Abstract
An analytical framework seeking to understand the application of practicing meditation towards mediating egocentrism is presented. It emphasises achieving emotional balance. It is assessed through four propositions on whether practicing meditation facilitates a decrease in egocentrism: If duration is increased, do practitioners progress from Dharana to Dhyana? If “one pointed” attention of meditation technique is used, does it counter egocentrism? and, When both aspects of practicing meditation are used, does the practitioner develop positive leadership? It contributes to the studies on management, leadership, and people practices. It mainly contributes to the studies on egocentrism and will facilitate transforming egocentric leaders into using positive attributes and becoming productive in leadership style, assessing and transforming the younger generation of potential leaders into positive leaders, and in guiding business education to develop leaders free of egocentrism.
TopIntroduction
This chapter highlights how meditation can be applied to offset the negative effects of egocentrism thereby achieving workplace spirituality. The analytical framework emphasises on the mediating role of meditation on egocentrism leading to workplace spirituality. The aim of the concept is to accomplish the mitigation of the negatives of egocentrism through meditation leading to workplace spirituality. The context of this study is egocentrism, and the role of meditation in its understanding and moderation within the precincts of workplace spirituality.
Organisations have started using meditation practice as part of their well-being programmes in an attempt to provide employees a better work-life balance and to prevent employees from developing mental health issues (Young, 2017). However, with application of meditation one consequence is the emerging exhibition of enhancement in egocentrism amongst the practitioners of meditation (Wikholm, 2019). Earlier studies evidence meditation relates with workplace spirituality (Petchsawang & Duchon, 2012) and through regular meditation personal spirituality can be raised developing positive leaders in the workplace (Wikholm, 2019; Barua, 2020). Based on earlier studies, this study goes a step further and using meditation as a mediator, looks at addressing egocentrism in the workplace and its relationship with workplace spirituality. Workplace spirituality is defined as a workplace where people have compassion towards others, experience a mindful inner consciousness in the pursuit of meaningful work and enables transcendence (Petchsawang & Duchon, 2012)
Egocentrism is the inability to accurately assume or understand any perspective other than one's own (Epley, Morewedge & Keysar, 2004). Overcoming egocentrism may be a lifelong development that never achieves completion (Pronin, & Olivola, 2006). Egocentrism is a subtype of selfishness (Raine & Uh, 2019) where even well into adulthood, perceptions are characterized by various egocentric shortcomings (Pronin & Olivola, 2006). Egocentrism has cognitive and affective aspects and refers to the lack of making distinctions and constructing relations (Kesselring & Muller, 2011).
Meditation is a mind training technique which when practiced manifests mindful self-awareness, self-regulation, flow, perseverance, persistence among various other positive attributes (Csikszentmihalyi, 1988). The framework that this chapter presents is made up of two interrelated components. The first is on the technicalities involved in practicing meditation and the second is on egocentrism and its association with meditation.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Reactive Leadership: Reactive leadership demonstrates egocentrism, lacks the effectiveness and complexity to orchestrate business transformations, and ultimately limits high performance ( Adams & Anderson, 2015 ).
Attention: The duration of time that focus can be maintained and developing mental discipline by protracting that state of awareness (Kabat Zinn, 2005).
Dharana Stage: The stage of meditation when the practitioner learns to be self-aware, to self-regulate. In dharana stage, practitioner exhibits mindfulness and happiness progresses to the dhyana stage ( Telles et al., 2010 ).
Leadership: Leadership is a balanced combination of each of these five virtues - intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and discipline ( Tzu & Cleary, 2003 ).
Egocentric: Is the describing word for egocentrism.
Leader: A person who is in a people management role, working in middle to senior management roles in any industry in any size of organisation.
Egocentrism: Egocentrism is a subtype of selfishness ( Raine & Uh, 2019 ) exhibiting inability to accurately assume or understand any perspective other than one's own ( Epley et al., 2004 ).
Dhyan Stage: The stage of meditation when the practitioner’s all thoughts remain effortlessly directed to the object of meditation, excluding all other thoughts. In dhyana stage, practitioner exhibits detachment ( Telles et al., 2010 ).
Workplace Spirituality: A workplace where people have compassion towards others, experience a mindful inner consciousness in the pursuit of meaningful work and enables transcendence ( Petchsawang & Duchon, 2012 ).
Meditation: Is a mind training technique which when practiced manifests mindful self-awareness, self-regulation, flow, perseverance, persistence among various other positive attributes (Csikszentmihalyi, 1988 AU98: The in-text citation "Csikszentmihalyi, 1988" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).