CROSSROADS—Introduction to Mindfulness

This Crossroads section continues the Organization Science tradition of providing a forum for discussing issues central to our understanding of organizations. Dan Levinthal and Claus Rerup begin the conversation in their essay “Crossing an Apparent Chasm: Bridging Mindful and Less-Mindful Perspectives on Organizational Learning.” Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe continue the discussion in their response “Mindfulness and the Quality of Organizational Attention.” Levinthal and Rerup describe the tension between mindful and less mindful or routine-driven processes. Building on the concept of mindfulness developed in the psychological literature, mindfulness is conceived as involving attentiveness and the ability to respond flexibly to contextual cues. By contrast, less mindful behavior involves fewer cognitive processes and greater reliance on previous routines. Levinthal and Rerup note that although the consequences of invoking routines in inappropriate situations can be disastrous, routine-driven behavior has many benefits for organizations, including conserving attention and capturing knowledge accumulated from previous experience in the organization. Levinthal and Rerup argue that mindful and less mindful perspectives complement each other and call for research on their interrelationship. Weick and Sutcliffe push the discussion of mindfulness in an exciting new direction by bringing Eastern conceptions of mindfulness to the debate. According to Weick and Sutcliffe, the information-processing emphasis in Western approaches to mindfulness concentrates on concepts and making distinctions while the Eastern version emphasizes nonconceptual awareness and reduced distraction. Weick and Sutcliffe argue that it is the quality—not the quantity—of attention that affects outcomes. Further, Weick and Sutcliffe provide an insightful discussion of the question whether mindful and less mindful processes are best conceived as a continuum or as dual processes. We hope that these essays stimulate future research on mindful and less mindful processes in organizations. Should mindful and less mindful processes be conceived as distinct categories that organizations alternate between over time? Alternatively, do mindful and less mindful processes coexist and support each other? What are the conditions under which mindful processes are likely to arise? What factors favor less mindful, routine-driven behavior in organizations? When will mindful processes be effective? What are the conditions under which less mindful processes will be associated with positive outcomes? We believe that better articulation of these issues will advance our understanding of organizational processes and performance. Enjoy!