Psychological Researches in Management

Psychological Researches in Management

Investigating the effect of mindfulness and alexithymia on the generation of new business ideas

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammadamir Lotfi 1
Ehsan Chitsaz 2
Parisa Rasoulian 3
Kambiz Talebi 4
1 Master of Entrepreneurship, Department of New Business, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Entrepreneurship Development, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3 PhD of Entrepreneurship, Department of New Business, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
4 Professor, Department of New Business, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jom.2024.2036049.1241
Abstract
Purpose: The impact of mindfulness has been thoroughly examined across various disciplines, including neuroscience and cognitive science, demonstrating significant effects on elements such as attention, cognitive control, decision-making, and mental well-being. Concurrently, the importance of innovative business concepts is crucial in constructing efficient enterprises. As a result, there has been a continuous effort to enhance entrepreneurial processes in recent years. This research investigates the role of mindfulness and alexithymia in the generation of new business ideas. The results of this research can help to develop new approaches in entrepreneurship education and design psychological intervention programs and help entrepreneurs in improving ideation processes. Also, this study is trying to provide a foundation for further research in this field by increasing knowledge in this field.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research method is a survey, and in a specific sample, research hypotheses have been tested. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires, which include valid scales to measure the desired variables. The research is cross-sectional; This means that the data were collected at a specific point in time. This selection allows to examine the current state of psychological variables and their impact on the quality of business ideas. The questionnaires included valid and standard scales for measuring the variables of mindfulness and emotional ataxia. Five-faceted Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) was used to measure mindfulness, and Toronto Ataxia Scale (TAS-20) was used to measure ataxia. With the purposeful sampling method, 64 potential entrepreneurs, people with experience or interest in the field of entrepreneurship were selected for the study, and study correlation between mindfulness and alexithymia with the dimensions of generation of new business ideas. Data analysis using quantitative statistical methods, including Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA), which was done using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. Also, the structural equation model (SEM) has been used to investigate the relationships between variables and to test research hypotheses. All stages of this research have been carried out in compliance with the ethical principles of research. The participants voluntarily participated in the research and their information was kept confidential and anonymous.
Findings: The findings of the research showed that mindfulness has a significant effect on the innovation of ideas and their feasibility. Specifically, heightened mindfulness leads to an improved feasibility of ideas, 
Findings: The findings of the research showed that mindfulness has a significant effect on the innovation of ideas and their feasibility. Specifically, heightened mindfulness leads to an improved feasibility of ideas, albeit causing a minor decline in their innovation factor. On the other hand, the research found no significant correlation between alexithymia and the study's dependent variable, suggesting that alexithymia may not play a substantial role in the development of new business ideas. In other words, increasing the characteristic of mindfulness can lead to a decrease in innovation and an increase in the feasibility of idea generation, which confirms the first and second hypotheses of the research. However, the third research hypothesis was rejected due to the absence of a significant relationship. These findings underscore the complex interplay between mindfulness, alexithymia, and the generation of new business ideas, offering a new perspective on the psychological factors influencing entrepreneurship.
Discussion and Conclusion: One of the main innovations of this research is the investigation of the effect of two important psychological factors, i.e. mindfulness and alexithymia, on the ideation process of new businesses. This research has analyzed the complex relationships between these changes by presenting a structural equation model (SEM). Also, using Augmented Information Technology (AR) to develop ideation is another innovative aspect of this research that adds to its results. The findings of this research can have many practical applications in the fields of entrepreneurship and business management, including developing educational programs, designing psychological interventions, and supporting policies.
This research is limited to a few theoretical bases and a specific time and place area, making the implementation of the research possible. Among other things, the study was focused on a specific group of entrepreneurs and idea producers, the measurement of mindfulness, cognitive control and the quality of the new business idea was done based on self-expression and subjective judgment tools, this research dealt with the types of new business ideas and their sources as a whole. is, previous researches have shown that many other variables affect the quality of the idea that may not have been considered in this research and should be investigated in more researches.
Keywords
Mindfulness
Emotional ataxia
New business idea
Entrepreneurship

Subjects

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