Mindfulness and sales job performance: The serial mediating roles of commitment to customers and commitment to profession

Abstract

In high-pressure sales environments, understanding the psychological mechanisms through which mindfulness translates into superior performance is critical for both theory and practice. Grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study develops and tests a dual commitment mediation model, proposing that mindfulness enhances sales job performance through sequential improvements in commitment to customers and commitment to profession. Data were collected from 260 sales professionals across banking and non-banking sectors in Andhra Pradesh, India, using a structured questionnaire. The hypothesised model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings confirm that mindfulness significantly and directly improves sales job performance (β = 0.445, p < 0.001). Commitment to customers fully mediates the mindfulness–commitment to profession relationship, while serial mediation through both commitment types yields a strong indirect effect on performance (β = 0.378, p < 0.001). Notably, mindfulness does not directly influence commitment to profession, suggesting that professional identity resources are cultivated through relational experience rather than cognitive awareness alone. These results extend COR theory by empirically demonstrating a resource gain spiral, from intrapersonal to interpersonal to identity-based resources, in a sales context. The study offers actionable guidance for sales organisations to embed mindfulness as a strategic capability and design roles that foster purposeful customer engagement.