How companies in Norway approach mindfulness in organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate and further clarify the process of how Norwegian companies approach mindfulness in their organizations, how the training is organized and perceived. We thoroughly studied the existing theory and present mindfulness relevance for current organizational and leadership research. Through in-depth interviews with mindfulness coaches and the representatives of the organizations where the training took place, we explored and defined five practical components of successful mindfulness implementation in an organization: (1) initiative and motives, (2) mindfulness as a concept, (3) structure of a course, (4) participant’s profiles and (5) post-training feedback and evaluation. We based our findings on participants’ shared experience and the throughout research and concluded them in the form of applicable guidelines for mindfulness implementation in an organization, which can contribute to the effectiveness of the training held further as well as their expansion. We gathered some valuable insights from the interviews, which had included certain recommendations to enhance satisfaction with the course. Additionally, the topic of mindfulness is highly relevant nowadays since in times of crisis it helps to create and to maintain a healthy work environment, which is extremely important in the current coronavirus pandemic situation. Moreover, mindfulness commits to the reduction of negative consequences caused by today’s economic uncertainty.