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Examining the Moderating Effect of Mindfulness on the Relationship
between Job Stressors and Strain Outcomes
David M. Fisher, Alison J. Kerr, and Sydnie Cunningham
The University of Tulsa
Interest in the construct of mindfulness has steadily increased in recent years. The current investigation
characterized mindfulness as a personal resource that has the potential to help individuals deal with
stressors at work, thereby reducing the likelihood that those stressors will result in personal and
job-related strain outcomes. This possibility was examined by considering mindfulness in relation to
various stressors (i.e., workload, organizational constraints, experienced incivility) and strain outcomes
(i.e., mental symptoms of strain, physical symptoms of strain, job dissatisfaction). Data were collected
via an online survey administered to a sample of police officers (n⫽239). Two statistically significant
interactions were observed, whereby mindfulness moderated the relationship between workload and both
mental and physical symptoms of strain.
Keywords: mindfulness, work stress, stressors, strain, job satisfaction
Interest in the construct of mindfulness has steadily increased in
recent years, largely owing to the potential of mindfulness to
positively impact stress management. This growing interest has
been fueled by evidence and theory that highlight the positive
effects of mindfulness on individual health and well-being (Brown
& Ryan, 2003;Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, & Freedman, 2006) as well
as the potential for improved workplace functioning (Dane &
Brummel, 2014;Hülsheger, Alberts, Feinholdt, & Lang, 2013).
Interest in this topic is further reflected in the fact that mindfulness
has recently been the focus of various commentaries, scholarly
review articles, and media attention (Brown, Ryan, & Creswell,
2007;Glomb, Duffy, Bono, & Yang, 2011;Good et al., 2016;
Gregoire, 2013;Hyland, Lee, & Mills, 2015;Ruland, 2016). A
common theme emerging from these sources is that, despite recent
interest and attention, the academic study of mindfulness—partic-
ularly in relation to work—is still relatively new and underdevel-
oped. For example, Hyland et al. (2015) noted that, “despite
growing interest, mindfulness has received little attention from the
industrial-organizational community” (p. 576). Others have simi-
larly commented that research on mindfulness in the workplace is
“still scarce” (Hülsheger et al., 2013, p. 310) and “much of the
existing literature has been conducted outside the work environ-
ment” (Glomb et al., 2011, p. 145). Although it now appears that
studies of mindfulness in organizations are becoming more com-
mon (Ruland, 2016), additional research that examines mindful-
ness in relation to stress management at work is clearly needed.
Employing a sample of police officers, the current investigation
examined whether mindfulness has the potential to buffer individ-
uals in this job from the negative consequences of work-related
stressors. Drawing on the occupational stress literature, mindful-
ness was characterized as a personal resource that might help
individuals deal with stressors on the job, thereby reducing the
likelihood that those stressors will result in personal and job-
related strain outcomes. To examine this possibility, three stressors
were considered (i.e., workload, organizational constraints, expe-
rienced incivility) in addition to three strain-based outcome vari-
ables (i.e., mental symptoms of strain, physical symptoms of
strain, job dissatisfaction). These variables were chosen as a rep-
resentative set of stressors and strains that are likely to be appli-
cable to law enforcement work. Drawing on prominent theories in
the occupational stress domain, mindfulness was treated as a
potential moderator of the relationship between the work stressors
and strains.
On the basis of the preceding discussion, the current investiga-
tion makes several contributions. First and foremost, considering
the noted dearth of research that has examined mindfulness in the
work context (Hyland et al., 2015), the current investigation adds
to this important area of inquiry by empirically examining the
relationship of mindfulness with several stress and work-relevant
variables. This, in turn, can inform our understanding of mindful-
ness as it relates to the management of stress at work and further
provides data that might be used in subsequent meta-analytic
summaries of the literature, which are especially important in
emerging areas of study. Indeed, Glomb et al. (2011) commented
that a growing body of scientific research is necessary to ensure
that mindfulness is viewed as more than merely an empty panacea
or fad.
Second and perhaps more critically, although the management
of stress is one of the primary touted benefits of mindfulness
This article was published Online First December 28, 2017.
David M. Fisher, Alison J. Kerr, and Sydnie Cunningham, Department
of Psychology, The University of Tulsa.
The data presented in this study were collected while David M. Fisher
was a consultant at Stanard and Associates, Inc., but the majority of work
related to the preparation of the article was completed in David M. Fisher’s
present role at The University of Tulsa. An earlier version of this article
was presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and
Organizational Psychology.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to David M.
Fisher, Department of Psychology, The University of Tulsa, 800 South
Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104. E-mail: david-fisher@utulsa.edu
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International Journal of Stress Management © 2017 American Psychological Association
2019, Vol. 26, No. 1, 78– 88 1072-5245/19/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/str0000090
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