in an individual. Since we have lots of stuff that can be distracting at times, it’s quite
tough to be mindful at work. Everyone is stressed out and figuring out several things personally
and professionally. In such cases, being mindful and being in a right place is a necessity to attain
better job performance. Mindfulness is all about paying attention to what our mind is doing and
what is happening around us in the present moment.

Well-conducted mindfulness interventions cause no harm and enhance every positive trait of an
individual. It transforms the mental, emotional, and social well-being of a person which
eventually cast an impact on physical fitness too. Mindfulness practice reduces stress levels,
anxiety, feeling of anger and disgust, and increases confidence, courage, and self-awareness.11
According to neuroscience and brain imaging, mindfulness alters the function of the brain and
enhances the effectiveness and quality of thoughts and feelings.12

An individual can benefit from mindfulness in critical ways. It helps them to be more focused,
enjoy the moment around them, and have control over their emotions. Overall, one becomes
productive, happier, and less stressed. It has been practiced in high tech and construction
companies as it improves employee well-being at the same time as improving the company’s
financial success. Mindfulness will not just make us productive and happier, it makes us safer
and more effective at our job. Mindfulness facilitates the execution of plans and intentions into
real practice and helps to attain the organizational goal.13
11
http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26551/1/PubSub3168_Griffiths.pdf
12
http://www.mindfulnessineducation.com/uploads/5/6/3/9/5639790/evidence_on_mindfulness_in_schools.pdf
13

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anna-Lis/publication/329590890_Technology_transfer_centers_as_an_instr
ument_for_the_development_of_technological_capabilities/links/5c11550e299bf139c754773d/Technology-
transfer-centers-as-an-instrument-for-the-development-of-technological-capabilities.pdf#page=148

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The more mindful one becomes, the more empathetic one is to their customers at work.
Mindfulness brings calmness, relaxation, and the ability to manage behavior and emotions. With
mindfulness, one is careful and can listen better which allows them to understand the customer
and serve what they need. When a person has peace of mind, the world around them seems easy
to them whereas a person distracted with lots of thoughts finds it hard to manage themselves.
Mindfulness lets the job holders be present at the moment and focus on what they are doing.
They are more effective in communication which helps them to deal with any kind of customers
and provide generous services to them. It allows cooperating with the coworkers and with no
doubt teamwork brings out the best of the potential. Mindfulness directly supplies the
development of cognitive and performance skills. The studies also claim that mindful people
experience positive emotions, gain popularity, and have more friends i.e. they are socially
interactive. Mindfulness decreases the vulnerability to negative emotions and anxiety.
Mindfulness increases job performance in the workplace regardless of the type of company. 14
The group of mindful workers in a workplace creates high productivity and job performance.

Together with having a sound relationship with the customers, mindfulness enhances the energy
around the workplace. When every worker is in good mood, it gradually impacts the whole
surrounding. The work efficiency increases, and so does the benefits for the company. The
healthy relationship between the colleagues assists in generating better ideas and bringing out the
true potential within them. Teamwork and helping hands are a necessity for the job performance
and growth of the company which is gained through the mindfulness of the workers.

Mindfulness provides personal clarity to the employees. It helps them become a better version of
themselves and understand their need. Mindful individuals are happier, good communicators,
understanding, and creative. These qualities reflect in their daily activities and job performance.
Therefore, encouraging the employee to attain mindfulness directly serves the company.

The idea of mindfulness emphasizes the idea of multitasking. We can’t multi-task, we tend to do
several tasks at once by shifting our energy from one job to another simultaneously. This act
decreases the productivity rate since the focus is not stable. 15Being invested in only a single job
14

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bradley-Brummel/publication/280292518_Examining_workplace_mindfuln
ess_and_its_relations_to_job_performance_and_turnover_intention/links/563276f108aefa44c368519d/
Examining-workplace-mindfulness-and-its-relations-to-job-performance-and-turnover-intention.pdf
15
https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joop.12025

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at once is a major requirement to attain creativity and productivity. Mindfulness allows an
individual to focus on one thing completely which expands the focus and the rate of job
performance too.

Similarly, having a mindful leader in a company is believed to produce a larger improvement

rate.16 A leader with clarity of thoughts and emotions can easily manage the workers. The
leadership skills in a mindful leader contribute to the whole system of the work. A conscious
leader who is present at work and has a generous focus on what he does can assist the rapid
increment in the job performance of the workers.17

2.1.7 Researchers showing the negative impact of mindfulness practices on the job
performance of the employees.
Having an unclear understanding of the consequences of mindfulness could lead to mindfulness
as a cruel idea for all workers. Mindfulness isn’t meant to be a toxic culture at work.
Mindfulness can’t be forced into employees, they must be aware of it by themselves. Therefore,
spreading theories of mindfulness without the person being ready to adapt is a disturbance more
than the effectiveness. In a new study examining some of these experiences, 6% of participants
who practiced mindfulness reported negative side effects and 14% reported disruptive side
effects that lasted for more than a month.18 The impacts included feeling emotionless, social
withdrawal, and cognitive impairments. These factors directly affect the daily activities of an
individual and their job performance. One must be aware of their mind and actions during
mindfulness practice. Anything more than required causes trouble and harsh effects.

Mindfulness emphasizes focusing on the present moment leaving behind the thoughts of past
and future circling the brain. If a person only focuses on the present moment every time and
doesn’t pay attention to any past or future event it reduces motivation in them. The thoughts of
the past and future are supposed to drive a person to do better. Being mindful in such a way and
being monotonous to a single task going on at the present can result in a person being careless
about the possible consequences. The workers can’t predict the possible outcomes of their task if
they are only present at the moment and has no idea of the upcoming consequences. Rational
16
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1744-7941.12143
17
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11612-018-0413-y
18
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2167702621996340

xxv
thoughts generate awareness. The jobholders must hope for the best but it’s still important to
prepare for the worse cases that they can face. Having no prediction about the future can create a
huge loss at some point.

At work, it’s important to consider past experiences to become aware of the prevention of any
trouble and also the future events which generate the idea of possible consequences of the work.
Consideration of consequences will help in their management earlier. Since mindfulness
emphasizes the focus on the present without letting any other thoughts drive you around,
consciously choosing the things to focus on can be a better approach. One can be aware of what
thoughts to attain. Avoiding negative forces and distractions is necessary. However, choosing the
right thoughts about the past or future has its importance in job performance. It is different from
mind wandering off getting distracted from the work which comes from conscious choices and
discipline.

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2.2 Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variables

Enhance Willingness

Mindfulness Enhance Job

Enhance Capacity
Practices Performance

Enhance positive
Attitude

Figure 2.2.1 Conceptual framework showing the interrelationships among the study variables

The theoretical framework of the research topic illustrates the relationship between the
independent and the dependent variables.

i. Independent variable of the study: The independent variable is chosen for the study
completely distinct from other variables, and its variation does not depend on the
variation of others. In the conceptual framework of the research area, the independent
variable is Mindfulness Practice.
a. Mindfulness practice: It defines a basic meditation-related aspect of life. Each
individual goes into a deep sense of understanding himself/herself. The
mindfulness practice tries to keep the individual in the present moment. The
basics of mindfulness practice involve sound breathing techniques, imaging
capabilities, and some other activities to relax the body and mind. Mindfulness

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 should begin with the wakeup and follow in eating, taking breaks, performing
tasks, and so on.
ii. Dependent variables of the study: These variables are completely dependent on the
other variables under study. Their value changes according to the variation of others.
In the framework shown in Figure 2.2.1, the dependent variables are: enhancing the
willingness, enhancing the capacity, and enhancing the positive attitude of the
employees. All these dependent variables are supposed to enhance job performance as
a whole.
a. Enhancing willingness: Willingness refers to the level at which the individual
wants to perform something. In the case of employees and jobs, the willingness
deals with their eagerness of them to perform the job. In order to have an
enhanced willingness among the employees, mindfulness is a fast-growing
phenomenon19. All types of suffering and distractions are eliminated, and the
individual becomes eager to perform the job efficiently.

b. Enhancing Capacity

Although the employees perform their job on a day-to-day basis, there can be seen
efficiency differences. This may be due to the variation incapacity of the
individual. Ability and capacity can be enhanced through the proper training of
mindfulness practices. The cognitive function of the individual has been found to
be increased with mindfulness trainings.20

c. Enhancing positive attitude: Positive attitude refers to the way an individual

perceives any situation. Mindfulness is supposed to enhance the readiness21 for
change or alterations. Employees’ attitudes towards their job can be enhanced by
their engagement in mindfulness.
19

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323377657_THE_EFFECTS_OF_MINDFULNESS_TRAINING_ON_STUDEN
TS
%27_L2_SPEAKING_ANXIETY_WILLINGNESS_TO_COMMUNICATE_LEVEL_OF_MINDFULNESS_AND_L2_SPEAKING_P
ERFORMANCE
20
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0956797612459659
21
https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2013.768433

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2.3 Research Gap

Though mindfulness practices were originated thousands of years back in history, their
implementation in businesses has been predominant only recently. In that context, we can find
many types of research published on the impact of mindfulness in the employee’s job
performance in European and American organizations and companies, but such researches are
next to none in the scenario of Nepal. It is very difficult to find, beyond some articles and
journals; that too post COVID pandemic.

Even the researches made in the past have been focused on the general topic of how mindfulness
has affected the job performance of the employees. In this report, the impact of mindfulness is
measured through the dependent variables like enhancement in willingness to perform a job,
enhancement in capacity to perform a job, and the enhancement in the attitude (positive) of the
employee after the mindfulness practices are implemented.

This research tries to cover the in-depth situation of mindfulness in the variety of corporate
organizations currently adopting it or which are looking to adopt it. The impact on the
corporates, doctors, engineers, and so on will be analyzed by the research methodologies.
Therefore the relationship between mindfulness practice and the enhancement in the employee’s
job performance can be easily illustrated by the research.

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