Mindfulness Makes Employees More Creative? The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Creative Process Engagement

Abstract

ABSTRACT Previous studies on mindfulness and creativity have focused on the beneficial effects of mindfulness on concentration. However, few have explored this from the perspective of psychological resources. Based on resource conservation theory, this study focuses on the positive psychological functions of mindfulness and how they complement the psychological resources depleted in the performance of creativity. Thus, guaranteeing the completion of creativity‐related activities. We used a three‐time lag design and analyzed reports from 404 employees and 85 supervisors to explore the impact of employees' mindfulness on their creativity and the chain‐mediating role of psychological capital and creative process engagement in the relationship between the two. The results indicated that employees' mindfulness can influence their creativity not only directly but also through the mediation of just creative process engagement as well as through the chain mediation of psychological capital and creative process. The findings revealed the psychological mechanisms through which employees' mindfulness impacts their creativity, providing a scientific basis for exploring how to effectively enhance employees' creativity and dissipating the doubts raised about the current widespread use of mindfulness in organizations.