Unfazed by Shackles: Do Constraints Really Affect Team Mindfulness?

Abstract

Although research shows that collective mindfulness may have significant organizational consequences, studies have not adequately addressed how collective mindfulness is manifested in organizational sub-units such as groups and teams. Nor have these studies addressed the question- what affects collective mindfulness in teams. Using survey data from a housing finance organization, we explore how ‘team mindfulness’ is affected by two antecedents, namely- organizational constraints, and the connectedness of team members with people outside the team. We find that constraints, particularly those which are interpersonal in nature, negatively affect team mindfulness, while connectedness moderates these relationships. By exploring the antecedents of team mindfulness, we contribute to a deeper understanding of collective mindfulness in organizations. We discuss the implications of this study for theory and practice. Keywords: team mindfulness; constraints; connectedness