Mindfulness and Burnout: An Effort-Reward Imbalance Approach Across Cultures

Abstract

This research explores the moderating effects of mindfulness on the relationships between work effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and job-burnout (JBO). On the basis of a cross-lagged longitudinal research design across two different countries, e.g. Pakistan (T1, n= 338; T2, n= 191) and France (T1, n= 277, T2, n=146), results support mindfulness as a moderator of the relationship between ERI and JBO. Two separate studies using structural equation modeling yield similar results in both France and Pakistan. We suggest that mindfulness serves as a personal resource, as it helps employees to achieve psychological balance when facing low rewards and high efforts. Altogether, these findings help reconcile divergent perspectives of traditional Buddhists and modern philosophers on mindfulness interventions.