Close your eyes or open your mind: Effects of sleep and mindfulness exercises on entrepreneurs' exhaustion

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2018.12.004Get rights and content

Highlights

  • •

    Entrepreneurs may experience higher levels of exhaustion than non-entrepreneurs.

  • •

    Mindfulness exercises (MindEx) and sleep reduce exhaustion among entrepreneurs.

  • •

    MindEx and sleep effects interact in a compensating manner.

Abstract

Exhaustion is a prominent problem in entrepreneurship because it inhibits cognitive functioning, opportunity identification and evaluation, decision-making, and perseverance. We examine the possible benefits of sleep and mindfulness exercises in reducing the exhaustion experienced by entrepreneurs in the course of launching and growing ventures. Across two studies, we find that both sleep and mindfulness exercises provide avenues for entrepreneurs to combat exhaustion. More interestingly, we find that these two factors compensate for one another; as the usage of one increases, the efficacy of the other decreases. This has important implications for reducing exhaustion and improving cognitive functioning and motivational energy among entrepreneurs.

Section snippets

Executive summary

Entrepreneurship can be an exhausting endeavor. Entrepreneurs typically work extremely hard for long hours to overcome the challenges associated with launching ventures (Aldrich and Martinez, 2001; Boyd and Gumpert, 1983), and this can exact a high toll. Perceived exhaustion reflects a lack of energy at work and a feeling that one's resources are depleted (LePine et al., 2004) and likely impairs a number of important entrepreneurial processes that require cognitive energy, such as opportunity

Perceived exhaustion among entrepreneurs

Perceived exhaustion refers to a depletion of energy and feelings of fatigue (LePine et al., 2004; Perry et al., 2010) which typically evolve over time as a result of prolonged exposure to long work hours and stressors in the environment (Toker and Biron, 2012). While research on the specific topic of perceived exhaustion in entrepreneurship is virtually non-existent, a litany of empirical work in management indicates exhaustion hinders work processes, leading to lower job performance (

Alleviation of perceived exhaustion among entrepreneurs

A large compendium of research in psychology as well as management indicates that mindfulness exercises and sleep can help reduce the impact of perceived exhaustion in the work environment (Dane, 2011; Good et al., 2016; Litwiller et al., 2017; Uehli et al., 2014). Based on this body of work, we focus specifically on mindfulness exercises and sleep in this study. Mindfulness is defined as a state of consciousness involving receptive attention to and awareness of present events and experiences (

Method & results

We conducted two studies to test our model. In Study 1 we tested our model in a cross-sectional study with 105 entrepreneurs in the field. To test H1, we compared the exhaustion data we gathered from entrepreneurs in this study against data published in other studies concerning exhaustion levels seen in various different occupations. H2, H3, H4 were tested using cross-sectional survey data obtained in Study 1. In Study 2, we validated these results using a lagged survey study with 329

Discussion & implications

Across the two studies in this paper, we sought to understand ways in which entrepreneurs deal with the exhaustion that accompanies working long hours under uncertain conditions. We discovered that both sleep and mindfulness exercises provide avenues for entrepreneurs to combat feelings of exhaustion. Interestingly, we also found that these two practices compensate for one another. Each one fights perceived exhaustion, but there are limits to their joint efficacy; the more one is employed, the

Conclusion

Our studies provide a nuanced and novel perspective into how entrepreneurs manage the exhaustion that accompanies starting new ventures. By engaging in sleep and mindfulness exercises, entrepreneurs can cope with the pressure and fatigue inherent in their endeavors. We move the conversation surrounding entrepreneurial cognition and effectiveness forward by simultaneously showing that entrepreneurs experience greater perceived exhaustion than non-entrepreneurs and that perceived exhaustion

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge Sara Thorgren, Pankaj Patel, Editor Matthew Wood, and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments in the development of this paper.

References (208)

  • R.E. Dahl et al.

    Pathways to adolescent health sleep regulation and behavior

    J. Adolesc. Health

    (2002)
  • D. Elmenhorst et al.

    Performance impairment during four days partial sleep deprivation compared with acute effects of alcohol and hypoxia

    Sleep Med.

    (2009)
  • G. Feldman et al.

    Differential effects of mindful breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and loving-kindness meditation on decentering, and negative reactions to repetitive thoughts

    Behav. Res. Ther.

    (2010)
  • D. Forlani et al.

    Perceived risks and choices in entrepreneurs' new venture decisions

    J. Bus. Ventur.

    (2000)
  • P. Grossman et al.

    Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: a meta-analysis

    J. Psychosom. Res.

    (2004)
  • J. Gu et al.

    How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies

    Clin. Psychol. Rev.

    (2015)
  • F. Herndon

    Testing mindfulness with perceptual and cognitive factors: external vs internal encoding and the cognitive failures questionnaire

    Personal. Individ. Differ.

    (2008)
  • K.M. Hmieleski et al.

    The contrasting interaction effects of improvisational behavior with entrepreneurial self-efficacy on new venture performance and entrepreneur work satisfaction

    J. Bus. Ventur.

    (2008)
  • B. Khoury et al.

    Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: a meta-analysis

    J. Psychosom. Res.

    (2015)
  • H.E. Aldrich et al.

    Many are called, but few are chosen: an evolutionary perspective for the study of entrepreneurship

    Enterp. Theory Pract.

    (2001)
  • E. Altena et al.

    Prefrontal hypoactivation and recovery in insomnia

    Sleep

    (2008)
  • J.S. Armstrong et al.

    Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys

    J. Mark. Res.

    (1977)
  • J.A. Astin

    Stress reduction through mindfulness meditation: effects on psychological symptomatology, sense of control, and spiritual experiences

    Psychother. Psychosom.

    (1997)
  • M. Baer

    Putting creativity to work: the implementation of creative ideas in organizations

    Acad. Manag. J.

    (2012)
  • M.D. Baer et al.

    Uneasy lies the head that bears the trust: the effects of feeling trusted on emotional exhaustion

    Acad. Manag. J.

    (2015)
  • A.B. Bakker et al.

    How job demands affect partners' experience of exhaustion: integrating work-family conflict and crossover theory

    J. Appl. Psychol.

    (2008)
  • J.A. Bargh et al.

    The unbearable automaticity of being

    Am. Psychol.

    (1999)
  • C.M. Barnes

    Working in our sleep: sleep and self-regulation in organizations

    Organ. Psychol. Rev.

    (2012)
  • J.C. Barnes et al.

    The impact of sleep duration on adolescent development: a genetically informed analysis of identical twin pairs

    J. Youth Adolesc.

    (2015)
  • C.M. Barnes et al.

    Changing to daylight saving time cuts into sleep and increases workplace injuries

    J. Appl. Psychol.

    (2009)
  • C.M. Barnes et al.

    You wouldn't like me when I'm sleepy: leaders' sleep, daily abusive supervision, and work unit engagement

    Acad. Manag. J.

    (2015)
  • C.M. Barnes et al.

    Too tired to inspire or be inspired: sleep deprivation and charismatic leadership

    J. Appl. Psychol.

    (2016)
  • R.A. Baron

    The role of affect in the entrepreneurial process

    Acad. Manag. Rev.

    (2008)
  • R.A. Baron et al.

    Why entrepreneurs often experience low, not high, levels of stress: the joint effects of selection and psychological capital

    J. Manag.

    (2016)
  • B.R. Barringer et al.

    The relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and strategic management

    Strateg. Manag. J.

    (1999)
  • B.R. Barringer et al.

    Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures

    (2016)
  • B. Batjargal et al.

    Institutional polycentrism, entrepreneurs' social networks, and new venture growth

    Acad. Manag. J.

    (2013)
  • R.F. Baumeister et al.

    Ego depletion: is the active self a limited resource?

    J. Pers. Soc. Psychol.

    (1998)
  • M. Beauregard et al.

    Neural correlates of conscious self-regulation of emotion

    J. Neurosci.

    (2001)
  • B. Bjorvatn et al.

    The association between sleep duration, body mass index and metabolic measures in the Hordaland Health Study

    J. Sleep Res.

    (2007)
  • L.M. Bogusch et al.

    Anxiety and depressive symptoms as mediators of trait mindfulness and sleep quality in emerging adults

    Mindfulness

    (2016)
  • M.H. Bonnet et al.

    We are chronically sleep deprived

    Sleep

    (1995)
  • D.P. Boyd et al.

    Coping with entrepreneurial stress

    Harv. Bus. Rev.

    (1983)
  • K.W. Brown et al.

    The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being

    J. Pers. Soc. Psychol.

    (2003)
  • K.W. Brown et al.

    Mindfulness: theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects

    Psychol. Inq.

    (2007)
  • J. Bruder

    The psychological price of entrepreneurship

  • P.A. Bryant et al.

    Sick and tired: does sleep have a vital role in the immune system?

    Nat. Rev. Immunol.

    (2004)
  • J.P. Burton et al.

    Supervisor workplace stress and abusive supervision: the buffering effect of exercise

    J. Bus. Psychol.

    (2012)
  • M.S. Cardon et al.

    Entrepreneurial passion as mediator of the self-efficacy to persistence relationship

    Enterp. Theory Pract.

    (2015)
  • M.S. Cardon et al.

    Is stress worth it? Stress-related health and wealth trade-offs for entrepreneurs

    Appl. Psychol. Int. Rev.

    (2015)

    • Cited by (47)

    • Work hard or play hard: the effect of leisure crafting on opportunity recognition and venture performance

      2023, Journal of Business Venturing

    • A system dynamics modelling of entrepreneurship and growth within firms

      2023, Journal of Business Venturing

    • Stress[ed] out, leisure in: The role of leisure crafting in facilitating entrepreneurs’ work stressor— creativity relationship

      2022, Journal of Business Venturing Insights

    • Perceived social undermining keeps entrepreneurs up at night and disengaged the next day: The mediating role of sleep quality and the buffering role of trait resilience

      2022, Journal of Business Venturing
      Citation Excerpt :

      By examining perceived social undermining and revealing its ramifications for entrepreneurial well-being, we advance research on the dark side of entrepreneurs' social lives and provide a counterweight to prior research that has predominantly dwelled on the positive side of entrepreneurs' social relationships (see Stephan, 2018, for a review). Second, we join and extend the emerging literature examining the microfoundations (i.e., day-to-day process) of entrepreneurs' well-being (e.g., Wach et al., 2021; Kollmann et al., 2019; Weinberger et al., 2018; Williamson et al., 2019; Murnieks et al., 2020). Previous studies have looked into the major milestone events of entrepreneurial performance and failure (e.g., Shepherd et al., 2011; Rauch et al., 2007) or the effects of chronic work and personal characteristics (see Stephan, 2018, for a review).

    • Feeling stressed but in full flow? Leader mindfulness shapes subordinates' perseverative cognition and reaction

      2024, Journal of Managerial Psychology

    • Specifying the role of religion in entrepreneurial action: a cognitive perspective

      2024, Small Business Economics
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text
    © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.