Should We Be More Mindful? The Joint Impact of an Abusive Work Environment and Mindfulness on Employee Well-Being and Turnover Intentions

Abstract

Using social information processing theory, this study aims to examine the relationships among an abusive work environment, mindfulness, employee well-being, and turnover intentions. This study was conducted based on a quantitative survey of employees working in the lodging industry in the United States. The findings reveal the joint impacts of abusive supervision, abusive coworker treatment, and mindfulness on employee well-being and turnover intention. Specifically, the results show that mindfulness exacerbates the relation between abusive behaviors and employee well-being, providing evidence of a moderated mediation effect in the relationship between abusive supervision/coworker treatment and turnover intentions through employee well-being. This research contributes to the literature and theory by demonstrating the potential dark side of employees’ mindfulness.