Psychological distress and project success: The moderating role of employees’ resilience and mindfulness

• Published in: International journal of project management Vol. 40; no. 5; pp. 566 - 576
• Main Authors: Mubarak, Namra, Khan, Jabran, Khan, Abdul Karim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Conservation of resources theory; Mindfulness; Project success; Psychological distress; Resilience; Mindfulness; Psychological distress; Project success; Conservation of resources theory; Resilience
• ISSN: 0263-7863; 1873-4634
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.05.004

•This study aimed to empirically investigate the impact of psychological distress on project success along with the moderating role of employees’ resilience and mindfulness.•Strategies were proposed to reduce the impact of employees’ psychological distress on project success.•Employees’ resilience and mindfulness, through their moderating effect, act as mitigating factors against the negative impact of psychological distress on project success. The psychological distress of the employees is a global issue that affects project success in many organizations. Based on the conservation of resources theory, our study highlights the importance of employees’ psychological resources, specifically resilience and mindfulness, to mitigate the detrimental effects of psychological distress on project success. Using purposive sampling, data were collected from 336 respondents working in various project-based organizations of Pakistan. Our findings suggest that employees’ resilience and mindfulness act as buffers against the negative impact of psychological distress on project success. Therefore, the current study proposed directions to minimize psychological distress among project employees and ultimately bring attention to the successful completion of the project. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are also discussed.