Mindfulness-Based Holistic Education in Management (MBHE): Foundations and Effects on Student Well-Being

Rethinking Business Education: Why Well-Being Belongs in the Classroom

In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure world, business schools are increasingly challenged to do more than just prepare students for competitive careers—they must also equip them to thrive as resilient, self-aware leaders. Rising mental health concerns and the volatile demands of modern work highlight the urgent need for a more holistic approach to education. Yet, despite growing calls for change, many institutions struggle to integrate well-being and personal development meaningfully into their programs.

In this post, I share with you a new framework—Mindfulness-Based Holistic Education (MBHE)—that bridges this gap. Combining mindfulness and positive psychology, MBHE offers a practical, scalable, and evidence-based approach to nurturing both performance and well-being in business students. Here's how it works—and why it matters.

Why Management Education Must Lead the Way

Organizational research is increasingly recognizing the importance of well-being and sustainable performance. Scholars like Tay (2023) argue that prioritizing well-being doesn’t mean sacrificing productivity—in fact, it may be the key to building healthier, more flourishing societies. But while this shift is gaining traction in organizational practice, we believe management education shouldn’t just follow—it should lead.

To truly prepare future leaders, business schools must go beyond teaching analytical tools and technical knowledge. They must also support students’ holistic development, nurturing essential socio-emotional skills such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience. This transformation is urgent: mental distress among university students is on the rise, while flourishing remains alarmingly low.

Although some forward-thinking programs have embraced holistic education, widespread adoption remains elusive. Despite strong student demand and positive outcomes, business schools have been slow to mainstream these approaches.

In our research, we identify four key barriers to implementing holistic management education—and propose practical ways to overcome them:

• Foundation – Offering a clear theoretical framework and rationale for a mindfulness-based holistic approach.

• Design – Creating a course that is both innovative and feasible within existing institutional structures.

• Evidence – Providing empirical data to demonstrate measurable impacts on student well-being.

• Documentation – Sharing detailed course materials to enable replication and scaling.

By addressing these challenges, our work contributes to a growing movement to reimagine management education—one where performance and well-being go hand in hand.

Research poster presentation of the Mindfulness-Based Holistic Education in Management project