4 February 2026
How mindfulness can support GenAI use in transforming project management
New research that surveyed more than 440 project managers worldwide has highlighted the critical connection between mindfulness and the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the workplace.
Lead author of the study, Dr Eden Li from the School of Business and Law at Edith Cowan University (ECU) said that effective GenAI adoption requires not only technical skills but also mindfulness to navigate its complexities and challenges.
GenAI is powered by advanced algorithms that generate original content. It is transforming how we gather information, create knowledge, and operate businesses, with global investment projected to reach $151.1 billion by 2027. Global annual investment in projects is estimated at $48 trillion, with forecasts suggesting that by 2030, up to 80 per cent of project management tasks could be handled by AI technologies.
“The integration of GenAI holds great potential to transform the project management profession, which can bring both substantial benefits and significant disruption,” Dr Li said.
Through a two-wave, time-lagged design survey, the research revealed how mindfulness supports project managers in leveraging GenAI technologies to innovate work practices.
The research is a collaboration between ECU’s School of Business and Law (Dr Eden Li and Associate Professor Laurie Hughes ) and Curtin University.
“Project managers with higher mindfulness levels tend to be more open, attentive, and creative in crafting their immediate work environment. This, in turn, encourages project managers to explore how GenAI can optimise workflows, and ultimately improve the frequency and effectiveness of GenAI use,” Dr Li explained.
“In an era where emerging technologies are transforming traditional project management practices, our findings provide timely guidance on developing mindfulness, and job crafting strategies to support project innovation.”
Dr Li and Associate Professor Hughes shared four key insights for business leaders and project professionals:
In high-complexity work, a curiosity-driven mindset becomes even more valuable—helping managers explore, experiment, and integrate GenAI more effectively.
The research Leveraging generative AI for project management: The role of mindfulness and job crafting is published in the International Journal of Project Management.
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Media contact:
Hayley Butler, (08) 6304 5575, h.butler@ecu.edu.au
or
ECU Corporate Relations, (08) 6304 2222, pr@ecu.edu.au
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International Journal of Project Management
10.1016/j.ijproman.2026.102816
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Leveraging generative AI for project management: The role of mindfulness and job crafting
21-Jan-2026
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.