MEDITATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL AMONG FACULTY MEMBERS: A THEORY-DRIVEN REVIEW OF WELL-BEING, ENGAGEMENT, AND PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES

Abstract

This is a theoretical review of recent studies regarding the correlation between meditation and psychological capital (PsyCap) in regard to faculty members, with a particular emphasis on the well-being, work engagement, and performance outcomes in higher education. Faculty work has been described as involving high cognitive load, emotional work and long-term performance stress, which require effective individual resource-building processes. The paper is based on the conceptualization of meditation, especially mindfulness-based meditation, as a self-regulating and resource-boosting exercise that facilitates the growth of PsyCap elements, i.e. hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism (based on the contemporary research, 20212025). The review incorporates the findings of positive organizational behavior and occupational health theories to describe the role of meditation in affecting faculty engagement and performance indirectly via improved psychological capital and having direct impacts on well-being. Through the synthesis of scattered evidence, the paper explains how concepts are conceptually linked, the trends and gaps within the methodologies, and the importance of meditation-based interventions to sustainable development of faculties and effectiveness of institutions in higher education.