HOW MINDFULNESS SHAPES WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Abstract

Grounded in the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and positive psychology framework, this study investigates the effect of mindfulness on workplace spirituality, with emotional intelligence as a mediating variable, among working students at Pamulang University, Indonesia. While prior research has examined mindfulness and workplace spirituality as independent constructs, the theoretical mechanism through which mindfulness cultivates spiritual meaning at work — particularly via emotional intelligence — remains empirically underexplored in the context of non Western, dual-role populations. This study addresses that gap by proposing and testing a mediation model within an Indonesian higher education setting. A quantitative approach was employed using a purposive sampling technique, targeting respondents who actively fulfill both academic and professional roles simultaneously. Data were collected from 100 eligible working students through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS, encompassing validity and reliability testing, descriptive statistics, and multiple linear regression with mediation analysis. The findings demonstrate that mindfulness exerts a significant positive effect on both emotional intelligence and workplace spirituality. Emotional intelligence was further confirmed as a significant partial mediator in the mindfulness–workplace spirituality relationship, indicating that heightened self-awareness and emotional regulation serve as key psychological pathways through which mindfulness enhances spiritual fulfillment at work. Theoretically, this study extends COR Theory by identifying emotional intelligence as a resource-building mechanism linking mindfulness to workplace spirituality. Practically, these findings call for institutions and human resource professionals to integrate structured mindfulness and emotional intelligence interventions into organizational development programs for working student populations. Future research is encouraged to replicate this model with larger and more diverse samples across different organizational and cultural contexts.