Workaholism among employees in Japanese corporations: An examination based on the Japanese version of the Workaholism Scales

Abstract: To examine the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Workaholism Scales developed originally by J. T. Spence and A. S. Robbins (1992), a questionnaire survey of workers in Japanese industrial organizations was conducted. The Japanese questionnaire was developed by back-translation. Added to the original questionnaire were scales for work overload - quantity, work overload - quality, role ambiguity and role conflict. A total of 1,072 workers (962 men, 110 women) returned usable data (response rate = 87.5%). The factor structure and reliability of the workaholism instrument for Japanese male subjects look almost identical to those obtained by the original study in America except that the work involvement dimension was not reproduced as an independent factor, but overlapped with the drive dimension for the Japanese sample. There was a significant impact of workaholism on job stress and health complaints among Japanese male employees.     

Workaholism in Organizations: Measurement Validation and Replication

Although workaholism in organizations has received considerable attention in the popular press, our understanding of it based on research is quite limited. This deficit is the result of absence of both suitable definitions and measures of the concept. This study reports the replication of earlier work undertaken by Spence and Robbins (1992) applying their measures to a managerial population (N = 530). Considerable support was found for the usefulness of their measures based on reliability and construct validity data.     

It's Not How Hard You Work But How You Work Hard: Evaluating Workaholism Components

This study examines the relationship of three workaholism components (work involvement, feeling driven to work, work enjoyment) proposed by Spence and Robbins (1992) and a variety of work and psychological well being outcomes. Workaholism components generally had significant relationships with these outcome measures, controlling for personal and situational factors. Feeling driven was more likely to be associated with negative well-being outcomes; work enjoyment more likely associated with positive work outcomes.     

溢出-交叉视角下工作狂对配偶孤独感的影响

基于溢出-交叉的视角,采用工作狂量表、工作家庭冲突量表、孤独感量表对国内242个双职工家庭进行调查,探索工作狂对配偶孤独感的影响及其中介机制。结果表明,工作狂正向影响工作家庭冲突,继而正向影响配偶的孤独感,但是丈夫工作狂对妻子孤独感的直接影响不显著,而妻子工作狂对丈夫孤独感存在显著的直接影响,即丈夫工作家庭冲突完全中介丈夫工作狂对妻子孤独感的影响,而妻子工作家庭冲突部分中介妻子工作狂对丈夫孤独感的影响。此外,孤独感在双职工夫妻之间存在显著的相互交叉影响。     

Predictors of Workaholism Components and Behaviors

This study examined the relationship of three types of predictors of self-reported workaholism components and workaholic job behaviors: individual demographics, work situation characteristics, and two substantive workaholism antecedents (personal beliefs and fears, perceptions of organizational support of work-personal life imbalance). Data were collected from 530 women and men managers and professionals using anonymous questionnaires. The three blocks of predictors explained statistically significant but moderate levels of variance in workaholism components and workaholic job behaviors. The two substantive workaholism antecedents showed somewhat consistent relationships with the criterion measures. Participants more strongly endorsing the beliefs and fears and participants perceiving greater organizational support of work-personal life imbalance generally indicated higher levels of workaholism components and workaholic job behaviors.     

中学教师工作狂类型与工作绩效的关系研究：基于潜在剖面分析

以229名中学教师对研究对象,采用潜在剖面分析方法探索其工作狂类型,并进一步揭示这些类型与工作绩效间的关系。结果表明:（1）教师按工作狂得分可分为三类：重度工作狂、中等偏高工作狂和中等偏低工作狂;（2）不同类别工作狂会对工作绩效产生不同程度的影响。     

工作狂的研究述评

工作狂是指那些在强烈的内部动机的驱动下,长期投入大量时间和精力到工作上的个体,其形成和发展可以用成瘾模型、强化理论、特质理论和家庭系统理论来解释。工作狂的测量工具主要有工作成瘾风险测验、工作狂问卷和工作狂行为量表。该领域的研究者对于人格变量、人口统计学变量和组织因素等工作狂前因变量及健康、人际关系等工作狂的结果变量的探讨比较深入,但在概念界定、理论整合、测量工具、取样和变量探索等方面还有待进一步研究     

Capitalizing on the Benefits of Utilizing Part-Time Employees Through Job Autonomy

There are over 20 million part-time employees in the United States, however research on part-time employees is quite limited. Research has revealed inconsistencies when comparing part-time and full-time employees on various job outcomes (e.g., performance, commitment). As a test of Feldman's (1990) causal model of part-time work, this study provides evidence that autonomy mediates the relationship between job status (part-time vs. full-time) and such outcomes, which can help explain some of the inconsistencies in previous research. Managerial implications are discussed.     

The Assessment of Workaholism as Behavioral Tendencies: Scale Development and Preliminary Empirical Testing

This article reports on the development and preliminary empirical testing of two new scales designed to assess workaholic behavioral patterns. One scale assessed employee tendencies to perform nonrequired work (typically, spending time thinking of ways to perform work better), and the other measured tendencies to intrude on and attempt to control the work of others. These scales seem consistent with both conceptual definitions and anecdotal accounts of workaholism. Moreover, the scales were designed to assess behavioral tendencies rather than work attitudes, to circumvent the possibility of rationalization and denial among workaholic respondents, and to be applicable across multiple work contexts. Evidence from a sample of 278 employed respondents indicated that the scales were internally consistent, and represented distinct constructs. The scales also demonstrated evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. For example, scores on the nonrequired work scale correlated positively with hours worked and with the needs for achievement, autonomy, and affiliation. Scores on the control of others scale correlated positively with job involvement, stress, work-nonwork conflict, role conflict, dominance needs, and self-monitoring. In summary, the workaholism scales developed for this investigation appear both reliable and valid and thus potentially able to shed light on the phenomenon of workaholism.     

Job Stress and Employee Well-Being Among Airline Personnel in an Asian Developing Country

This study examined the relationship between job stress and employees' well-being in a developing country in Asia. Job stress was operationalized in terms of perceived experiences at jobs which were chronic in nature. Employee well-being was operationalized in terms of organizational commitment, job involvement, and job satisfaction. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire from 150 employees working in a national carrier in a developing country in Asia. Pearson correlation and moderated multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Job stress was significantly related to organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Moderated multiple regression did not support the role of gender as a moderator of the stress–outcome relationship.     

青年员工职业适应压力源探析

对浙江省某市20家企业146名青年员工的职业适应压力现状进行调查。结果显示:(1)职业适应问题确实给青年员工带来职业适应压力,其中适应突发事件压力和职业前途压力较大;(2)不同性别、学历、婚姻状况和企业类型的青年员工在职业适应压力的一些维度上差异显著;(3)逐步回归结果表明身体适应压力和人际适应压力对总压力体验有显著影响,身体适应压力、动态任务完成及创新压力对心理体验有显著影响,身体适应压力对情绪体验和生理体验有显著影响。     

The Unintended Effect of Perceived Transformational Leadership Style on Workaholism: The Mediating Role of Work Motivation

Abstract

Given the apparent magnitude of the problems related to workaholism, the current research was designed to provide evidence about the impact of both personal and organizational variables on determining health-damaging work habits of the employees. This paper presents a study aimed at clarifying the mediating role that work motivation plays in the relationship between the perceived transformational leadership style and workaholism. Based on the Self-Determination Theory and the Job Demands–Resources model, we hypothesized that transformational leadership should be directly related to the lower levels of workaholism, whereas the indirect effect of transformational leadership was expected to increase the levels of workaholism through work motivation of the employees. Two hundred and fifty Lithuanian employees participated in the empirical study. The results confirmed the expected relationship between transformational leadership and workaholism via work motivation showing that the negative role of transformational leadership in workaholism is explained by its positive influence on intrinsic motivation, as well as introjected, integrated, identified regulations, which, in turn, enhance the employees’ workaholism.     

Work Stress and Marriage: A Theoretical Model Examining the Relationship Between Workaholism and Marital Cohesion

Using structural equation modeling the relationship of work stress and marital cohesion was empirically investigated. It was hypothesized that work stress would have an inverse relationship with marital cohesion. Participants were a random sample of 326 adult females who were members of the American Counseling Association. The results of the data-model fit analyses support the hypothesized relationship. The coefficient of determination for the structural equation was 0.60 indicating a substantial degree of explanation for the relationship tested. Implications of these findings for future research are presented.     

Understanding Workaholism: Data Synthesis, Theoretical Critique, and Future Design Strategies

Workaholism involves a personal reluctance to disengage from work, which is evidenced by the tendency to work irrespective of external demands. While the term workaholism has been widely used by the public for over 30 years, scientists are only beginning to explore the behavior in depth. To date, most research has occurred on an ad hoc basis, emerging from a wide variety of paradigms without being explicitly linked to theory. The current article presents three methods for defining workaholism and a précis of relevant measures, then provides an integrated overview of research relating workaholism to individual well-being. Three models implicit in existing workaholism research (addiction, learning, and trait theory) are expounded and critiqued, and four new procedures for researching workaholism are suggested. Finally, an integrated, multidisciplinary approach is proposed as an essential element in encouraging rigorous debate and continued development of workaholism theory.     

Workaholic Tendencies and the High Potential for Stress Among Co-Workers

The dangers associated with excessive time at work do not apply equally to all people. Attempts to specify how much is too much have often referenced underlying motives as a factor in whether time at work is excessive and, therefore, likely to lead to undesirable outcomes. The literature on workaholism separates joy in work and perfectionism as two contrasting characteristics, either of which can lead to long hours at work. This study categorized subjects on those two characteristics to examine how the differences might relate to stress among coworkers. In line with suggestions of earlier studies, the joy/perfectionism difference was not linked to standard demographic breakdowns. However, tendencies toward one or the other did correspond to perceptions that may affect the quality of personal interaction in the workplace and, therefore, the level of stress among coworkers.     

Enjoyment of Work and Driven to Work as Motivations of Job Crafting: Evidence from Japan and China

This research contributes to our understanding of job crafting by investigating the role of “enjoyment of work” and “driven to work” as job-crafting motivations. A total of 154 supervisor–employee dyads were surveyed. Enjoyment of work and driven to work were supported as motivators of job crafting. An interaction effect was observed, with low driven to work weakening the relationship between enjoyment of work and job crafting. Job crafting mediated the relationship between the two motivators and job performance. We add to researchers’ understanding of motivations for job crafting while making the first attempt to explore the job-crafting phenomenon in East Asia.     

Comparing Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Social Values Between Younger and Older Employees

Socioemotional selectivity theory proposes that older adults emphasize emotional goals and interpersonal closeness to a greater extent than do younger adults, suggesting that holding social work-related values (SWVs) may be beneficial to older employees. This project aimed at examining two dimensions of SWVs, intrinsic and extrinsic SWVs, and tested whether age and work situation would moderate their effects on self-rated job performance. A cross-sectional survey (Study 1, N = 357) and a 14-day experience sampling study (Study 2, N = 77) were conducted among Chinese managerial employees. Study 1 showed that the direct effect of intrinsic SWVs on self-rated job performance was stronger in older employees than in younger employees. Study 2 demonstrated that older employees who valued intrinsic SWVs while being in social situations performed much better than when they did not value intrinsic SWVs but being in social situations; however such positive effect was not shown in younger employees. Findings of this project reveal that the effect of SWVs varies across locus of effect (intrinsic versus extrinsic), age, and work situation. Among older employees, the positive effect of intrinsic SWVs is more crucial than that of extrinsic SWVs on self-rated job performance. Findings of this project imply that intrinsically rewarding incentives would be more effective in motivating older employees to reach peak performance.     

Workaholism and Family Functioning: A Profile of Familial Relationships, Psychological Outcomes, and Research Considerations

This paper examines the relationship between workaholism and family functioning and the psychological outcomes of family members. A profile of the workaholic family is presented, along with an argument for family scientists and practitioners to pay more attention to this neglected area of family life. Considerations for how to address the need in family research and practice also are presented.