Aggression at the workplace, Social Psychology Research Project

César Ritz Colleges / Washington State University

BA in Hospitality Business Management

Social Psychology of Hospitality

Brief Literature Review

Workaholism effects on the employee’s life inside and outside the workplace

Submitted on: 12/03/2021

By: Victoria Thomaz (739622)

Term 8 Hospitality

Word Count: 1237

Submitted to: Dr. Evelina Gillard

PSY350

Introduction

Within the hospitality industry field it is very common to have employees that are hard working and engaged with their job doing extra hours, however having an engaged employee should not be mixed with having a workaholic employee, there is a difference between those two types of employee that is not always that easy to distinguish. In this paper we will analyse in the following order what is workaholic/workaholism, the differences between a workaholic employee and an engaged employee and what are the workaholism effects on the employee’s life inside and outside their workplace. The increasing number of workaholic people can be considered part of the social construction, with the consolidation of the capitalism as an economic and social system there was an overvaluation of work, over the time working was not only synonymous of earning money but also became a way of obtaining subsidies for survival and recently it has become one of the strongest symbols and status of society, work now a days became part of the individual identity. A second factor that may contribute to people becoming workaholic is the instability caused by the high unemployment rate, due the fear of losing its job many workers start to develop an obsession towards their job and act as if their job is the most important obligation barley having time to other activities such as spending time with family. Due to the urge to feel efficient, an individual can end up impairing quality of work in favor of the amount of work done, there is a fine line between being dedicated and being obsessed. What is workaholic/workaholism?

Workaholism or workaholic is someone that uses their workplace to obtain approval from other people and much like every other type of obsessive-compulsive behaviour, it gives the person an emotional release, a feeling of competence, adrenaline and enthusiasm. Once this person’s expedient is over, he/she starts to come down but he/she does not like this “slowing-down” feeling and they feel the urge to stay longer at the workplace to keep feeling the enjoyment and productivetment felt earlier during the shift (Andreassen, 2014).

Difference between workaholic and work engagement

As mentioned before, ​workaholics are people that are addicted to work, they have compulsion to work and feel the urge to work incessantly, they are obsessed with their job. There is 3 types of workaholic conduct: the compulsive and dependent, the perfectionist and the achievement-oriented workaholism and by linking it with other significant elements such as success, work-life and personal-life satisfaction and turnover rates it is possible to confirm that based on the type of workaholic activity, workaholism can be positive or negative and its effects

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can be perceived or assessed differently by various people and organizations (Scottl, K. S., Moore, K. S. and Miceli, M. P., 1997).

On the other hand, ​work engagement worries about a constructive and positive way of thinking and feeling about their job. Engaged employees have an enthusiastic and productive relationship with their work tasks and environment and they see themselves as capable of responding well to the needs, stress, challenges and pressures of their work. The job engagement refers to an optimistic, satisfying and work-related state of mind, defined by absorption (Schaufeli, Salanova, Gonzalez-Roma, Bakker, 2002). Engaged workers lack the usual obsessive-compulsive drive that is typical of any addiction such as workaholism. Engaged workers are dedicated and engaged in their work by finding a meaning in it, a passion, creativity, enthusiasm and challenges. By that, they absorb the knowledge by being completely immersed in their job and with that, time passes quickly (​Bakker, A. and Leiter, M., 2010).

Pros and cons of having a workaholic employee from the company point of view Workaholism’s definition is still a relative term, and such as, research should be done with careful approaches. Less research was made about positive effects that workaholism can arise, especially in cultures where working is considered a parameter of worth and success where the distinction line between workaholism and norm is thin.

Positive effects of workaholism can be well described through the metaphor of chocolate. Chocolate can be considered as an addictive substance on the one hand, but on the other chocolate is used as a reward, it energizes people, and it rewards them despite the fact that some people don't indulge in moderation (Baruch Y, 2011). In the same way workaholics get rewarded through their work, their well-being is positive, and they feel a sense of purpose, something to look for. According to researchers, workaholics are rightfully indulging in their method of coping while simultaneously bettering the results of the company. In environments where culture is based on marking people’s success, having workaholic tendencies is encouraged, and it can be the main tool on building optimal reputation, and securing a job amongst co-workers. Workaholics can be attributed as indispensable to employers, as they contribute vastly to good results of the company (Baruch Y,2011).

Work can have detrimental effects within a company and its effects can go from damaging workaholic individuals all up to collectively distorting expectations of employees, thus creating more workaholics. It has been supported by early empirical research that workaholism leads to negative results in the long run (Spence and Robbins, 1992; Porter 2004) and that it leads to high stress and negative work-life balance (Mlino,M., Bakker, A.B. and Ghislieri, C.2015). Negative effects of workaholism arise due to workaholics working beyond any expectations and they cross their own ability to work just so that they satisfy their inner insatiable void. They always feel

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they should work, this in the long-run increases the chance for personal burnout, mental decline, and failure of finishing the task properly (Andreassen,2014).

How does workaholism influences the employee’s personal-life Despites what many people think there are not only negative side effects of workaholism, it also exists on the positive side of it that both may affect the personal life of a workaholic employee. Usually, the negative and positive aspects are interrelated such as for instance if the workaholic employee despides of spending extra hours at work, once they are done they feel more relaxed and it motivates them to later spend some quality time with their loved ones, however it works both ways because if there is any issue or problem at workplace it will affects the employee’s family life or if the employee is having some issues at home or in their private life, it can also have an impact on their work performance (Nanda Ankida, 2015). Commonly the conflicts between family and work happens when the employee is overstressed and/or over-worried and because of many challenges and problems that the employee needs to deal with the employee most of the times unintentionally ends up discounting the work stress in their family place (​Frone Michael, 1997).

Conclusion of the Literature Review

The main aim of this literature review was to understand ​what is workaholism and its effects on the employee’s life. ​After analyzing the research studies and articles that have been published over the past years, it is possible to learn the importance of distinguishing between an individual that works extra-hours and is hard working for different reasons such as earning a bonus with an individual that is compulsive-obsessive towards his/her work. Additionally, even though there is research that shows the positive effects of workaholism in work and private life, at the long-run it shows that workaholism it not good neither efficient since it can decrease the quality of the employee’s tasks, the ideal is to create a balance between them because at the end of the day workaholism is an obsession and it should not be a glamorization of work.

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References

(1) Andreassen, Cecilie Schou. “Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research.”

Journal of Behavioral Addictions​, vol. 3, no. 1, Mar. 2014, pp. 1–11. Accessed 07/03/2021.

(2) Bakker, A. and Leiter, M., 2010. ​Work engagement​. 1st ed. Psychology Press, pp.41-43.

Accessed 07/03/2021.

(3) Schaufeli, W.B., Salanova, M., González-romá, V. ​et al.​ The Measurement of Engagement and

Burnout: A Two Sample Confirmatory Factor Analytic Approach. ​Journal of Happiness Studies

3, pp. ​71–92 (2002). ​Accessed 07/03/2021.

(4) Scottl, K. S., Moore, K. S. and Miceli, M. P. (1997) ‘An Exploration of the Meaning and

Consequences of Workaholism’, ​Human Relations​, 50(3), pp. 287–314.

(5) Baruch, Y. (2011). The positive wellbeing aspects of workaholism in cross cultural perspective.

Career Development International​, 16(6), pp.572–591.

(6) Buelens, M. and Poelmans, S.A.Y. (2004). Enriching the Spence and Robbins’ typology of

workaholism. ​Journal of Organizational Change Management​, 17(5), pp.440–458.

(7) Molino, M., Bakker, A.B. and Ghislieri, C. (2015). The role of workaholism in the job

demands-resources model. ​Anxiety, Stress, & Coping​, 29(4), pp.400–414.

(8) Andreassen, Cecilie Schou. “Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research.”

Journal of Behavioral Addictions​, vol. 3, no. 1, Mar. 2014, pp. 1–11, 10.1556/jba.2.2013.017.

Accessed 08/03/2021.

(9) ​ Nanda, Ankita. “Work Life Conflict: The Spillover Effect.” ​Ankita Anda​, vol. 2, 2015,

ijrmbs.com/vol2issue1/drankita.pdf. Accessed 08/03/2021.

(10) Frone, Michael R., et al. “Relation of Work-Family Conflict to Health Outcomes: A

Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Employed Parents.” ​Journal of Occupational and

Organizational Psychology​, vol. 70, no. 4, Dec. 1997, pp. 325–335. Accessed 08/03/2021.

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Workaholism effects on the employee’s life inside and outside the

workplace

Victoria Thomaz - 739622

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is workaholism?01

Workaholic X Work Engaged 03

Pros and Cons of having a workaholic employee from the company point of view

02

How does workaholism influences the employee’s personal life?

04

05 Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Why do people become workaholic / develop obsession towards working?

What is workaholism/workaholic?

WORKAHOLIC VS WORK ENGAGED

● Addition, compulsion and obsession towards working

● Working gives emotional release

● Constructive and positive way of thinking and feeling towards their job

● Lack of obsessive-compulsive behaviour

● Find a meaning and passion at work

PROS AND CONS OF HAVING AN WORKAHOLIC EMPLOYEE FROM THE COMPANY POINT OF VIEW

● Chocolate metaphor ● They indulge in their method of coping

while at the same time bettering the company’s result

● In some environments where culture is based on marking people’s success, having workaholic tendencies is encouraged

● In a long-run, workaholism leads to negative results, to high stress and negative work-life balance, increase the changes for personal burnout, mental declinement and failure on finish the task properly

● Workaholics work beyond the expectations and cross their own ability to work to satisfy their inner insatiable void

Pros Cons

HOW DOES WORKAHOLISM INFLUENCES THE EMPLOYEE’S PERSONAL LIFE

WORK LIFE FAMILY LIFE

Interrelation

CONCLUSION

Distinction of workaholic vs work engaged

Pros and Cons of having an workaholic employee

Interrelation between work and family life and the importance of balancement

01

02

03

● Andreassen, Cecilie Schou. “Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research.” Journal of Behavioral Addictions, vol. 3, no. 1, Mar. 2014, pp. 1–11. Accessed 07/03/2021.

● Bakker, A. and Leiter, M., 2010. Work engagement. 1st ed. Psychology Press, pp.41-43. Accessed 07/03/2021. ● Schaufeli, W.B., Salanova, M., González-romá, V. et al. The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout: A Two Sample Confirmatory Factor

Analytic Approach. Journal of Happiness Studies 3, pp. 71–92 (2002). Accessed 07/03/2021. ● Scottl, K. S., Moore, K. S. and Miceli, M. P. (1997) ‘An Exploration of the Meaning and Consequences of Workaholism’, Human Relations,

50(3), pp. 287–314. ● Baruch, Y. (2011). The positive wellbeing aspects of workaholism in cross cultural perspective. Career Development International, 16(6),

pp.572–591. ● Buelens, M. and Poelmans, S.A.Y. (2004). Enriching the Spence and Robbins’ typology of workaholism. Journal of Organizational Change

Management, 17(5), pp.440–458. ● Molino, M., Bakker, A.B. and Ghislieri, C. (2015). The role of workaholism in the job demands-resources model. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping,

29(4), pp.400–414. ● Andreassen, Cecilie Schou. “Workaholism: An Overview and Current Status of the Research.” Journal of Behavioral Addictions, vol. 3, no. 1,

Mar. 2014, pp. 1–11, 10.1556/jba.2.2013.017. Accessed 08/03/2021. ● Nanda, Ankita. “Work Life Conflict: The Spillover Effect.” Ankita Anda, vol. 2, 2015, ijrmbs.com/vol2issue1/drankita.pdf. Accessed 08/03/2021. ● Frone, Michael R., et al. “Relation of Work-Family Conflict to Health Outcomes: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Employed Parents.”

Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, vol. 70, no. 4, Dec. 1997, pp. 325–335. Accessed 08/03/2021.

REFERENCES