Do you mind the way I mind?: mindfulness contagion in leader-member exchange relationships

Mindfulness has captured the attention of organizational scholars and practitioners alike, in large part due to the positive effects it can have for employees. Recently, researchers have begun to look beyond the personal benefits of mindfulness at work, investigating its interpersonal consequences in leader-follower relationships. While this line of research has generated promising findings suggesting the benefits of leader mindfulness for followers, it is not well understood how mindful leaders exert this positive influence. Using dyadic data collected from supervisors and subordinates working in a Canadian public sector organization, this study examines whether mindful leaders can improve follower well-being and performance by nurturing high-quality leader-member exchange relationships and promoting follower mindfulness. The results indicate that both the size and direction of the effects of leader mindfulness on follower mindfulness and well-being are contingent upon the quality of LMX relationships nurtured by group members and their leaders.

Authors

• Sonmor, Jasper
• University of Lethbridge. Dhillon School of Business

• leader mindfulness
• dispositional mindfulness
• leader-member exchange
• subjective well-being
• in-role performance

Identifier

hdl:10133/6152

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/6152