正念对员工工作意义感的提升作用及其机制*

李斌; 李晓晖; 张凯迪; 朱钦; 李爱梅

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250515

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心理科学 ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (5) : 1197-1209. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250515

社会、人格与管理

正念对员工工作意义感的提升作用及其机制^*

李斌, 李晓晖, 张凯迪, 朱钦, 李爱梅^**

作者信息 +

The Effects of Mindfulness on Promoting Employees' Work Meaningfulness and its Mechanisms

Li Bin, Li Xiaohui, Zhang Kaidi, Zhu Qin, Li Aimei

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文章历史 +

摘要

工作意义感的缺失逐渐引起社会关注,提升工作意义感有助于员工满足自我实现的需要,在工作中实现自我价值。文章基于正念意义理论,通过问卷调查及干预训练,探讨了正念对员工工作意义感的促进作用及其机制。结果发现：(1) 员工的正念水平可以有效预测其工作意义感,认知重评和仔细品味在其中起到双中介作用;(2) 7天短时正念训练能有效提升员工的认知重评、仔细品味水平,进而提高员工的工作意义感。研究结果不仅丰富了工作意义感的前因研究,拓展了正念意义理论在组织领域的应用,同时也为如何提升员工工作意义感提供了参考依据。

Abstract

The declining sense of meaningfulness in work has become a critical societal concern, as it directly impacts employees' self-actualization and value realization in professional settings. Although prior studies have predominantly examined external organizational factors, the proactive role of individual psychological processes remains underexplored. Grounded on the mindfulness-to-meaning theory, which posits that mindfulness facilitates meaning-making through cognitive-affective pathways, this research investigates how mindfulness enhances work meaningfulness via two mediating mechanisms: cognitive reappraisal and savoring.
The research employed a dual-method approach comprising a cross-sectional survey (Study 1) and an intervention experiment (Study 2). In Study 1, 407 Chinese employees completed validated scales measuring mindfulness (Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale), cognitive reappraisal (Emotional Regulation Questionnaire), savoring (Savoring Beliefs Inventory), and work meaningfulness (Work and Meaning Inventory). Study 2 adopted a 2 (group: intervention vs. control) × 2 (time: pre-test vs. post-test) mixed design with 60 participants. Both groups underwent baseline measurements identical to Study 1. The intervention group then received a 7-day mindfulness program led by a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor, featuring core practices such as breath awareness, body scans, and loving-kindness meditation. The control group received no intervention. Post-test measurements were conducted after 7 days after the training.
Study 1 found a significant positive relation between mindfulness and work meaningfulness (b = .338, 95% CI = [.253, .424]). Furthermore, the indirect effects of cognitive reappraisal (Ind1 = .128, 95% CI = [ .066, .201]) and savoring (Ind2 = .090, 95% CI = [.044, .147]) on the relationship between mindfulness and work meaningfulness were also significant. Therefore, cognitive reappraisal and savoring were observed to partially mediate the relationship between mindfulness and work meaningfulness. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in effect sizes between the two mediators (Diff(Ind1-Ind2) = .038, 95%CI = [- .129, .051]). These findings were replicated experimentally in Study 2. In Study 2, the mindfulness (t = 3.22, p < .01), cognitive reappraisal (t = 4.55, p < .001), savoring (t = 2.97, p < .01), and work meaningfulness (t = 3.65, p = .001) of the intervention group participants were all observed to improve after a 7-day brief mindfulness training. Additionally, a significant positive effect between mindfulness and work meaningfulness was found (b = .463, 95% CI = [ 262, .664]). The indirect effect of cognitive reappraisal (Ind1 = .137, 95% CI = [.041, .261]) and savoring (Ind2 = .087, 95% CI = [ .007, .189]) on the relationship between mindfulness and work meaningfulness was found to be significant. Hence, cognitive reappraisal and savoring were once again determined to partially mediate the relationship between mindfulness and work meaningfulness. There was no significant difference in effect sizes between the two mediators (Diff(Ind1-Ind2) = .050, 95%CI = [- .213, .102]). Both studies showed that there was a significant positive effect between mindfulness and work meaningfulness, which was mediated by cognitive reappraisal and savoring. Besides, the results of study 2 confirmed the findings of previous research that mindfulness can be enhanced through a short-term intervention training.
This research advances the literature on work meaningfulness through three key contributions. First, it shifts the focus from external organizational determinants to the proactive psychological processes of employees, demonstrating that mindfulness can cultivate work meaningfulness, thereby complementing traditional "top-down" approaches. Second, it extends the mindfulness-to-meaning theory to the organizational field by revealing dual mediation pathways through cognitive reappraisal and savoring, which enable individuals to reframe challenges and amplify positive experiences. Third, it challenges the deficit-reduction paradigm in mindfulness research by highlighting its capacity to proactively foster adaptive behaviors rather than merely mitigate negative states. The research also holds significant practical implications. It demonstrates that a 7-day mindfulness intervention significantly enhances work meaningfulness, offering organizations a cost-effective tool for employee development. Employees can leverage brief mindfulness training to autonomously strengthen meaning perception through habitual cognitive reappraisal and savoring practices.

导出引用

李斌, 李晓晖, 张凯迪, 朱钦, 李爱梅. 正念对员工工作意义感的提升作用及其机制^*[J]. 心理科学. 2025, 48(5): 1197-1209 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250515

Li Bin, Li Xiaohui, Zhang Kaidi, Zhu Qin, Li Aimei. The Effects of Mindfulness on Promoting Employees' Work Meaningfulness and its Mechanisms[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2025, 48(5): 1197-1209 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250515

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