Workplace culture is directly linked to employee stress, engagement and productivity. According to the 2016 Global Wellness Institute report, costs of health problems caused by work stress reached 12% of the GDP in the United States alone (as cited in Mazur & Mazur-Małek, 2018, p. 98). The problem of insufficient employee wellness persists in regional branches of transnational corporations. For example, a series of interviews with employees of Coca-Cola Poland HR Department revealed that staff members would like to reduce work stress levels. Overall, Coca-Cola Poland focused on promoting physical activity among employees, whereas psychological assistance was mostly absent (Mazur & Mazur-Małek, 2018). In this regard, the company missed the potential benefits of emotional intelligence and mindfulness training.
Benefits of Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness Training
Many organizations have realized the benefits of emotional intelligence and mindfulness training programs. For instance, such training has been implemented by Google, Intel, Nike, and even United States Marine Corps (Nadler et al., 2020). In regard to benefits, mindfulness-based practices have been associated with the reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, these practices improved memory capacity, mental resilience, and cognitive flexibility (Nadler et al., 2020). Therefore, emotional intelligence and mindfulness training has the potential to improve employee wellness, workplace culture, and overall organizational performance.
Potential Benefits for Coca-Cola Poland
Workplace culture may vary significantly depending on the enacted values in a particular company. McShane and Von Glinow (2015) offer a general classification of organizational cultures by key dimensions and dimensional characteristics. For example, a culture based on respect for people is characterized by fairness and tolerance (McShane & Von Glinow, 2015, p. 401). Organizations rarely have a pure, easily decipherable workplace culture; however, one can trace the elements of specific dimensional characteristics. For instance, Coca-Cola Poland strives to create a culture based on respect — in particular, the employees mentioned a “homey” atmosphere at work (Mazur & Mazur-Małek, 2018). In this regard, emotional intelligence and mindfulness training may contribute to the further development of respectful organizational culture at Coca-Cola Poland HR Department.
Content and Implementation of Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness Training
Emotional intelligence and mindfulness training program should be considered a proper psychological intervention. Therefore, companies must suggest undergoing the training rather than forcing the employees to undertake it. In regard to technical implementation, Nadler et al. (2020) conducted a successful eight-week online mindfulness training, which led to a reduction in perceived work stress and increased employees’ self-perceived workplace competencies. Overall, an online format of implementation would be preferable due to its convenience for most employees.
In terms of exercise selection for the training, meditation techniques seemingly have the most beneficial impact. For example, a training course by Nadler et al. (2020) consisted of eight weekly topics corresponding to a particular attitude. In particular, non-judgment was obtained via three-minute breath-based meditation and awe — through ten-minute open-monitoring (Nadler et al., 2020). Therefore, various meditation techniques should be considered a primary option for emotional intelligence and mindfulness training due to their effectiveness in developing the right attitudes.
References
Mazur, B., & Mazur-Małek, M. (2018). Corporate wellness: The case of Coca-Cola Poland company. International Journal of Contemporary Management, 17(2), 97-110.
McShane, S.L., & Von Glinow, M.A. (2015). Organizational behavior: Emerging knowledge, global reality. McGraw Hill Education.
Nadler, R., Carswell, J. J., & Minda, J. P. (2020). Online mindfulness training increases well-being, trait emotional intelligence, and workplace competency ratings: A randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 255.