Project 2 Research Essay: Thesis, Outline, Draft

You will submit this entire document in Unit 9. You will copy and paste your full draft in the discussion board in Unit 10

You must submit this document in the assessment folder titled Project 2. You must copy and paste the full draft in the discussion board titled Project 2 Peer review for the finished Research Essay to be accepted for evaluation at full value.

Essay Outline (NOT MANDATORY)

Feel free to use or adapt/ change the outline template below

INTRODUCTION

Hook or Inciting Idea:

Background Context:

Main Source--author, title, one-sentence summary:

Provisional Thesis:

SUMMARY

Summary of the reading in 4-5 sentences

CRITICAL RESPONSE PARAGRAPH 1

1. First claim critiquing the main source (tied to the thesis): TS

• Textual evidence from the main source:
• Analyze the example
• Textual evidence from (one or more) research source(s):
• Analyze the example

CRITICAL RESPONSE PARAGRAPH 2

1. Second claim critiquing the main source (tied to the thesis): TS:

• Textual evidence from the main source:
• Analyze the example
• Textual evidence from research source(s):
• Analyze the example

CONCLUSION

Restatement of the thesis in new words:

Memorable statement

Essay Draft (REQUIRED):

Write a full first draft (Intro, Summary, 2 Critical Response paragraphs, Conclusion(s), References). Then submit this entire document to the assignment folder and copy/paste just the draft here to the Discussion Board.

Write the essay draft here in 800-1000 words based upon the article below

The power of belief: How expectations influence workplacewell-beinginterventionsPublished: June 5, 2024 11.51am EDTAuthors

1. Mehak Bharti

Assistant Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University

1. Ellen Choi

Assistant Professor, HR Management & Organizational Behaviour, Toronto Metropolitan University

1. Nadge Levallet

Associate Professor, Management and Information Systems, University of Maine

Disclosure statement

Ellen Choi receives funding from MITACS

Mehak Bharti and Nadge Levallet do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Partners

We believe in the free flow of informationRepublish our articles for free, online or in print, under Creative Commons licence.Republish this article Email X (Twitter) Facebook26 LinkedIn Print

In today's fast-paced work environments, the quest for inner peace can feel like an elusive dream. In 2021, 62 per cent ofhealth-care workersreported having burnout, while 70 per cent reported depressive symptoms and 29 per cent suffered from post-traumatic symptoms.

Outside of health care, a staggering80 per cent of American workerssay they experience stress at work. Findings indicate stress plays a role in approximately 60 per cent of instances of absenteeism among employees.

The detrimental effects of poor well-being are evident. When employees are unwell, theirjob performance decreases, they reporthigher turnover ratesand they're more at riskof burnout.

To combat declining employee mental health,many organizations have turned to mindfulness trainingto reduce stress. Thisancient practiceholds promise to reshape the way we liveand work.

The benefits of mindfulness

In modern applications ofmindfulness, the concept refers to non-judgmental awareness that's oriented toward staying in the present.

By practising mindfulness, individuals can cultivate a sense of inner calm by reducing negative emotions and enhancing vitalityand resilience, making them better equipped to navigate the challenges of the modern workplace.

Mindfulness enhances awareness, allowing individuals to be fully present in the moment, liberated from the burdens of past regrets and future worries. Past studies have found that becoming more present can increasehow engaged people feel at work and even increase their job performance.

While mindfulness is enticing, it can be remarkably elusive especially because in a world addicted to busyness, meditation isnot everyone's cup of tea.

Mindfulness exercises can include techniques such as breathing awareness and meditation.(Shutterstock)Mindfulness and psychological capital

Our researchexamined how different types of interventions aimed at improving well-being can enhancepsychological capital a concept encompassing self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism.

While mostmindfulness intervention studiestend to focus on the efficacy of training on desirable outcomes, we wanted to know how the expectations and beliefs participants held about training might influence its effectiveness in increasing psychological capital.

Expectancy theoryargues that motivation is higher when we desire a certain outcome and believe we can obtain a particular result. Could it be, for example, that those who believed more strongly in the power of mindfulness to reduce stress might benefit more from it?

In our study, hospital employees were randomly allocated to one of three groups: mindfulness, Pilates or a control group that was enrolled in neither and placed on a waitlist.

The mindfulness group learned different types of meditation techniques such as breath awareness andloving-kindness meditation. The Pilates group learned exercises that strengthened their core. Those in the control group received no training, but were able to enrol in the mindfulness or Pilates group afterward.

By comparing the experiences of participants in each group, we analyzed how the training each participant received, and the expectations they held, interacted to affect their psychological capital.

Expectations matter

Our research found that increases in psychological capital had as much to do with an individual's underlying expectations as the training group they were assigned to.

Regardless of the type of training that individuals received, the factors that predicted an increase in psychological capital were individuals who believed: a) their well-being was suffering and b) the training would enhance their well-being.

Our findings show that people can become more mindful and increase their psychological capital regardless of the training condition, especially those who start with very low levels of self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism.

In other words, believing that you need the wellness activities you engage in and that they will be beneficial matters just as much as the actual activities themselves.

Alternatives for mindfulness skeptics

It is essential to recognize that meditation, like exercise, does not resonate with everyone, despite its benefits. One study, for example,found that mindfulness-based practices don't work for psychologically vulnerable populations.

This research highlights a critical point: the effectiveness of wellness interventions can vary significantly from person to person.

Both Pilates and traditional mindfulness training can boost mindfulness to support health and well-being.(Shutterstock)

For those who don't find mindfulness practices appealing, they should be delighted by our findings because they show that diverse wellness interventions and in this case, both Pilates and traditional mindfulness training can boost mindfulness to support health and well-being.

Organizational takeaways

From an organizational standpoint, our study underscores how important recognizing and addressing individual differences in motivation and expectation are when crafting wellness interventions for employees.

We offer three practical implications for organizations interested in supporting well-being to consider:

Do not underestimate the value of understanding what employees need. Taking the time to understand what employees need, desire and are motivated by can predict the effectiveness of wellness offerings.

Educate and promote. Educating employees on the benefits of well-being intervention trainings can enhance their expectations and, accordingly, increase the likelihood they will benefit from it.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution. By offering a wide array of wellness programs that genuinely resonate with the interests of employees, organizations can increase the likelihood of engagement and positive outcomes. The possibilities are boundless.

For individuals interested in investing in their own well-being, our results suggest that choosing wellness activities that you are genuinely motivated to engage in towards goals that are truly meaningful to you are likely to yield better returns.

Past research has foundthat doing healthy activities just because you think youshouldcan actually be detrimental. In that spirit, to take care of your well-being, look to what you love and invest your time and energy in that.