Are YOU Misunderstanding “Mindfulness”?
Razi Berry Mindful awareness is about both accepting and engaging with life’s challenges, and that’s what popularized concepts of mindfulness tend to miss, new research has found. Studying popular concepts of mindfulness, the researchers found most laypeople are confusing the practice with passive acceptance of problem — a misconception scientists say ignores the important work […]
Is Technology Making Workplaces “Better?”
Razi Berry In the traditional narrative of the evolving 21st century workplace, technological substitution of human employees is treated as a serious concern. But technological complementarity — the use of automation and artificial intelligence to complement workers, rather than replace them — is viewed optimistically as a good thing, improving productivity and wages for those […]
Skill Competency is Second in Importance to Friendliness in the Workplace
Razi Berry People who are friendly and trustworthy are more likely to be selected for teams than those who are known for just their skill competency and personal reputation, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. While people who are both trustworthy and competent are the most sought after when […]
Workspace Air Quality Impacts Productivity
Razi Berry The air quality within an office can have significant impacts on employees’ cognitive function, including response times and ability to focus, and it may also affect their productivity, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The one-year study, which included participants in offices across six countries working […]
Happy Marriages Impact Professional Performance
Razi Berry While companies have focused on building an optimal office environment to get the best out of their employees, there may be another way to boost workplace creativity. Research conducted by Professor Xu Huang from the School of Business of Hong Kong Baptist University suggests that a key to taking employee creativity to the […]
Multitasking Could Lead to Negative Work Culture
Razi Berry From writing papers to answering emails, it’s common for office workers to juggle multiple tasks at once. But those constant interruptions can actually create sadness, fear and eventually, a tense working environment, according to a new study aimed at understanding what shapes the emotional culture of a workplace. Could constant interruptions induce sadness, […]
Mental and Physical Health Affects Workplace Productivity
Razi Berry Mental and physical health are the most important factors affecting workplace productivity, reports an open-access paper in the June Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. “Systematic and simultaneous” analysis of factors influencing workplace productivity Martin Stepanek, MA, of Charles University, Prague, and colleagues present a “systematic and simultaneous” analysis of the many factors […]
The World Health Organization’s Response to Workplace Burnout
Razi Berry During the last week of May, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially acknowledged the pathological state of workplace burnout and issued a detailed info sheet outlining how workplace burnout effects mental health and physical health, as well as economic drain. Below is the full info sheet which can also be found on the […]